Is this a good book?

[aviatordom]

Hey all, new to the forums!

I've wanted my own Pilot's Licence for a couple of years now, and yesterday i took to the skies in a C152 for a trial lesson. Being a major enthusiast, i loved the experience and i found some elements surprinsingly easy. After the flight, the instructor reccomended that i should start training and buy a good book. He mentioned an author called Trevor Thom. Now, i can't remember whether he said this was a good book or whether it may be too in-depth & complicated at the moment for me.

So, those of you who are GA Pilots, Flight instructors, etc.... would you reccomend this book for me?

http://www.flightstore.co.uk/prod/1843360640/DEPT-BOOKS/BKPPLUK/

Please note, i am a young enthusiast (14 on the 25th!)

[egbgstudent]

Hi there, Congratulations on getting airborne for the first time. Next stop will be your PPL, but above all, please enjoy the journey inbetween.
I am sure that there will be a lot of people who will pass on many hints and tips for you.
As for the books, Personally, I prefer the AFE range of manuals towards the PPL. They do not ramble on and on in great length, and are written in a way that is easy to understand.

http://www.flightstore.co.uk/prod/187478308X/DEPT-BOOKS/BKPPLUK/

When you get closer to starting your exams, the PPL Confuser will help you through all of the questions.:D
:=At 14 do not worry too much about the ground school side of thins, and don't go buying this that and the other.
simply
ENJOY YOUR FLYING :)

[znww5]

Welcome to the world of aviation!

As far as books are concerned I recommend that you also take a look at the series called 'The Private Pilot Licence Course', written by Jeremy Pratt. The first book (PPL1) deals with flying training and is both well illustrated and written in a modern style.

I have not seen the Trevor Thom books recently, but years ago I found them to be probably the most boring, dry text books I've ever come across - hopefully they have improved (greatly) since then! Perhaps somebody who has used them recently can comment.

When you decide, remember that you can source these books elsewhere - Amazon is good and much to my surprise the Tesco web site also sells them - in fact most of my Pratt series came from there with significant savings.

I'm sure you'll enjoy your flying, you'll find that pilots tend to be a friendly bunch for the most part.

[stocker]

Try ebay for the whole set, theres bound to be someone flogging of their ppl course books.

in fact I just found some for you

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/PPL-Flying-Training-Manuals-Full-Set-of-6-Books_W0QQitemZ150232995493QQihZ005QQcategoryZ27325QQssPageN ameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


in fact you are still young enough to get great birthday presents.....good luck

[egbgstudent]

Ah yes, it would appear that we are talking about the same range of books.
Did not know that you can buy them from Tesco on line though....'Let me see, 6 apples, 2 tins of baked beans, and a PPL course please':D

[DenhamPPL]

I have the full set of Trevor Thom books and despite being rather "dry" found them an excellent study aid for my PPL course which I passed last year. I also passed each exam first time with the help of the PPL Confuser (make sure you get the LATEST edition if you intend buying it).

May be worth seeing if you can convince your folks to buy the complete study pack from Flightstore (ie all the Thom books and the confuser plus other useful bits and pieces).

Best of luck with your future flying training!

Adam

[kevmusic]

And chaps, what about congrats to Aviatordom who, at 13, is such an articulate & literate potential pilot! :ok: Paragraphs, capital letters (mostly), punctuation..........whatever are they going to teach these young people next?

Kev

[aviatordom]

Thankyou all very much for your kind help,

I have decided to go for the AFE textbook "1: Flying Training" by Jeremy pratt as some of you have mentioned that it is much easier to read & learn from, also one review said that it is designed for those who know very little about aviation which was pleasantly surprising! ( i know a bit but not a great deal). However, how valid this review is, i do not know!

Anyway, it seems that is better than Trevor Thom's PPL books

One question, should i buy the 2003 or 2007 edition? The 2003 edition is obviously cheaper

Would this affect my studies?

[skyfiend]

It is great that you are keen to tackle the theory so quickly, but as others have mentioned there are other excellent flying books that will help to keep your interest healthy.

For example (and doubtless others will contribute):

Fate is the Hunter (Ernst Gann)
The Shephard (Fredrick Forsyth)
The Right Stuff (Tom Wolfe)
Chickenhawk (Robert Mason)

There is a fantastic mix of fiction and non-fiction available that will teach you about some of the great pilots, hair-curling stories and you may even pick up a little airmanship along the way.

Best bit of all, I am sure all your relatives will be only too happy to buy you some books for Xmas / B'day etc

[Spitoon]

One question, should i buy the 2003 or 2007 edition? The 2003 edition is obviously cheaperOthers more familiar with PPL training mat correct me but I suspect the only things that may differ significantly between the two editions will be the air law stuff.

BTW, happy belated birthday.

[sycamore]

Aviatordom, just to say `welcome` and congratulations on starting your career to become a pilot.If I may suggest something that may help in your endeavours in the future,have you considered joining the Air Training Corps as well? This is not a `party political broadcast` on behalf of the RAF, rather a way of broadening your knowledge and opportunities ,free flying,gliding, sports ,etc,etc.It doesn`t mean you necessarily have to join the RAF at all;I`m sure there are many Ppruners who have been cadets,and have benefited by that experience,and are very professional pilots from Cessnas to Eurofighters and lots in between. There are a couple of Squadrons around Southend,and you can find all the info if you google`air training corps`.Obviously you`ll have to discuss it with your parents,but it`s worth a go..I wish you a `happy birthday` and best wishes for your future career...Syc:ok: