Resources for RPL and PPL theory Aus
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Australia
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Resources for RPL and PPL theory Aus
Hi all,
I'm just starting out and completed my TIF this week. If was a lot of fun, and I'm pumped to get started, but really I can't afford it yet. I think it's going to take me about 12-18 months to save up enough to be able to take lessons at a rate of 1-2 hours per week. I've got a starter pack of 3 hours for this school that uses a light sports aircraft, and I've found another school that uses a C172 and will let me get a starter pack there even with a few hours in my log book, so this year I'll probably be flying a total of 7-10 hours and deciding which school to go with.
What I really want to get on is theory. I figure while I'm saving I may as well be studying so I can spend less on ground school and more on flying. I'm just getting a bit confused what books, etc I need. A lot of my searches are being confused by the 2014 changes, and the difference between RA-Aus and CASA certs. I asked at my TIF, but the instructor just tried to fob it off as "we take care of all that in the classroom" lol. Sorry I've just been googling all week, but I'm not getting much closer to understnading what I actually need to be studying for RPL and PPL.
Thanks all in advance
I'm just starting out and completed my TIF this week. If was a lot of fun, and I'm pumped to get started, but really I can't afford it yet. I think it's going to take me about 12-18 months to save up enough to be able to take lessons at a rate of 1-2 hours per week. I've got a starter pack of 3 hours for this school that uses a light sports aircraft, and I've found another school that uses a C172 and will let me get a starter pack there even with a few hours in my log book, so this year I'll probably be flying a total of 7-10 hours and deciding which school to go with.
What I really want to get on is theory. I figure while I'm saving I may as well be studying so I can spend less on ground school and more on flying. I'm just getting a bit confused what books, etc I need. A lot of my searches are being confused by the 2014 changes, and the difference between RA-Aus and CASA certs. I asked at my TIF, but the instructor just tried to fob it off as "we take care of all that in the classroom" lol. Sorry I've just been googling all week, but I'm not getting much closer to understnading what I actually need to be studying for RPL and PPL.
Thanks all in advance
I have the RAAus RPC and am going through the motions to upgrade that to PPL. I bought the Bob Tait PPL books several years ago and self-studied using nothing but them and got 93% on the PPLA exam a couple of months ago.
Realistically, those two books will see you through for the RPL or the PPL.
Realistically, those two books will see you through for the RPL or the PPL.
I've bought a lot of the materials out there (thirsty for knowledge I guess), my recommendations as follows:
1. Aviation Theory Centre - great books, good diagrams, lots of practice tests. You can get the full kit at a discount.
2. Val Dyson Holland - his prose sometimes seems a pedestrian and it is annoying that they are in a binder and not proper books but covers all of the syllabus in great detail.
3. Online Aviation Theory - Ron has built some great practice exams but the UX is pretty buggy and the actual theory side of things a bit patchy
4. Bob Tait - I have the eBook which seems to be one of the few available on iPad plus I have the practice exam sets. The criticism I and a few others including my experienced instructor make of Bob Tait is that there seems to be the bare minimum to cover the syllabus and nothing more...your experience may vary!
As for the difference between the licence types, I'd suggest for the CASA RPL or PPL you refer to the CASA website as the syllabus and sample exams are there...for free.
If your instructor won't tell you the difference between licence types I would be seeking a new instructor. What a knob.
1. Aviation Theory Centre - great books, good diagrams, lots of practice tests. You can get the full kit at a discount.
2. Val Dyson Holland - his prose sometimes seems a pedestrian and it is annoying that they are in a binder and not proper books but covers all of the syllabus in great detail.
3. Online Aviation Theory - Ron has built some great practice exams but the UX is pretty buggy and the actual theory side of things a bit patchy
4. Bob Tait - I have the eBook which seems to be one of the few available on iPad plus I have the practice exam sets. The criticism I and a few others including my experienced instructor make of Bob Tait is that there seems to be the bare minimum to cover the syllabus and nothing more...your experience may vary!
As for the difference between the licence types, I'd suggest for the CASA RPL or PPL you refer to the CASA website as the syllabus and sample exams are there...for free.
If your instructor won't tell you the difference between licence types I would be seeking a new instructor. What a knob.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Australia
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks both!
Very sorry for the delay in replying, I'm quite new, I think I either asked in the wrong catagory and a helpful admin had to move it (sorry), or I just had no idea what I was doing, and couldn't find my question after asking.
KRViator, Thanks, and congrats on the pass, good luck with the PPL I actually spoke to the instructor for the other school I was considering just yesterday, and he recommended the Tait book too, so that's tripple confirmed now.
MagnumPI, Woa, fantastic resources, thank you! Even just looking through the ATC website I found a bunch of things I now want to read I didn't know about before.. probably a good thing I decided to start studying ahead of time, this looks like it could be quite the rabbit hole!
Haha! I didn't really clock it at the time, I was still all high from my flight - it was just on the drive home I thought 'hang on a minute' but then brushed it off figuring TIF's were probably just a sales pitch for lessons anyway.
However I spoke to the other school I'm considering yesterday (I don't want to name either school until I actually think I could give a fair review), and the guy was completely different. He called me back without me asking him to - I'd just spoke to the receptionist, forgetting that weekends would be really busy for a flying school, and he called back at the end of the day. He also was really happy to go over how the course works, what book to get, etc.
It really was chalk and cheese to the first school. The first kind of felt like dealing with a large company ... a bit too slick maybe? The second, I've only spoken to him on the phone but it was very much more laid back and informed. Whereas school 1 were trying to sell us an RPL course as soon as we went into debrief (three students took a TIF at the same time), this guy was straight up telling me not to buy a pack of lessons lol. All in all he just seemed more... knowledgeable. Rather than focus on selling me 25 hours and then on to PPL, he was giving advice like make a budget, building skills in RA aircraft to save money, but also to ignore hours requirements - it will take longer than that anyway, which I knew, but it was still nice to hear someone be honest about it!
I've booked a 1 hour tif with them for next Friday as I have the day off. It's kind of conflicting as I had hoped to like school 1 better just because of it's location - both airfields are about 40min's drive from me, but school 1 is at least 40 mins drive on route to other things, school two is 40 mins towards whoop whoop lol. Of course, I'll end up going with which ever school teaches flying the best
Thanks again guys!
Very sorry for the delay in replying, I'm quite new, I think I either asked in the wrong catagory and a helpful admin had to move it (sorry), or I just had no idea what I was doing, and couldn't find my question after asking.
KRViator, Thanks, and congrats on the pass, good luck with the PPL
I actually spoke to the instructor for the other school I was considering just yesterday, and he recommended the Tait book too, so that's tripple confirmed now.MagnumPI, Woa, fantastic resources, thank you! Even just looking through the ATC website I found a bunch of things I now want to read I didn't know about before.. probably a good thing I decided to start studying ahead of time, this looks like it could be quite the rabbit hole!
However I spoke to the other school I'm considering yesterday (I don't want to name either school until I actually think I could give a fair review), and the guy was completely different. He called me back without me asking him to - I'd just spoke to the receptionist, forgetting that weekends would be really busy for a flying school, and he called back at the end of the day. He also was really happy to go over how the course works, what book to get, etc.
It really was chalk and cheese to the first school. The first kind of felt like dealing with a large company ... a bit too slick maybe? The second, I've only spoken to him on the phone but it was very much more laid back and informed. Whereas school 1 were trying to sell us an RPL course as soon as we went into debrief (three students took a TIF at the same time), this guy was straight up telling me not to buy a pack of lessons lol. All in all he just seemed more... knowledgeable. Rather than focus on selling me 25 hours and then on to PPL, he was giving advice like make a budget, building skills in RA aircraft to save money, but also to ignore hours requirements - it will take longer than that anyway, which I knew, but it was still nice to hear someone be honest about it!
I've booked a 1 hour tif with them for next Friday as I have the day off. It's kind of conflicting as I had hoped to like school 1 better just because of it's location - both airfields are about 40min's drive from me, but school 1 is at least 40 mins drive on route to other things, school two is 40 mins towards whoop whoop lol. Of course, I'll end up going with which ever school teaches flying the best
Thanks again guys!
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Perth, WA
Age: 40
Posts: 37
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi all,
I'm just starting out and completed my TIF this week. If was a lot of fun, and I'm pumped to get started, but really I can't afford it yet. I think it's going to take me about 12-18 months to save up enough to be able to take lessons at a rate of 1-2 hours per week. I've got a starter pack of 3 hours for this school that uses a light sports aircraft, and I've found another school that uses a C172 and will let me get a starter pack there even with a few hours in my log book, so this year I'll probably be flying a total of 7-10 hours and deciding which school to go with.
What I really want to get on is theory. I figure while I'm saving I may as well be studying so I can spend less on ground school and more on flying. I'm just getting a bit confused what books, etc I need. A lot of my searches are being confused by the 2014 changes, and the difference between RA-Aus and CASA certs. I asked at my TIF, but the instructor just tried to fob it off as "we take care of all that in the classroom" lol. Sorry I've just been googling all week, but I'm not getting much closer to understnading what I actually need to be studying for RPL and PPL.
Thanks all in advance
I'm just starting out and completed my TIF this week. If was a lot of fun, and I'm pumped to get started, but really I can't afford it yet. I think it's going to take me about 12-18 months to save up enough to be able to take lessons at a rate of 1-2 hours per week. I've got a starter pack of 3 hours for this school that uses a light sports aircraft, and I've found another school that uses a C172 and will let me get a starter pack there even with a few hours in my log book, so this year I'll probably be flying a total of 7-10 hours and deciding which school to go with.
What I really want to get on is theory. I figure while I'm saving I may as well be studying so I can spend less on ground school and more on flying. I'm just getting a bit confused what books, etc I need. A lot of my searches are being confused by the 2014 changes, and the difference between RA-Aus and CASA certs. I asked at my TIF, but the instructor just tried to fob it off as "we take care of all that in the classroom" lol. Sorry I've just been googling all week, but I'm not getting much closer to understnading what I actually need to be studying for RPL and PPL.
Thanks all in advance
A measure of a good instructor is one who cares about their students and their learning rather than just the flight hour they are getting paid for.
Your story sounds very similar to mine. I have had several different instructors over the years, but only one or two good ones. I learnt at a rate of 1 lesson per week around a full time job and handled all of the theory myself. I'm now an instructor so I have an appreciation for people going through what I did to get their license(s). As mentioned earlier I also used Bob Tait all the way from GFPT (now RPL) to CPL and would also recommend them. If you need any help with the theory you can shoot me a PM anytime - happy to help.
Cheers.
