Ground School - How difficult is it?

[767bill]

I'm considering doing the distance learning with Bristol GS and have read replies to DAN98 s thread with interest. Question I have is whether having done the PPL studying and exams thoroughly most to about 90% + level (not all I might add) and having started to flip back though it as revision (Trevor Thom) does this give any kind of basis for shortening the study time? What are the easiest and most difficult subjects? Anyone claim a start to finish time record for successful completion, it seems to me 6 months is a long time to remember what you learnt 6 months ago??

[parris50]

The problem with ground school is that there is loads to learn and remember. Most of it is not that difficult but it's the sheer quantity that gets you.

I think most people agree that the trickier subjects include:

General Nav
Met
Principles of Flight

[Biscuit]

The PPL subjects just give a light overview to the core aspects of flying. To be honest, I did them just before my ATPLs and I don't think they really helped much. The quantity of information you have to absorb is huge and you need to be disiplined. I did a degree some years back and found the ATPL ground school much more demanding. Getting high scores in the PPL subjects will have little or no impact on the study time for ATPLs and completing all in 6 months is doing well. You'll also do exams every couple of months not at the end, so you wont have to remember what you learnt 6 months ago.

People struggle with different subjects, but here's my opinion:

Instruments - hard
Gen Nav - hard
Radio Nav - boring, but not too hard
both comms - straight forward
Met - hard
Aircraft General - hard
HPL - Interesting and fairly straight forward
performance - medium difficulty
POF - hard
Mass & balance - not too hard
Law - boring, but not too hard
Ops - boring, but not too hard
Flight Planning - boring, but not too hard

Good luck !

Biscuit

PS Note the frequent use of the words "boring" and "hard" !

[zcar]

I agree with Biscuit, but I have to say that having struggled with a few "hard" subjects I found Oxford notes, and especially feedback questions, an excellent source of help.

Their admin leaves a lot to be desired, however, in my experience.

[jagflyger]

I am also considering a ATPL distance learning. This course is a 32 weeks course divided in 3 blocks with 6 weeks for "brush-up". They recommend an average of 3 hour study 7 days a week.

After reading several related topic on PPrune I have the feeling of that is a very conservative number of study hours.

What do you think?

[Biscuit]

jagflyger,

I didn't do distance learning but on my full time course I spent a full day in lectures and then did between two/three hours most evenings. If you're working full time, three hours a night will be just about all you could do anyway. When you're studying properly, studying after you get too tired will be detrimental.

B

[no sponsor]

You will need to do around 300-350 hrs private study for both modules at BGS. (before the brush ups)

I do 1-2 hrs in the morning and 2-3 in evening. I work about 10-12 hrs each weekend.

I know of someone who completed Mod 2 in about 8 weeks, including brush-up and exams, but did it full-time.

The PPL books do help. I have found myself going back to basics and having a different angle. On the whole though, i have used more complex books to aid the learning process. e.g. Kermode's book for PoF, and Swatton for Performance.

[AppleMacster]

I agree with Biscuit - a lot of it is hard, and much of it dull. I'm doing the Bristol course and had got through all the frames in a few months. However, life got in the way of my plans and I lost momentum. This is the biggest danger. The only way to do it is to keep going steadily and accumulate and assimilate the information as carefully and efficiently as possible.

Being self-employed, and with my wife losing her job in the middle of my studies played havoc with my momentum! As such, it will have taken me eleven months to do module one, when I thought I could have the whole course done in twelve!

AppleMacster

[767bill]

Thanks

Thanks to everybody who replied for the realistic if sometimes hard to swallow advice. Much appreciated.

Bill

[High Wing Drifter]

a lot of it is hard, and much of it dull

Yes it is a slog. But dull? Man! I learnt loads I wanted to know but never got around to asking. It is a bit of everything: geogaphy, met, physics, engineering, psychology and...um...that lateral seperation in MNPS airspace is 60nm...but we should gloss over that last one

Seriously, I found it more interesting than not.

[Trislander]

Some of it is not always that easy to grasp at first sight but you very quickly get your head around all the new information. I woulden't say it was boring and certainly not dull, more interesting but overall enjoyable.

I can only comment on the following as I'm doing module one at present.

Instruments - easy, interesting
Radio Nav - moderate, interesting
Aircraft Systems - moderate-easy, interesting
POF - moderate-easy
Law - easy, but lots to learn
Electrics - moderate

This is all based on a full-time course which I would thoroughly recommend and of course, my own personal ability.

If you take the plunge, good luck.

[Nearly Man]

Ahh, hmm, I did first module at ATA which was good.
Second module was distance learning with Oxford which although good, I found lot harder .. no drinking in week, says in the pub reading my folders sipping Lime & Soda!

I found the style of CAA questions difficult to grasp, although knew my stuff I reckon getting a grasp of the question is pretty important. It is do able, cos I'm very thick and did them!

London Guildhall one of the better ones for full time I heard!

I burned a CD with lots of feedback questions if anyone wants an idea of what type of questions they ask?

Best of luck