Pre-flight reading - PPL

[Nurse2Pilot]

Still in the process of saving up for this new adventure so I thought I might as well do some reading. Is there a good way to tackle the PPL material? I'm using the Pooley (Trevor Thom) books but only buying what I'll be reading so books 1 and 2 for now. Should I be reading them in order?

I probably won't be able to start flying until later this year or maybe even Spring 2019, so I'd like to think I can read and absorb and enjoy the learning.

[flapsupboy]

A good pilot always prepare for his stuff. I recommend www.free-online-private-pilot-ground-school.com. Even though this is FAA material you can get an idea of what you will be learning next for free. You can also try the Air Pilot's manual book 1.
Good luck, cheers

[Nurse2Pilot]

Air Pilot's Manual is the Pooley (Trevor Thom) book I'm referring to.

I don't really have a flight school in mind yet; there are three local ATOs in my nearest airport and I'm also considering Bartolini but as you said, they're all similar so I guess it doesn't matter which ones I go for? What I'm curious is whether to do them in order?

[jamesgrainge]

Personally if you haven't yet started flying I would buy all 6(?) books, learn them and get good at the exams. Then on day one you can go and take all the exams and from then on concentrate on the flying practically. The exams are a bore, but the sooner they are done the sooner you can buy the ATPL course.

[jamesgrainge]

Why interesting? I can't imagine many people have woken up and thought "Yay. I have to go and do an exam"?!

[aviation_investor]

I would recommend that you go on the FAA website to download some of the books they have available free of charge.

Recommended books are:

- Pilot Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge
- Instrument Flying Handbook

These books will give you basic flying knowledge. Included topics are airspace (U.S. FAA system), aeromedical, performance and limitation, etc.


Good materials to start!

Good luck!

[jamesgrainge]

I suspect there are a whole host of people who are similar. Those who fly bombing raids over foreign soil, or even a chap who had 20,000 hours of flight under his belt and still failed a GNav exam.

Sorry I don't find exams particularly exciting. If that's for you then I'm happy for you. Exams are a means to an end for me. Especially the almost complete absurdity of the ATPL.

It's a long way down from that high horse.

[chockablock]

I recommend reading The Skyway Code from the CAA website and Pooleys book 1. You could also search Private Pilot Tutorials on YouTube.

[anchorhold]

Get yourself a copy of the Mechanics of Flight by A. Kermode, it a very good introduction to the theory of flight. Also a basic book on weather, and start taking an interest in the weather and reading synoptic charts on a daily basis.

[Nurse2Pilot]

Thanks for the responses!

The plan is to read the books in a nice, leisurely fashion in the hopes that I am able to absorb the material more effectively than if I were to blitz through them.

you will not find the theory or the PPL written exam's particularly challenging.
Thanks for the vote of confidence! However, proficiency in one field does not automatically translate to proficiency (or understanding) in another field. We will see!

I'm curious regarding the recommendation of more stuff to read. Won't mixing US rules just confuse someone who is taking the exams and flying in UK/EU airspace?

You could also search Private Pilot Tutorials on YouTube.
Are those by the Pilot Training System channel?

[chockablock]

Thanks for the responses!

The plan is to read the books in a nice, leisurely fashion in the hopes that I am able to absorb the material more effectively than if I were to blitz through them.


Thanks for the vote of confidence! However, proficiency in one field does not automatically translate to proficiency (or understanding) in another field. We will see!

I'm curious regarding the recommendation of more stuff to read. Won't mixing US rules just confuse someone who is taking the exams and flying in UK/EU airspace?


Are those by the Pilot Training System channel?

Yes they are the ones and although they are narrated in an American accent, principles of flight, weather, aircraft general knowledge etc. are the same no matter which side of the pond you are on. A Cessna 152 in the US has the same instruments as a Cessna 152 in the UK. A lot of the rules are the same all over the world because it just makes things a lot safer.
​​​​​​

[Nurse2Pilot]

Cheers for confirming that. Just making my way through Air Law now and it cited a few differences between US and UK stuff (airways, barometer settings, and maybe a few others) so was just a bit wary.

[chockablock]

Air law and operational procedures you will find many differences. Another thing I recommend is to read about the aircraft you will be flying. I'm flying a Tomahawk and Jeremy Pratt's pilot guide book gave me a good head start on aircraft general knowledge (along with the YouTube videos).

[Nurse2Pilot]

That will be for closer to the time I'll be flying. Hopefully Bartolini (Tecnam P2002) or maybe a local school such as PTT (C152 or PA28).

[double_barrel]

May I jump in here? I was recommended the 'Air Pilot Manual' series of books by Thom. All I can find currently available on Amazon are what appear to be the same thing but with a different author.

Air Pilot's Manual by Dorothy Saul-Pooley (Author), Esther Law (Author), Gill Daljeet (Editor)

Am I safe to assume it's the same series ?

My contribution on OP's question:
A book on weather I am finding readable and interesting is Weather Flying with the big advantage (for me) of being available in a Kindle version.

And I agree that the Kermode book is good - it is available as a pdf here:
https://soaneemrana.org/onewebmedia/MECHANICS%20OF%20FLIGHT%20BY%20A.C%20KERMODE.pdf


Can anyone point to some online Q&A for PPL? I like to learn that way.

Thanks

[paco]

Try rtfq Home Page (http://www.rtfq.org) - just select your country and type of licence, it's free.

phil

[Nurse2Pilot]

What you've linked is correct, it is the Air Pilot Manual by Trevor Thom but that is an old version (2014). The newest one is revised in March 2017 and reprinted January 2018. I think it is called "by Trevor Thom" because he started the series back in 1985 and it is the current authors that continue the series. This was a cause for confusion for me initially as well until I read the condensed history in Book 1. I got my books from a different store.

[Nurse2Pilot]

Oh my! Air Law was such a good aid in helping me catch up with lost sleep!!

I've found a few links regarding my original concer (order of tackling the subjects)
https://forums.flyer.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=98816
https://www.pprune.org/private-flying/346412-ppl-suggested-exam-order.html
How to pass your PPL (Private Pilot Licence) theory exams -Modular Pilot Blog (http://www.modularpilot.co.uk/how-to-pass-your-ppl-private-pilot-licence-theory-exams/814)

I'm guessing the logic behind those still hold true today? The PPRuNe link is 2008!

I'm now looking for recommendations regarding practice questions, specifically for Air Law for the moment as the info is still fresh in my mind. The Q&A section in the book is severely limited. I know there is a Air Law Exam Prep book again by Thom/Pooley's but should I be looking at other sources as well? I've tried the link in Phil's post above too!

[Gordon Bennet]

PPL Q & A by Phil Croucher? Also EASA Private Pilot Studies.

[Nurse2Pilot]

Thanks!

Is there any place where I could post PPL-related questions?

[Armchairflyer]

Another text I can recommend is available online: "See how it flies" (https://www.av8n.com/how/)

[bmair]

PPL Q & A by Phil Croucher? Also EASA Private Pilot Studies.

Apart from Pooley's 1 (Flying Training), I've been planning to use Croucher's EASA Private Pilot Studies book exclusively.

However, judging by some questions coming up in sample tests, it may not be entirely complete. The Modular Pilot blog also linked here was what drove me to trying this approach, and he seems to have passed all exams using only that book so...!

[Nurse2Pilot]

Thank you! At this point, I'm more interested in testing the little knowledge I've gained to identify gaps for me to work on. More info would only tend to lead to overload or further confusion.