Mock CAA/JAA PPL tests?

[TheFirstDohrnPilot]

Hi everybody. I have looked about a bit online and found a couple of Q+A PPL books, but they are mostly for FAA or are very expensive (£50+!). I want to start learning for my PPL way before I'm even doing it, giving me an informal introduction to the subject and maybe even a little bit of an advantage ;)

So, what I'm asking is if anybody knows of a website where I can either study online a bit, or (better) where I can buy a book for training for the JAA PPL - £25 or less if possible? Would be a massive help!

Thanks

[riverrock83]

There aren't decent PPL study guides online at PPL level.
There are a number of sets of test questions - but that isn't what you are looking for.

The best text books are by Jeremy M Pratt or Trevor Thom.
You aren't gong to get a whole set for £20 but worth looking on eBay / Amazon market place as you will get them far below the new price, and since they are lots of individual books, you could build up the set slowly. That is, unless you know someone who has finished with their set...

Airlaw is probably the only one where you need the most up to date text book - and even then, both versions are currently out of date due to the EASA changes.

RR

[phiggsbroadband]

Hi, I see you say that you are located on an island, so my bet is that your local library is not well stocked with PPL books... However you can ask any library for an 'Inter-Library Loan' where they will obtain any book you require from the national stock.
I used to plague my local library for Gliding Books on loan, and even had them buy in some of the latest Radio Theory books.

Make sure you get the right ones however, as I spent days learning about Astro-Navigation with a Sextant, and how to calculate distances from Lat / Long. All of which was more relevant to Atlantic Shipping than Aeronautics.

Best of luck... Pete

[TheFirstDohrnPilot]

Thanks for the quick responses guys! I have looked at some Trevor Thom books and they seem to be very good, but I'm worried they might be a bit out dated?

You're right, the library up here isn't very big. I would rather buy one straight from the internet because I would have to make an account with my library and return the book.

Thanks for the ideas, keep 'em coming!

[Gertrude the Wombat]

Thanks for the quick responses guys! I have looked at some Trevor Thom books and they seem to be very good, but I'm worried they might be a bit out dated?
Air Law changes every five minutes.

Most of the other subjects remain the same for decades, because the physics and technology don't change - the air still behaves the same way, the aircraft still fly the same way, the instruments don't change (well, they do actually, but you learn the old ones for the PPL, if you want to do the fancy glass cockpit stuff that's usually after you've got the PPL).

[riverrock83]

Air Law changes every five minutes.

Most of the other subjects remain the same for decades, because the physics and technology don't change - the air still behaves the same way, the aircraft still fly the same way, the instruments don't change (well, they do actually, but you learn the old ones for the PPL, if you want to do the fancy glass cockpit stuff that's usually after you've got the PPL).
+1

The only other but that I think has changed is Communications - but for this its best to ignore what it says in the book and look at the supplements to CAP 413 (http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?catid=33&pagetype=65&appid=11&mode=detail&id=3441).
The later revisions of the others make minor changes and corrections - but aren't going to be fundamentally different.

Whether to go Pratt or Thom is a matter of opinion - I went Pratt as it was recommended to me by my instructor (and one fewer book makes it a tiny bit cheaper), but they are much of a muchness. Search the forum for opinions on both.