which ppl confuser
Upto The Buffers
Joined: Apr 2006
Aviation Qualifications: CPL
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From: Leeds/Bradford
Err, the one which says "PPL Confuser" on the front. There's only 1, although it is amended occasionally so ideally get the most recent edition although in reality it's only going to be Air Law that's remotely different, and only remotely.
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 128
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From: South East England
I was under the impression that there was only one. My copy is marked "JAA Version" and lists Nung Sornying as the author.
The book is revised and re-issued fairly regularly (mine is 8th ed.) so maybe you have seen copies from more than one printing?
The book is revised and re-issued fairly regularly (mine is 8th ed.) so maybe you have seen copies from more than one printing?
Joined: Nov 2006
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From: just to the left of the filing cabinet
There is another 'Confuser' type book, by Jeremy Pratt of The PPL Course fame, although I have neither used it nor seen any reviews of it.
See this link for details: http://www.afeonline.com/shop/produc...roducts_id=217
I used the 7th edition of The PPL Confuser by Nung Sornying, but found a number of mistakes in the book which were rather irritating - perhaps later editions had better editorial control.
Hopefully somebody who has used the Pratt revision book will be able to comment upon it.
Whichever book you choose - good luck with the studies
See this link for details: http://www.afeonline.com/shop/produc...roducts_id=217
I used the 7th edition of The PPL Confuser by Nung Sornying, but found a number of mistakes in the book which were rather irritating - perhaps later editions had better editorial control.
Hopefully somebody who has used the Pratt revision book will be able to comment upon it.
Whichever book you choose - good luck with the studies
Pompey till I die
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 779
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From: Guildford
I used both during my studies
I found fewer mistakes in the Pratt version, but then again it had fewer test questions.
Don't forget www.airquiz.com too
Pompey Paul
On our way to WWWEEEEMMMBLEY!!!!!!!!!!!!
Don't forget www.airquiz.com too
Pompey Paul
On our way to WWWEEEEMMMBLEY!!!!!!!!!!!!
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 24
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From: London
The Confuser (the Nung Sornying one...) is really valuable as a revision aid, though as has been said above it contains a number of mistakes.
When studying for Flight Performance & Planning I thought I had it licked until I got a question on calculating an aerodrome pressure altitude wrong. I spent about 2 hours in the textbooks, searching PPRuNe etc working out why I had got it wrong, and ended up utterly confused. Next day my instructor and I spent an another hour looking at it from a variety of possible angles, and eventually agreed that the answer in the confuser was wrong.
This was all vindicated when the exact same question (though different numbers) came up in the exam, with the same possible right and wrong options. I chose my instructor's answer over the confuser and thankfully the CAA agreed.
Confusing indeed.
When studying for Flight Performance & Planning I thought I had it licked until I got a question on calculating an aerodrome pressure altitude wrong. I spent about 2 hours in the textbooks, searching PPRuNe etc working out why I had got it wrong, and ended up utterly confused. Next day my instructor and I spent an another hour looking at it from a variety of possible angles, and eventually agreed that the answer in the confuser was wrong.
This was all vindicated when the exact same question (though different numbers) came up in the exam, with the same possible right and wrong options. I chose my instructor's answer over the confuser and thankfully the CAA agreed.
Confusing indeed.
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 32
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From: bradford
Working full time and supporting a young family is quite a challenge for the student pilot. I find it impossible to plan long stretches of study time without interuption, work matters or domestic distractions.
The way I deal with it is carry the books with me everywhere I go. I usually don't get a lunch break but if I did get any spare time my current study book is not too far away. So the little and often technique works for me. I try and read a couple of pages on an evening even though I find myself re-reading them later.
The best time is late evening. I find myself remembering stuff better that way. Living with the books is pretty sad considering I'm only doing this as a hobby but accumulating snipets of info here and there regularly works better for me than long boring study marathons.
The confuser is a vital aid to gauge whether I'm ready for the exam. Mistakes and all, it's not called the confuser for nothing.
The way I deal with it is carry the books with me everywhere I go. I usually don't get a lunch break but if I did get any spare time my current study book is not too far away. So the little and often technique works for me. I try and read a couple of pages on an evening even though I find myself re-reading them later.
The best time is late evening. I find myself remembering stuff better that way. Living with the books is pretty sad considering I'm only doing this as a hobby but accumulating snipets of info here and there regularly works better for me than long boring study marathons.
The confuser is a vital aid to gauge whether I'm ready for the exam. Mistakes and all, it's not called the confuser for nothing.
Last edited by christimson; 13th March 2008 at 14:12. Reason: Addition
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 24
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From: London
I'm glad I wasn't the only one who had an issue with that question then G-EMMA! Next time I'm stuck with the confuser I'll send you a PM!
The volume of study is definitely tough to fit in among work, family commitments etc. I find that it helps to set a realistic target date for each exam and then commit to doing it on that date to your instructor/family etc. That way there is enough pressure on you to make you want to do the work, but if the date arrives and you are really not ready then you can still postpone.
I agree with G-EMMA's point of view that the exam questions are very much suited towards people who are good at 'learning the question'. I tend to have a go at the confuser questions within the day or so prior to the exam. This gets good results (not quite as good as G-EMMA's though!) but I'm concious that it doesn't help me remember things in the long term. As such I try to do plenty of study and note-taking from the books and CD-ROMs before even looking at the confuser.
The volume of study is definitely tough to fit in among work, family commitments etc. I find that it helps to set a realistic target date for each exam and then commit to doing it on that date to your instructor/family etc. That way there is enough pressure on you to make you want to do the work, but if the date arrives and you are really not ready then you can still postpone.
I agree with G-EMMA's point of view that the exam questions are very much suited towards people who are good at 'learning the question'. I tend to have a go at the confuser questions within the day or so prior to the exam. This gets good results (not quite as good as G-EMMA's though!) but I'm concious that it doesn't help me remember things in the long term. As such I try to do plenty of study and note-taking from the books and CD-ROMs before even looking at the confuser.
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 182
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From: Derbyshire
i use both
fl 50 still comes out as the answer inthat question though, because fl30 could be below 3000 ft so it isn't useable so fl 50 comes out as the first useable one,,
Still confused>
I like the bit bit "12 hours flying 6 of which must be at the controls" so the other 6 I assume can be curled up asleep on a 747 inbound from Miami
Still confused>
I like the bit bit "12 hours flying 6 of which must be at the controls" so the other 6 I assume can be curled up asleep on a 747 inbound from Miami
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 24
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From: London
That is the one! Makes me angry just to look at it now I think of those hours I spent agonising over it!
For the record, the vast vast majority of answers in the confuser are correct. Of what must be close to 1,000 questions you can count the dodgy answers on one hand, and most of those are very obviously wrong at first glance.
Thanks G-EMMA.
Sam
For the record, the vast vast majority of answers in the confuser are correct. Of what must be close to 1,000 questions you can count the dodgy answers on one hand, and most of those are very obviously wrong at first glance.
Thanks G-EMMA.
Sam
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 24
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From: London
I guess the mistake was that they printed QFE instead of QNH in the question
As the a/c climbs, pressure decreases and the altimeter reading increases. But if you wind the subscale numbers down to lower pressure settings, the reading on the altimeter decreases.
Obvious when you think about it, but when confronted with a purportedly 'correct' answer that contradicts what you understand, it plays havoc with the mind
Joined: Mar 2008
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From: Urf
The Pratt one is really very good - read each book twice, did the 3 mock exams in the Q&A simplifier & never scored less than 85%. The mock exams are in identical format to the real thing. Everything that is asked in the proper exams is covered in the Pratt books, except for the few questions that the CAA have got plain wrong!
