Is this what I need? (Help needed fairly quickly)

[tobster911]

Hello again,
I was browsing the internet when I came across this...
For £200, I can get:
Air Pilot Manual Volumes 1,2,3,4, & 6
CRP Flight Computer
Chart Scale
Square Protractor
Pilot's Logbook
1:500,000 Chart
Radio Telephony double CD pack
Pilot's Flight Board
Flight Log Pad
Pilot's Flight Case
3 x 'Exam Secrets Guides'

here is the link : PPL Study Pack 3 - Flying and Ground Training Packages - Pilot Warehouse/ASCO (http://shop.pilotwarehouse.co.uk/product13140023.html)

For all this, if I were to purchase them separately, it would come to around £350, so, i think saving £150 is quite good.

I am doing my PPL and was wondering whether this would be a worthy investment?

Also, I might sound a bit silly, but... What is a Kneeboard?:hmm:

Thank you very much

[BackPacker]

Air Pilot Manual Volumes 1,2,3,4, & 6: Yes, you'll need them. Make sure "Air Law" is up to date, but the others can be sourced from, for instance, eBay too. You also might want to check out the AFE "Jeremy Pratt" series as an alternative.
CRP Flight Computer: Any manual (not electronic) flight computer will do. Jeppesen does a cheap cardboard one which is entirely adequate - mine is 5 years old and still going strong
Chart Scale: You need something to measure distance in nm on the chart scale you're using. 1:500,000 is the most common scale.
Square Protractor: Yes. Or something else that measures angles.
Pilot's Logbook: Yes. But if you're doing a PPL (as in the present tense) you should already have a logbook in which your past flights have been recorded.
1:500,000 Chart: Yes but make sure it's the one from the area you'll be flying in. And check when the new one is due to be released vs. your training - you might want to wait.
Radio Telephony double CD pack: Not necessarily. Just make sure you listen to plenty R/T (lots of streams available on the internet).
Pilot's Flight Board: You need something to hold all your paperwork together in-flight. Easiest is a clipboard which has velcro/elastic loops so that you can velcro them around your thigh near your knees. Hence the name "kneeboard". I've got a tri-fold kneeboard which is 3xA5 in size but can be folded two times so that it becomes A5 in size. This not only holds a metal clipboard in the center pocket but also has some extra pockets for checklists, charts, the CRP, pens and a few other bits and pieces which you might need in-flight or during flight preparation. (*) But in some aircraft (most notably the DA-40) a kneeboard velcro'ed to your thigh is restricting the controls so in that case all you use is the metal clipboard which you stow next to your hips if not in use.
Flight Log Pad: If you must. I made my own sheets which I print off as and when needed. If you do get these, make sure your flight school agrees to the format - some of them might have specific wishes. And some flight schools prefer you to use their form.
Pilot's Flight Case: If you must. Any bag that holds the stuff above (minus the books) will do. A separate pocket for a headset is a good idea.
3 x 'Exam Secrets Guides': Is this identical to the "PPL Question and Answer Simplifyer" or "PPL Confuser"? 'Cause those are a good idea. Wonder why you need three of those though. The confuser was a single ~100-page A4 book and covered all exams.

(*) Actually my kneeboard also contains my license and such, the most common approach plates and a chart of the local area. If I fly aerobatics I try and take the least possible stuff I need. That's my kneeboard with contents, a headset and spare contact lenses. All I need to be legal, to execute the flight and even find a few alternates.

[Ryan5252]

Air Pilot Manual Volumes 1,2,3,4, & 6 you need
CRP Flight Computer you need
Chart Scale a ruler? if so you need
Square Protractor you need
Pilot's Logbook normally get one after your 'trial flight'
1:500,000 Chart you will need later
Radio Telephony double CD pack don't need
Pilot's Flight Board don't need
Flight Log Pad you will need later
Pilot's Flight Case you dont need
3 x 'Exam Secrets Guides' you dont need

This (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kneeboard_%28flight%29) is a Kneeboard.

Good luck
Ryan

[Whirlybird]

You don't need absolutely all of it, as others have said. However, none of it is useless. For the saving you make on money and hassle, I'd say it's a worthwhile investment.

[IanPZ]

Tobster,

I've never used them myself, but I have read some posts on this forum about the pilots warehouse that were less than complimentary. See here for instance.

http://www.pprune.org/private-flying/384736-pilotwarehouse-co-uk.html

I'd ask around and check they are ok. I'd also recommend that you buy with a credit card (do you have one as you are 15) and make sure your order is over £100. I've been sting before, and discovered that until you spend that much, protection from buying with credit cards is at the whim of the credit card company, not law.

Good luck. IPZ

[BackPacker]

FWIW, I've got good experiences with AFE Online. They do the same study packs for roughly the same price (and they contain some useless stuff too).

[Slap Landing]

Also mid-PPL training I've bought things as I'v needed them.

The APMs I bought to study as I progressed toward each exam, checklists are obviously a necessity from the outset. I didnt own a kneeboard, stopwatch or chart until I began the nav exercises. All in all, maybe I've paid more than I could have overall, however doing it in bits worked out well and possibly less expensive in the short term. (Also bought a headset as a self-gift after the 1st solo :)).

[FlyingKiwi_73]

Knee Boards are REALLY useful, i have one, has approach pates etc... but I also have a lamminated card i made in excel which has a few cheats, like all the boxes for the ATIS info ... so you can happilly tell ATC you have 'Charlie 1014' whithout going errrr errm ahh ... also i have a few fuel cheats (liters to hours, i can tick this of enroute, flying for 40 mins, used X liters.. have X remaining) and a notes area for the frequencies i may need enroute. Kneeboard and a thin whiteboard marker or grease pencil... so useful!

[J.A.F.O.]

I got the books on eBay and sold them again for a profit after the exams.

[Zulu Alpha]

I thought Pilot warehouse had gone bust.

We have been trying to send back some RAF type gloves since Christmas. They sent size 9.5 rather than size 10 and we can't get any response to get them changed.