Is a BAK Transferable?
 

I'm just wondering if you get your BAK from a particular flying school and then want to continue your PPL with another school, will you be able to transfer your BAK? Or will you have to sit it again?

The reason for my question is this: I am planning to split my training between two schools, PPL at school A some distance away and CPL/MECIR at school B, a local school.

The local school (school B) has just invited me to attend their BAK course and I think it might be pretty interesting to make a start on the thing and as the BAK course is relatively cheap ($375 plus textbooks $145) I'm keen on doing it.

So ... BAK transferable?

Yes...............

ABX - whatever the answer is - why pay $375 for your BAK?

It's not rocket science and if you can't follow the text books then your CPL/MECIR is going to be very very tough!

UTR.

How did you get your BAK?
 

QNH1013.2, thanks mate but please try to keep your answers short!:}

UTR, text books/study no problem here, I simply thought that BAK was part of the PPL syllabus and the night school sounded like a good idea...

How did you do your BAK, you might be able to save me some coin here mate.:ok:

Just read the books, do some trial questions - and then, if you're still not confident, consider doing a course.

As UTR says, it ain't rocket science and it certainly isn't brain surgery!:ok:

Yes the BAK is transferable. Just make sure it is recorded in your logbook and signed. It is a pre-requisite for sitting the PPL exams and is confirmed via the logbook entry.

Likewise your training record can be transferred between schools. You can get school B to request your training file from A.

This happens quite a lot as students change schools or schools go out of business.

I did something similar.

I wouldn't be forking out $375 for a course. That does seem a bit over the top.

Have a crack at studying yourself and then do some 1 on 1 time with an instructor to go over the bits you're having trouble with. If the school charges $40 p/h for briefing time you'll end up ahead as $375 would give 9 1/2 hours of individual tuition. I don't think you'll need that much to nut out the BAK- it isn't that hard.

You should be able to do it by self study - as already mentioned you would have trouble with CPL if you can't.

For textbooks there are several choices all of which present the same information in slightly different ways. Ignore people who say use xxxxx it's the best, that may be the case for them maybe not for you. Go to a place which have a range and find what suits you and get that and also some practice tests.

Yes, I agree with them. Just self study, borrow a few of the trial exams from the school, have a go at it and when you're ready, register with ASL (I think?!) and sit the exam. They will not care whether you did it with a particular school or studied yourself. The main thing is you pass the exam and CASA will hold it in their files. Then, CASA will give you a copy to show your chosen flying school you have done it so you can go for your PPL flight test down the track. Not much to it really.

But to answer your question, Of course it is transferable. It's inside your head - how can it not be. It's there wherever you go.

Thanks all for the replies.

Here's another question for you all:

Where is your favourite place to get pilot supplies, might be via a web site or your local shop?:ok:

ABX, mine was a long time ago but have gone all the way from BAK through PPL, CPL, IREX and some of my ATPL subjects on self-study alone.

As others have indicated, a good text book and plenty of practice questions. I think I was fortunate in having a maths based study background so understand that others may choose to do either a course or some 1 on 1 study for later parts of your flying exams but the BAK is a very simple exam that requires primarily memory work only - a course is not going to teach you how to remember stuff.

The other key, must, compulsory, mandatory, essential, required (am I making myself clear?) item you need is the CASA sylabus - downloadable from CASA for free. If it's not on the sylabus then they can't ask you about it - read the document and make sure you understand each of the terms/areas the list and you can't go wrong.

Hope this helps you save those $$$ - no school or other organisation has the right to force you into their study course as a part of your training program - any school that does is not worth training with.

UTR.

UTR,

Thanks mate, that is gold.

I'll look for the BAK syllabus on the CASA site tonight.

Cheers.

Stick & Rudder
 

I have just been reading 'Stick & Rudder' by Wolfgang Whats-is-name and - although I'm very tired - found it interesting.

It is an old book, my Dad studied it when he learnt to fly, do you think it is still worth reading?

ABX, I did my ppl about four years ago. Buy the BAK book and study it, do the homework questions and just sit the exam, there is no need, as far as I am concerned, to pay anyone to "Teach" the BAK provided you passed high school physics. I guess if you majored in arts and don't know PV=nRT or are unfamiliar with magnetic variation, deviation, gyros etc. it could be a different matter.

Come to think of it I sat my PPL exam without any coaching and passed that, as my miserable knowledge of regulations continues to demonstrate.

P.S. Treasure your copy of Stick and Rudder, its still in print, for the very good reason that the contents are solid gold. I read mine over again at least once a year. There is stuff in there that you won't find anywere else.

Thanks, have bought the BAK book from Aviation Theory Center, and have studied up to chapter 9.:ok:

Very interesting topics covered.

Has anyone read The Private Pilot?

I found a copy in Dad's study materials - along with Stick and Rudder.

Should I give it a read as well?

I just want to ask something about the original topic..
is it true that those whishing to do the 150hr CPL through an integrated course cannot sit the BAK examination prior to completing 5 hours of flight training? If they sit the BAK before doing 5 hours flying, then they have to complete 200 hours of training to achieve CPL, or else sit the examination again at the flight school (and keep quiet about the earlier pass).


ABX - BAK from the ATC is pretty good, if you want another resource definately look at Bob Tait's BAK book. I've got both and the Bob Tait one is so much more straight forward and clearer (straight to the point) + its got a good set of practice questions, on questions which you need to know rather than ones off on a tangeant which the ATC seem to do. The old Trevor Thom book for BAK was much better than the new ATC one.

Cheers
Tim

Please don't laugh!
 

What are the chances for an ageing aviator- Big 50 been & gone but passionate to get back flying for a "living" -looks like it is still very poorly paid .Only have 3500 hours of which 850 was instructional- would be keen to get into C208 & Twin Otter .Been doing Firework etc which has re ignited the passion - sorry about the pun .Appreciate any thoughts & hopefully leads .:ok:

I'll be interested to see how you go there dga.

Will sit the exam soon, study going well, Human Factors is easy and aircraft systems is very interesting - Air Law... now that is just a hard slog!