CD ROM Training Pack

[nadders]

Hello all.

A couple of quick questions if you've got the time to spare.

Just about to book my first flying lesson and am considering purchasing a PPL CD rom training package from Transair and Oxford aviation. Does anyone have any experience with this form of ground study? And is it worth releiving myself of a relatively sizeable amount of cash? (Compared with the traditional book based groundschool).

Also, have any computer flight sims helped anyone with their flying training?

Maybe i'm trying to be to prepared, but in a hobby where everything is expensive , every penny saved counts.

Cheers in advance,

Nads

[tangovictor]

if you call Oxford they will send you a small cd rom, you can then judge if it your type of learning, I have to admit, Air Law from the book, is a nightmare, so i'd be interested in replies to this thread also

[kevmusic]

Good post Nads, I'm interested in all aspects of this question also.

[wsmempson]

I thought the pack was great and it especially helped me to learn the unlearnable air law. Be aware, however, that unlike the books you will not be able to sell the CD Roms on - as this is a breach of copyright.

[nadders]

Cheers for the replies,

tangovictor- Cheers for the post. Will call OATS and get the CD Rom Will let you know how i get on.

wsmempson- not worried about selling study material on, find its always good to be able to brush up. I've got a brain like a sieve.

If anyone else could shed some light on the subject any thoughts and opinions would be greatly received.

Nads.

[tangovictor]

copyright issue's

Im almost certain, you can sell any cd as 2nd hand un wanted, what you can't do, is copy it, then re sell, I believe that sony tried, to stop resales of unwanted cd's by encoding them, making them unusable in a 2nd pc, or play station, cost them a whole lot of money, As its your right to re sell used items

[mcgoo]

apparently not, OAT keep pulling sales off ebay for their MET CD, it is in the end user agreement that the programs cannot be resold and they are enforcing this.

[MyData]

I've just bought a couple of OAT titles and am very impressed with the quality. I'll keep them for future reference so have no intention of selling them on. I have accepted the draconian licence T&Cs but find them quite disagreeable.

Clause 1.2
You only own the CD-Rom on which the Software is recorded, but we (OAT) shall at all times retain ownership of the software.

Clause 1.3
This licence cannot ... be resold or transferred to anyone else.

I wonder why they do it. Surely it would be beneficial to have more of this software in circulation as it would give OAT greater visibility and lead to further sales directly???

[tangovictor]

um

personally I couldn't be bothered, however, 99.9% sure, if it went to court, they would lose, re Ebay, that I can understand as most stuff, cd/dvd wise would be illegally copied, which is unlawful, selling on, unwanted / used cd's isn't.

[ATIS31]

I used some of Oxfords Cds for the Exams Air law is pretty hard going reading from the book especially if you have been away from school for some years
also used there ppl met cd which i found to be very helpful as i found it a difficult subject. Also used there aircraft knowledge and flight principles all those animated diagrams do help a lot, beware though and make sure and download any updates for the cds I used the airlaw cd after it first came out and found some questions in the exam which were not covered in the cd later discovered they had issued a update.

Best of luck

[Bahn-Jeaux]

Hmm, wonder what OAT would do if they were posted on the newsgroups.
Illegal I know but since newsfeeds dont last for ever and posters and users are anonymous................................

[maxdrypower]

Nadders, Good question that I pondered over for a few minutes . I recently finished a PPL and am currently enjoying flying around like a kid with a new toy. I tried the Cd roms briefly but gave up as my computer is pooh , and had to revert to the books , I personally found the best bit of kit that I had for the exams was the PPL Confuser . . Im sure some will agree with this and I certainly found it to be true , If you can answer the questions in the confuser you can answer those in the exam , a few words aside they are the same questions . The air law can be a bit finickity but it takes perhaps a few houors to read through the whole section and its just commitment of facts to memory . I personally if knowing what I know now had my time again I wud do the same thing , read the trevor thom or AFE books , both in my experience are equally good get an understanding then work through the confuser , its a lot cheaper that way and I probaly right in saying the CD roms are probably the cost of an hours flying , I know what I wud rather have

[DRJAD]

Personal experience is that CBT is a waste of time and money as far as absorbing information is concerned. I much prefer reading a book. Again, personal experience (using the Thom series) is that there is within them all that you need for the examinations, there are even trial questions at the end of each volume, if you wish to indulge in that sort of thing.
As far as simulators upon a computer are concerned, I looked as the MS type and found it irritatingly fussy and mostly irrelevant in relation to PPL - I did not, therefore, use any during the course, nor have I since. RANT was useful for IMCR in terms of practicing elements of instrument navigation in various simulated conditions.