Best PPL study books [Archive]

steve071261

6th Jun 2007, 11:06

Hi,

the "Simplifier" is published as part of the Jeremy Pratt textbook series, and as such it is designed to help you consolidate the knowledge gained through reading those books. It contains pre-test revision "brush-up" notes for each subject which the "Confuser" doesn't. It also acts as a practice exam book, in the same way that the Confuser does, but because it integrates with a recognised textbook series, the explanations to the answers are consistent with the textbooks. Also, the Simplifier questions are written specifically for the book and designed to both test your knowledge and prepare you for the sort of nonsense the CAA ask about in the exams.

The Confuser is generally considered to be, um, "derived" directly from the CAA's exam questions which are supposed to be confidential. Thus you can, if you are so inclined, just learn that in Paper 3, question 4 is "A" and so-on (although this is probably just as hard as learning the stuff anyway). If you do that, would you mind staying out of my space when you're flying and not over my house/place of work/kids' school?;)

Thanks.:D

OBA issue it because they use the Pratt series of textbooks.

Kiev23

14th Aug 2008, 08:10

hey everyone, i was just wondering what ppl study books worked best for you, or which ones you recommend?

Duchess_Driver

14th Aug 2008, 08:30

Which system....JAA, FAA, Aus etc....

Loads of different offers will appear. For JAA we recommend The Air Pilots Manual Series (formerly Trevor Thoms). There is also the Oxford series if your wallet is made of larger stuff than mine.

Others have different preferences, it's what suits you that counts.

mark sicknote

14th Aug 2008, 10:05

I found the Gliems PPL Reviewer a worthwhile read when preparing for the actual exam.

The Jeppesen PPL book was packed with info but I personally felt it a secondary resource when cramming for the exam. The fact that i still read it and learn something shows the quality and quantity of information it contains.

Then of course there are the practice papers or "cheat sheets" which of course assist with the pass.

Maybe I did it wrong, but I studied to jump through the hoop. Now I read to become a better aviator.

Hope this helps,

Best,

Sicknote:ok:

hazholmes

14th Aug 2008, 10:08

Hi,
Sorry to hi-jack this thread but didn't see the point in opening a new one. I'm also looking for some (JAA) PPL study books/guides/cd roms.

Does anyone have any old ones they'd consider selling?

If not I've had a look on pilotwarehouse.co.uk and seen a package for £120 for 7 volumes. Good deal?

Thanks
h

kaptene

14th Aug 2008, 10:13

For me, i'm reading "The Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge", available using the following link:
http://www.faa.gov/library/manuals/aviation/pilot_handbook/media/faa-h-8083-25-4of4.pdf

there is also :The airplane flying handbook
http://www.faa.gov/library/manuals/aircraft/airplane_handbook/media/faa-h-8083-3a-1of7.pdf

KmL

kaptene

14th Aug 2008, 10:23

Hi
I'm using "The Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge". it's nice one. you can use also :Airplane Flying Handbook, which is more pratical then theoritical. These two books are available on the web.

DBisDogOne

14th Aug 2008, 11:16

I used the Jeremy Pratt/AFE series, I thought they were/are very good indeed, along with a latest copy of the PPL confuser (didn't buy the latter as one was passed around the flight school I went too!), made the exams easy enough.
The Trevor Thom ones have their fans but some think they are a little 'Dry' - quite what that means I'm not sure, I've only used his No.5 book for IMC and found it fine.
Didn't use any CD-ROM's so can't comment but the OAT ones seem popular with others.

Ultranomad

14th Aug 2008, 11:24

Everything depends on your background. The venerable Trevor Thom books might be a good choice for non-technical types, but I'd say they are way too verbose for an engineer. For a succinct and up-to-the-point one-volume review, try JAR Private Pilot Studies (http://www.electrocution.com/aviation/#JARPPL) by Phil Croucher. He has also written a similar book for Canadian PPL.

robdesbois

14th Aug 2008, 13:03

To echo DBisDogOne, I used the JM Pratt series + PPL confuser. Very good books throughout, the confuser was definitely essential for knowing the style and content of questions and the Pratt books great for prepping for that.

If your school or somewhere else nearby sells them go have a look at both - you'll probably get a good feel for one or t'other.

--rob

BEagle

14th Aug 2008, 14:36

Kiev23, I'd recommend the excellent OATMedia manuals.

Well illustrated and of far higher quality than any of the others. Plus you'd probably want to keep them after you pass your PPL.

Make great gifts (either to give or receive) and you can always sell them later - something which is not permitted with OATMedia CDs.

Kiev23

14th Aug 2008, 16:28

I already have bought and read " The airplane flying handbook" and " pilots encyclopedia of aeronautical knowledge" i bought these when i was in america last year, but i dont think these are suffiecient for the ppl, and because bought in america they are FAA but alot of the information seems relevant to ppl studies, but im not sure because ive never read any ppl books.?

RTN11

15th Aug 2008, 17:04

i used the AFE books and found them to be pretty good. They got me through anyway. In fact, I've refered to the Law book even now I'm doing my ATPL exams.

WALSue

16th Aug 2008, 07:45

I've got the full set of AFE books and a couple of Pooleys Seem decent enough, covered everything in the Confuser. Then I looked at the Airquiz website and there were quite a few things on there that aren't covered in either book (unless I've just not been reading properly!)

MARCOFLY

10th Mar 2009, 01:16

Hello ladies and gentlmen,i want to be a pilot and I need your help.
Which is the best book for ppl?
Pooleys,Oxford aviation,Trevor Thom or Jeremy M Pratt?

Thanks all for your patience and excuse me for my bad english!

Bye,bye

Marco:ok:

nick14

10th Mar 2009, 08:56

I would only get the Trevor Thom books if you like extra reading. They have a lot of information in there that is not in the PPL syllabus but they are still good books.

Have had good reports from the Pooleys ones and the OAA ones but the OAA ones are twice as expensive so its up to you really.

Nick

BroomstickPilot

10th Mar 2009, 09:06

Hi MARCOFLY,

First of all, I assume you will be doing a European JAA (EASA) PPL, rather than the American FAA PPL.

(I believe the FAA PPL course may only require one book that covers all subjects, for which you can choose between two publishers, Gleim or ASA, but I don't have the FAA PPL so I'm not sure. The FAA also produce excellent publications of their own, which are also well worth consideration).

Assuming you will be doing the European JAA PPL, however, then you will be doing about six subjects for each of which you will need a seperate book.

I don't think you can say that any particular book range per se is any better than any other. It's very much a question of personal preferance, which one you feel most comfortable with.

Some flying schools/clubs routinely persuade their students to buy a whole kit of Trevor Thom books, complete with whizz wheel, rulers and protractors in a natty pilot bag for over £200. This means you have to fork out a large sum when the expenditure could so easily be spread over a period of months. Furthermore, you are stuck with one book range and the saving for buying bulk, if any, is very small. Personally, I do not favour this approach. I think it is just a money-making wheeze.

I feel it is much better to buy all items of kit, including books, individually as you need them. Go to a pilot shop and spend time looking at them all. Compare the various books available and choose, for each subject, the one you feel you can best work with. For Navigation, you might find the Jeremy Pratt better than Trevor Thom, but for Aviation Law the Trevor Thom might be better than the Jeremy Pratt. Another student might find the reverse to be true. It's entirely personal preference. With my old eyes, I tended to prefer Jeremy Pratt stuff purely because the typeface used in the Thom books, I found, was harder for me to read.

Turning to whizz wheels, rules and protractors, first of all you may be able to pick a whizz wheel up cheap by watching your club notice board. Other members often sell these off when they have passed the PPL as they are then allowed to use a hand-held electronic navigation computer instead and don't need the whizz wheel any more. This can save you money.

Rulers and protractors too are a matter for personal choice. The traditional nav protractor is the square 'Douglas' protractor but many, including myself, prefer a circular protractor. You can also buy a Pierre Cardin pilot bag at Argos for under £20 that is every bit as good as bags costing 50% more at the pilot shops.

Well that's my two penneth.

Good luck with your flying MARCOFLY,

Broomstick.

ceststupid

10th Mar 2009, 13:46

For Learning To Fly...any of those...I did AFE Book...

But for the Beaurocratic exam...Then Get the PPL Confuser...

1st Air Law Exam = Fail - Because I learnt everything about Aerodromes, Collision avoidence etc.

2nd Air Law with Confuser = Pass - Because all the CAA cared to put in their exam was about The Taxation of Oil...that was about 80% of the 2 seperate exam sheets I did...

They seem to test you on tax more than anything...But the Confuser Explains the types of questions they test you on...

9

MARCOFLY

10th Mar 2009, 14:19

:ok:thanks all for your advice!

Bye bye

MARCO

bjornhall

10th Mar 2009, 21:15

It will not be the only literature one needs, but as a second book I would highly recommend the Privot Pilot Handbook, from Jeppesen's Guided Flight Discovery series. It is nicely written, pleasant to read, and has lots of very high quality illustrations that add greatly to one's understanding.

It is also very good at making the theory practical, and illustrate how to apply it in actual flying. I particularly like the great job it does at explaining a tricky topic like the effect of slip-roll coupling on lateral stability, in a brilliantly simple yet perfectly correct manner.

There are just a couple chapters that are only applicable to the US, and those are easily skipped over.

Mickey Kaye

11th Mar 2009, 12:13

Having used both I would second Edward Hawkins comments above. I feel the jeremy pratt books are a little more concise and also worked out to be a little cheaper (or certainly used to).

I am also a big fan of the confuser books for the final push and polish a few days before the exam.

If your a tight skate like me then you can pick them up second hand off ebay, club board etc. The only book in the series that you really need to buy brand new is the air law one. The others don't really change that much from one edition to the other.

Why not speak to a few people where you fly from and see if you can borrow an edition of each for a few days and see which you prefer?

CaptainTC

11th Mar 2009, 12:31

I have the Trevor Thomm Books and find them perfect. :ok:

nick14

11th Mar 2009, 12:58

could always ask for someone to help with the ground school :E

Nick

DaveD

11th Mar 2009, 15:44

The AFE books i used for my PPL were fantastic.. very well written and explained.

miniman12

24th Apr 2009, 19:43

Hi

I'm planning on doing my PPL the summer after next but before then I would like to try and get the theory done before and then some simulator time. I wondered what peoples opinions were on the different books available, do you all recommend the study packs you can get? Which series would you all recommend and also which flight simulator do you all like?

Thanks

Gertrude the Wombat

24th Apr 2009, 21:16

An off the wall answer you won't get from anyone else ...

... I found "The Design of the Aeroplane", Darrol Stinton, interesting and helpful. (Mentioned this to one of my instructors, "ah yes, good bloke, mate of mine" was the response.)

BigHitDH

24th Apr 2009, 23:26

Check out Trevor Thom's books, he's highly rated.

ExSp33db1rd

25th Apr 2009, 07:41

Flight Without Formula - A.C. Kermode.

and read Fate is the Hunter, Ernest K. Gann. Then you'll really be inspired to learn to fly.

BroomstickPilot

25th Apr 2009, 08:24

Hi Miniman12,

There are two ranges of books covering the PPL/NPPL syllabuses. The 'Trevor Thom' and the 'Jeremy Pratt' series books. Some people prefer the one, some the other.

I should say don't buy any of the study packs. Choose your books one by one as you go. The reason is simple; for some subjects you may find the Trevor Thom best, for another subject you might prefer the Jeremy Pratt.

Furthermore, why pay about £200 up front for books you may not need to use for some time, especially when you may be able to buy individual books second hand from other club members or off the Internet. (If you buy off the Internet, make sure you get the latest edition).

I am assuming, of course, that you have a pilot shop within reasonable reach so that you can go in there and thumb through the books and choose the one you prefer.

If you are living in some remote place and cannot go and choose a book off the shelf, then I would suggest asking to see other people's books at your flying club/school.

Don't be tempted either by the natty pilot bag the study packs are supplied in. You can get just as good a bag (Pierre Cardin pilot bag) from Argos for £19.99.

The whizz wheel in the study packs too can often be purchased second hand from other club members. Many people buy electronic flight planners once they have their licences.

You don't say whether you intend 'going professional'. If you are, then why pay for the 'Crap 1' whizz wheel in the study packs and then have to pay out another £65 or so only months later for the 'Crap 5' you will need for your ATPL course?

Regards,

Broomstick.

Gertrude the Wombat

25th Apr 2009, 09:07

(If you buy off the Internet, make sure you get the latest edition)
Well, that's correct for Air Law, but I'm currently doing an IMCR course with a twenty year old book. The instruments haven't changed, all that's different in the latest edition of the book is that the pictures are in colour.

miniman12

25th Apr 2009, 10:33

Thank you for all your responses!

I'm a UAV engineer hoping to learn to fly primarily for leisure, although after the PPL I would love to go in to aero displays, however thats still a long way off!

I already have quite a passion for flying and aircraft so the books I want are ones that cover the PPL syllabus, not too bothered for flight planners as yet just the course materail. In my experience I have always kept with the same author to keep a consistent learning style.

I think I will look to the Thom or Pratt books and try and dedide between them. Is there any difference other than just style? Ie is the information the same just presented differently?

Thanks Again

BroomstickPilot

25th Apr 2009, 11:42

Hi miniman12,

Trevor Thom has been dead for years. And I think you will find both ranges of books have been written by a whole team of authors, who will inevitably have different writing styles and levels of explaining skill among themselves.

So choosing one range to stay with the same author just won't work.

Broomstick.

salahn67

18th Jun 2009, 17:21

dear sir
i live i sweden and i want to mack the ppl exam on line so can i ? and i have the ppl oxford books do you think its good to mack the exam . hear in sweden so hard the exam
thanks and best regards to all

BackPacker

18th Jun 2009, 17:32

Salahn67, you can't do the exams on-line. You have to sit them at the school you're training - assuming you're training at a UK school or one of the schools in the US that operate under the oversight of the UK CAA.

If you intend to do your flight training in Sweden, including the final skills test, then you also need to sit the theory exams in Sweden.

Oh, and the topics to be covered in the PPL exams are essentially all decided upon by ICAO, and are further narrowed down by JAR-FCL, so I would not expect there's a lot of difference in difficulty across the JAA member states.

Judging by your English, you'd be best off doing the Swedish exams anyway...:ok:

mroczny

18th Jun 2009, 17:50

The confuser will do it. However, you will not have much fun making the training in the USA without the ability to understand your CFI (step one) and flight control (step two). You can start to hear flight controls via internet in order to get an impression.
Good luck
mroczny (JAA PPL made 2007 in Florida)

Vems

18th Jun 2009, 20:53

Read the book first - don't study just from the confuser. The questions in the exam are a bit different and you should understand why answer B is the right one.

The books - apart from Air Law - are really interesting and they are a good read. They provide you with all the knowledge you will need for your PPL exams.

I usually read a chapter, make notes, run through notes and then move to the next chapter, once i finish the book, i run through all the notes i made and if I don't understand something fully, I go back to it and read through the certain chapter in the book again.

Once I think I have it all in my head, i do the confuser questions quite a few times. If i get something wrong - I read the explanation and on a seperate sheet of paper i write the question number down.. as with every other wrong answer.

Confuser is useful, really useful but it shouldn't be used as a primary source of information for your PPL exams.

Study for PPL exams hard.. ATPL comes next. :E

Donalk

18th Jun 2009, 22:56

I found the confuser very useful as a study aid and I imagine it to be required reading for those sitting the UK CAA exams. However there are national differences in the way that PPL questions are set, and in my case (Belgium) the actual exam questions were very different in both format and content from those in the confuser.

Make sure you localise the air law exam to the location you train in as this can trip you up.

On the textbook side I found the Thom books well written with good content and quite user friendly.

Best of luck.

MrFixer!!!

5th Oct 2009, 19:50

Hi all,

I have started my PPL lessons and was wondering which ones are the BEST PPL books for the exams??? as there is so much choice available in the market!!!

Is there any one who wants to Offload their PPL Confuser by any chance??

Thanks in advance!!!

liam548

5th Oct 2009, 20:02

confuser is a must IMO and really help you out even though it has some mistakes which generally does "confuse" you.

I used this set for my PPL and found them a fairly easy read. I backed up a couple of subjects with OAT cd roms, including MET and aircraft tech.

Air Pilot's Manual Volume 1- Flying Training @ Flightstore Pilot Supplies (http://www.flightstore.co.uk/prod/1843360640/Brands/air-pilot-publishing/)

shaun.s

5th Oct 2009, 20:14

I used the AFE books, I also have the Trevor Thom Air Law/Met book and in general I far preferred the AFE ones. Much easier to read, and they have useful self-test questions at the end of each section. I used these in conjunction with the Confuser (essential) and did very well.
There's a confuser-type book as part of the AFE set but it's nowhere near as good as the 'proper' confuser.

24Carrot

5th Oct 2009, 21:19

I endorse what liam548 said: the PPL confuser has a small number of mistaken answers (<2%?), but it is very effective at getting you through the exams.

I got my worst exam result in my strongest subject (Nav), possibly because I took it before I discovered the confuser, (though a ruler malfunction didn't help either...)

The IMC confuser is pretty good too, when you get on to that.

If you want to understand the subjects in depth, neither exams nor confuser may be appropriate, but that wasn't your question!

BackPacker

5th Oct 2009, 21:59

(though a ruler malfunction didn't help either...)

There must be a story in here. Tell us.

(Back on topic: I used the AFE/Jeremy Pratt ones and got first passes in all subjects. I've not seen the Trevor Thom ones so I can't compare. AFE and TT used to be the only two book series for the PPL but I seem to remember someone here announcing a third supplier a while ago. Maybe Oxford, but I'm not sure.)

stevelup

6th Oct 2009, 08:14

Hi

All the books are significantly cheaper from Amazon by the way.

For example Flying Training (Vol 1) is £15.49 at Amazon compared with £23.00 from the various pilot shops. Also, delivery is free.

Steve

24Carrot

6th Oct 2009, 08:47

There must be a story in here. Tell us.Some might say I'm being unfair to the ruler, but here goes:

Near the start of the exam I had to measure some distances. One of them was too long for my trusty Radio Nav plotter, so I used my nav ruler for the first time. It was about 6 inches long, so that last mark on the end had to be 60 nm, didn't it...

At last I came to a multiple choice answer which was impossible given my distances, and I went back and reworked the paper. Quite stressful, as I recall.

The moral is RTFR - Read The ****ing Ruler.

JLMF

6th Oct 2009, 09:59

I´m looking for some books for my PPL,

Airlife Trevor Thom The Air Pilot´s Manual, I need 2, 3, 4 and 5

If anyone have some I could shop it, here in Sapin it´s so much difficult to found this book, aren´t in any shops here.

Are they good books?

BEST REGARDS, JOSE LUIS

Whirlygig

6th Oct 2009, 10:39

Yes, they're good books. You don't need vol 5 for PPL yet and I'd recommend Vol 1 and 6 as well.

Amazon.co.uk will ship to Spain.

Cheers

Whirls

Juno78

6th Oct 2009, 12:16

Aren't the books that are cheaper on Amazon generally older editions? The £15.49 Trevor Thom ones look like they're 2003 editions - I know it probably doesn't make much difference in some areas but I don't think I'd want to be learning Air Law from a 6 year old book.

ozbeck

6th Oct 2009, 12:35

Having completed my exams using the Air Pilots Manual Series I think the confuser is a must, since it helps you understand the type of questions you will get and that familiarity saves time in the exam.

(Although not directly related to the question) I recommend for the Nav exam that you practice finding locations on the chart using the latitude and longitude scales. I overlooked this, and since I wasn't fluent at it spent 10 minutes of shear panic trying to find the required locations, without which the whole exam is a no go. I know its a basic thing but not necessarily easy when the nerves have cut in at the start of the exam.
A friend of mine had exactly the same experience.

stevelup

6th Oct 2009, 13:10

Aren't the books that are cheaper on Amazon generally older editions?Hi

No, they just haven't updated their cover artwork and associated information. They definitely ship the latest editions - I bought the whole set except radio nav.

Steve

liam548

6th Oct 2009, 13:39

yes amazon.co.uk will send to Spain.

They will be written in English obviously!, not sure if they do a Spanish version?

DiamondC

6th Oct 2009, 14:39

I used TrevorThom and passed everything first time (self study).

Intercepted

6th Oct 2009, 15:20

The Confuser seems to be considered as essential, but I got through all exams with a good result using the AFE books only.

I where about to buy the confuser but didn't do it in time for my first exam (airlaw) and had to rely on the "Private Pilot's Licence Course PPL Question & Answer Simplifier" by AFE. This went well so I decided not to buy the Confuser and used this book for all other tests as well. It has 3 mock tests for each subject and a really useful "essential review" for each subject. It has explanations to why a certain answer is correct using crossreferences to the other books in the series.

Private Pilot's Licence Course PPL Question & Answer Simplifier : AFE (http://www.afeonline.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=217)

BackPacker

6th Oct 2009, 15:45

If you're going to be doing your PPL in Spain, presumably under the oversight of the Spanish CAA and in Spanish, you should probably get Spanish PPL books too.

Particularly your "air law" books need to reflect the way JAR-FCL and a bunch of other regulations are put into Spanish law, while both the Trevor Thom and Jeremy Pratt books cover the way it's been put in UK law.

JLMF

6th Oct 2009, 17:19

I going to do my PPL in UK,Stapleford, next week.I´m from Spain but I have decided to do it in UK.
I need the PPL books, I have three of seven , the collection is Airlife, author: Trevor Thom, The Air pilot´s Manual, I need the others four, but there are many collections of the same author, the difference is the publication year.will I have any problem if they are a little old?Are there different concepts?

Are there any problem with the licences?, because I only going to do in UK my PPL licence and my ATPL(A),the rest in Spain,

I think is JAA all Europe and I can do my licences where I want, is this correctc?

THANK YOU.

Kiev23

25th Oct 2009, 10:40

I am looking for a set of brand new PPL study books. I think oxfords are the most expensive ones but are they the best?

Would love all opinions !!

Thanks

spudgunjon

25th Oct 2009, 10:59

I used Jeremy Pratt's stuff...under the AFE umbrella I believe.

A good set of books and the PPL confuser is what you need.

Amazon can save you a fortune in this pursuit.

DBisDogOne

25th Oct 2009, 14:27

Likewise, I found JP's AFE books very good some years ago, nicely written, well presented diagrams/illustrations/photos.

Trevor Thom's books are good but apparantly some find them a bit 'dry' and a little dull. I've only used book 5 of his series (RNAV/IMC) and thought it was fine. both of these (& is there another set???) have their fans and detractors.

Def. get a confuser (will make exams alot easier) but make sure it's a current one if you are buying from Amazon as some sellers try to palm off old editions. I was looking for an IMC confuser last year and a fair few vendors were selling the previous one rather than the latest edition.

Amazon is a good move tho' as the confuser was a few pounds cheaper and the latest TThom Vol.5 was £8 cheaper, brand new but 'seconds' just because it had a tiny black mark on one edge for god's sake!!!!!

RomeoGolfBravo

26th Oct 2009, 12:51

I purchased the AFE / Jeremy Pratt books and my colleague who is also learning to fly has the Trevor Thom books.

I find the AFE books much, much easier to read and to understand.
Another plus of the AFE books is that there are only 5 books to cover all of the exams for the PPL compared with 7 for the Trevor Thom (which makes them cheaper as well).

A word on the PPL Confuser:
It is an invaluable tool for passing the PPL exams. I am told that unfortunately the author has died and the copyright for the book is in probate, hence the current version of the book is out of print.
Check on ebay and make sure you get the current version (Edition 9, I think)

pyesmith

27th Oct 2009, 10:50

The PPL confuser is brilliant after reading the books, as it gets you thinking (trained up) on 95% of what you will be asked in the exams. If you get a question wrong, simply go back and re read the book on that particular point.

However ...the PPL Confuser has some errors, especially the Nav section exercises.

example: Bodmin to Okehampton 081T instead of 061T. Some of the Lat/Long are out too, but you can still find or work out where they mean. And some of the answers in the later editions are printed in bold type.

Books: Trevor Thom
Flight computer: CRP 1, otherwise the Trevor Thom Nav book doesn't help much! You also need a chart, protractor and ruler to work through the book.

trident3A

27th Oct 2009, 10:58

I've managed fine with the AFE books and the confuser.

12Watt Tim

27th Oct 2009, 22:27

What's this 'books'? If you use Phil Croucher's (http://www.electrocution.com/aviation/#JARPPL) there is only one book, with everything you need. You can even get it in Norwegian!

Kiev23

28th Oct 2009, 21:33

Thank you everyone, i have purchased the AFE books, and they seem to be well written from what ive looked at so far.

Thanlks for all the help :)

Jonathan.4744

29th Oct 2009, 19:39

Has anyone ever studied and passed their exams using CBTs instead of textbooks?

Are the OAA CBTs designed to complement or replace the tradiational PPL manuals?

WALSue

31st Oct 2009, 08:58

I've got some Oxford CBT stuff but they go beyond what you need for PPL - useful if you want to progress further though.

Like most of the others, I've been using the AFE books but find their Confuser style book misses out a few things so supplement it with the AirQuiz website.....so far so good!

AlphaMale

1st Nov 2009, 19:11

Has anyone ever studied and passed their exams using CBTs instead of textbooks?

I invested in the OAT CBT and must say that I find it much easier to take in that reading the books. CBT and the confuser would probably be enough but I did pick a set of Pooleys 'Air Pilot's Manual' to read for when the CBT doesn't sink in or if it's inconvenient to use the CBT i.e. lunch break at work.

StephenScholey

11th Nov 2009, 15:15

Hello to everybody,

I will be commencing my initial PPL training with Multiflight in January.

I have been advised to purchase copies of the Air Pilots Manuals (Trevor Thom & co) and already have a copy of Volume 1.

I have been looking through Amazon and there appears to be a good number of used copies, some for as litle as 1p plus postage.

Now I know that six books shouldnt be my main concern financially when considering a career in the skies however I would like to try and save a few pounds here and there where possible.

Would anybody know if the earlier publications of these books are still relevant today. I would imagine that perhaps Air Law and Navigation may have altered somewheat since the late 80's but would there be significant diferences in the majority of content?

I must streess that I am no cheap skate and am more than prepared to spend the money :ok:......just wisely!!

Many thanks

Steve

Whirlygig

11th Nov 2009, 15:29

You must get the up to date Air Law book (with Met) but the others would all be OK. Can't think how Nav would have changed since the 80s; dead reckoning is dead reckoning :}

However, you won't need Radio Nav until later in your career and neither will you need the Comms volume as you can download CAP413 for free.

Cheers

Whirls

VFR Transit

11th Nov 2009, 16:20

You must get the up to date books and as you want to be wise with your money, try BookkooB : Cheap Books, whichever way you look at it (http://www.bookkoob.co.uk/) they have all the books to compare and you will get them brand new for alot cheaper than the pilot shops.

Good luck with PPL

VFR

StephenScholey

11th Nov 2009, 16:46

Hey,

Thanks very much for your quick response.

Thats great advice and I'll be sure to take a look into that.

Many thanks,

Stephen

batninth

11th Nov 2009, 19:27

Steve,

I did what you suggest & got the Thom books either second hand or via the internet book sellers who have a lot of new stock at knock down prices, one came from Browns in Hull I recall.

Lady Whirls II is right about getting a new Air Law book, I did my training on Microlights so had to get the Microlight version anyway, but you need to be right up to date there.

BTW - Personal preference was for the RT book in the Airlife series as I found CAP413 hard going (I went straight to the end of the story, turned out it was the ATCO did it!). At the RT exam I was asked if I'd read any of CAP413 to which I replied that I hadn't. When the examiner saw the book he commented that it was the content of CAP413, just written in terms us microlighters could understand.

BroomstickPilot

11th Nov 2009, 20:00

Hi Stephen,

The Trevor Thom books are not the only range for PPL. There is also the Jeremy Pratt series which some prefer, as the Thom writing style is apt to be a bit turgid.

I would also suggest you buy your books individually as you need them rather than buying the whole Thom set.

This way you can compare the Thom and Pratt books together for each subject and choose whichever one you prefer.

It is as well to know which edition is current and then buy only that edition, (irrespective of where you buy it,) in order to have the most up to date edition.

Broomstick.