Lots of questions at www.aviationexam.com

Hope that helps
Cheers

'JAR professional pilot studies' by Phil Croucher will give you an idea of what you are getting into.

Should be first on the list for anyone taking the exams:

Bristol Online Question Bank
http://213.48.96.23/atponline/jalo/index.asp

Books:

Aircraft Performance Theory for Pilots
P.J. Swatton
ISBN 0-362-05569-3

For the Technical aspect of the course:

The Commercial Pilots Study Manual
Mike Burton
Volume 1 - 4
ISBN 1-85310-779-4
ISBN 1-85310-780-8
ISBN 1-85310-781-6
ISBN 1-85310-782-4

Navigation type of the course:

Ground Studies for Pilots
R.B. Underdown
I only have Volume 1 and 2 but there are 4 in the series.

Last but not least:

Oxford Aviation / Meteorological Office "Meteorology for Pilots CBT"

I can recommend OATs books, they are very easy to read and have good diagrams in them, altho I haven't read any others so can't make comparisons. I also found OATs feedback to be excellent and right on the money, had seen the majority of the questions in the phase 1 exams before. I also found the school exams to be harder then the JAA ones, which is always a good thing. I've only done phase 1 (Systems, Instruments, Met, PoF, Comms x2 and HP) so can't comment on phase 2 yet....

blinkz.whats the deal with the rude words in the oxford books? fast erection system for example, or the erection button. i found them rude but still good.pictures were bright too. feedback is good but i relied on it too much and failed all my exams. oops. had to drop out of my distance learning and am working in my local pub making the scones.
see ya:ok:

The Glasgow College of Nautical studies notes are excellent!!

I have to agree with the majority here.. OAT's books are superb, very well written and illustrated. Combined with the CD-ROM's its a great learning package.
The feedback Q's are also very very good (when i was there 04/05) for all sujects, but there really is no sustitute for knowing the subject inside out.

Having said that, there are a couple of the 'less demanding' subjects (comsx2,hp,law,) that feedback alone will get you through... should i say that?? hhhmmm not sure but its true.

DPT

Maybe not books, but an instructor called Steve Francis, he teaches Met and Performance, he's absolutely brilliant, takes a difficult subject and makes it so easy to understand, which from some books make the same subject so dam hard to understand.

Jeppesen JAA ATPL
 

Hi,

I did my prep using Jeppesen JAA ATPL set, £750 including the airway manual. I find it very well set up, easy to follow tests and grafics.
Took me about 2 months self-study to be ready for exams. Passed all in one go.

Yebo

ATPL Theory Manuals
 

Was hoping you could help me out with a bit of dilema I'm currently having. I have recently read through the aircraft systems and electrical manuals from Oxford Aviation. However the manuals seemed a little too deep at times especially when I attempted to some general feedback questions. Are the manually deliberately written to be more involved than some of the questions or is it just an Oxford thing to go into subject matter too deep just to be distinctive from other providers i.e. BGS and FlyAFT?

I had a brief look through the Jeppesen manuals and they seemed a touch more digestible without overcooking the subject matter in other words I found them concise. I just want to pass the exams for now and would like to know which is more practical and which is well how can I put it .... a little self serving at times.

Of course one thing's for sure the Oxford attitude has let me down on 3 separate occassions so from that perspective I really don't think they score many points (I'm a very easy going chap and not demanding or overbearing on others).

Any help will be much appreciated.

:)

A totally personal point of view so I apologise for any offence the following may cause:

1. Do you wish to learn the subject?

2. Do you wish to pass the ATPL exams?

If 1. read the books in their entirety.

If 2. get decent feedback.

A lot of what you learn during ATPL's can be flushed down the toilet, BUT a lot of the subject matter does prove to be useful later on. (type ratings, for example).

Passing the exams will leave you a lot to learn if you dont know the subject in the depth described in the course books.

Just my opinion, feel free to flame.

Our found the Oxford books superb BECAUSE of their attention to detail, if you can stick with OAT's books - I would. As benhurr said, they've become a very useful source of info since passing the exams....and his questions are valid!

Point taken
 

Many thanks chaps, I like so many pilots out there want to have my cake and eat it too i.e. I sincerely wish to learn and pass my ATPL exams.

Though I was able to get through the Oxford books it felt that I wasn't making as much progress as I felt I should have. Obviously this is just a gut feeling and how would I really know what rate of progress I should be making but it was like perhaps someone had left the handbrake partially on.

I love to read and study but wished to strike an effective balance between practically and 'bureacracy of academia'

Anyway thanks once again and I shall certainyl take your points onboard.

The course manuals (not just Oxford's) are written to give you a reasonably full understanding of the subject at hand. The examinations are intended to check that your understanding is sound. For fairly obvious reasons exams cannot ever test all of your knowledge and the idiosyncratic style of the CAA seems often to be testing your understanding of the CAA's version of English rather than the subject, but that's not Oxford's fault!

What they and most schools try and do is to give you the knowledge then use the question banks to apply the knowledge in the way the CAA wants it done.

Scroggs

thank you Mr. Scroggs :O

I know I will be doing my ATPL either this year or the next, and wondered if it's worth getting the ATPL manuals now, do a bit of extra reading and get a bit of a head start. My main concern is, I've noticed a few have different years of publication... If I were to get some that were printed in say, 2004, would there be a great difference in ones that are printed more recently?

Your advice would be great!
Regards,
Alex

From all the 14 subjects, the only book I wish I had before starting my course was the air law book. I felt it was written for lawyers not training pilots, which made the subject even more harder therefore spending too much time on law compared to other subjects such as nav or performance. Only my thoughts.

Oxford Books
 

Due to some over zealous purchasing by helpful family members I have some OAT books ( unused) that I would consider approaches for ( no low ones though!)
Contact me directly
Brgds
Daft Wader

Alex - definitely do it - that's what I did, and so far it has made life a lot easier!

This is probably a "stewpid" question, but do you have to attend a school to do your ATPL studying? I know Oxford in association with Transair and Atlantic Flight Training in association with Jeppesen both produce there own study books, can't I just buy them for say £500 - £700 pounds and study from them? Then do the exams or do I have to study via a full time course or distance learning??

TJF97