ATPL Text Books
 

No, I'm not selling any…

I'm looking for advice on textbooks for ATPL study. I’m thinking of doing a distance learning course in the near future but I want some good additional books which cover the syllabus.

If anyone out there has any recommendations I'd be grateful.

Avoid 4 Forces...!!!! http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/eek.gif

Go for PPSC or OATS http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/cool.gif..don't know about Bristol so can't comment..



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Regards JB007!
[email protected]
Flight Ops,Crewing and Dispatch Moderator

I had a really bad incident with PPSC I drove 400miles to see the CI and he said he was to busy to see me,(he went for lunch) If I ever meet him again I would probably flat pack him. I am with Atlantic they are tops. Friends went to Bristol and they think it was excellent. They passed first time.

I have found
Aircraft Performance Theory for Pilots by P.J Swatton

Pretty good for additional reading on performance.

And also the cockpit posters for 737-300, and A310 are very usefull when studying the instrument stuff.

the 737-300 is used as the MRJT example and its systems are referenced quite a bit in the exams.

MJ

And another thing if you get your hands on a casio fx-570w it has all the Imp -> Metric conv on it. Saves nearly a min on some of the mass and balance questions.

[This message has been edited by mad_jock (edited 31 May 2001).]

[This message has been edited by mad_jock (edited 31 May 2001).]

I agree - Swatton for Performance. Also can recommend Meteorology for Pilots by Mike Wickson - I wouldn't have passed without it. There are some instrument books by a chap called Pallet which are very good too.

You can now buy the OATS training manuals for all 14 subjects from transair.

hey JB007

You say "Avoid 4 Forces...!!!!"

Why is that then ????

TrolleyDolleyLover,

I've heard other good comments about Atlantic, which route are you taking, integrated or Modular?
Also, you can you point me in the direction of their web site please.

4 forces manuals are totally inadiquate for studing for the exams, poorly written, unfinished bla bla bla. search for 4 forces and you can see other 'glowing' recomendations. I was using 4F notes and had to pay extra to go to oxford for my final exams.

Four Forces Notes and Text Books really DO suck!!!

My father just has / is using Four Forces DL notes to complete his CPL and I have to say they are useless.

The test exams have incorrect or multiple answers the books have pictures of make believe planes and they have a habit of giving EVERYTHING at least two titles. (I understand from him though that a couple of the lecturers on the consol course were really quite good so its not all bad)

He did actually pass all the exams he sat first time but thats just the kinda guy he is (plus he had notes from PPSC and Oxford to use).

But....... it must be said his entire course wrote to 4Forces before the exams stating that should anyone have resits to do then they DEMANDED the school be responsible for them due to shoody books.

Anyway hope this helps but remember it is just another opinion (Mine) and you may find others dont agree.

Meterology for Pilots - Mike Wickson (Excellent Book)

little red train, ATCNightmare

That is interesting...

That explains why they say the following in their terms and conditions

"3.1 You will be responsible for informing Four Forces in full about
your
training requirements and for providing all information necessary for
Four
Forces to prepare the Training Programme.

3.2 It is your responsibility to check the Training Programme carefully
and to notify Four Forces immediately if you disagree with it in any
way.
Please make this check before you sign these conditions because by
signing
you acknowledge that the Training Programme is satisfactory and that
you are
completely happy with it."

These statements have bugged me for weeks ......


[This message has been edited by Deputy Dog (edited 14 June 2001).]

If you want the full set of Four Forces Notes, you can have mine - for free. In fact i'd pay you a fiver to take them out of my sight! (I have version one and two).

Failing that, christmas paper chains?

Little Red train, hows the flying going / gone?

Just rec the June/July Transair mail order catalogue - with a very nice photo of the poor old sea vixen on it.....

Inside this months is another advert for the Jeppesen - Oxford A.T.P.L. Manuals.

These 'bargin' manuals (and I say that because thats much cheaper then any other course I've seen ) will cost you just £569.00 for all 15 and 'meets the requirements of the JAR-FCL theoretical knowledge syllabus for the ATPL , and complies with the ATPL learning objective published by the JAA.'

Trouble is - if you look at the blue application form to take the ATPL exams (yes the one that the CAA asks you for the £718 to take the exams on) you will see that the CAA require a company stamp + signature from your training provider....OXFORD ?

Ive spoken to Transair about this and they said ' dont know - we just sell them '.

Ive e-mailed O.A.T three times now and sofar 'No Comment'.

Seems the bargin ATPL course could be a waist of your money....Anyone from O.A.T feel free to comment - if I'm wrong please let us all know and post it on the PPRUNE.

Shame - they looked quite good ! ! !

Fly_146 I've got 3 full sets of 4F manuals!!! they kept re-printing them (getting a little less sh!t each time), I just feel sorry for the poor tree, it gave its life for nothing http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/frown.gif. CPLs gone :), FI course is going(soon) :) :) you?


[This message has been edited by little red train (edited 14 June 2001).]

The OAT manuals are only manuals.

If your actually doing the course you have to submit a log of all the study hours you do which must at the end all total up to 750hrs+.

I presume that they see that there is a market out there for just the notes(4forces students :) ) and its just a revenue earner with minimal additional work. The notes have been written anyway so it's money for nothing.

And to be honest unless you go to the 2 week swot up sessions you don't really have a chance of passing because then you get all the feed back questions and pointers on what is current.

For example Principles of flight there are over 700 questions in the feedback. Although the last set of exams seemed to be a new question bank so there was a few unhappy people :)

MJ

Law was the one for me, 4F and pooleys law manuals were totally useless, I paid for the two week brushup at OATS and went from 65% to 85% (only had to resit Met and Law, failed both first re-sit, passed both after OATS) , this was totally down to the feedback, and the OATS notes & teaching; they tackeled subjects totally ignored by the others, because they were left out of the LO's, but were still in the exams.

Little Red Train

How much did the courses at OAT cost you and when did you take them?? Who did you deal with at the school - my current run ins with them have been rather fruitless and left me feeling a little disppondent. (Could just be the way I asked of course but....)

I don't think its just you, bl**dy shambolic would be my description of 'admin' I had real trouble getting my notes ahead of the start date to get a bit of heads down, in the end after 4 weeks, I got them day before I left! saying that Cabair, my main school was not any better, things being a bit more time critical with OATs just made it feel worse.

err, can't remeber the cost, (I think I trying to block out that bit), was a bit, but cheaper than another couple of fails with all the added expenses, let alone the full 14! did it in Feburary (just over a full year after I started! 'slight beding in problems' - according to the ****s at the JAA

Its a bit of a peronsal view, but I found OATs a very cold place for someone just doing a couple of courses, cabair is a frendlier place, but the course aint the best. Its a bit like restraunts, good food crap atmospher/lousy waiters etc. If you want to pass, go to OATs.

I did a 4week CAA last ditch attempt course at Bristol Ground school, there a place with great admin, great notes and great atmosphere. I can't comment on the actuals, but I have little doubt Alex put as much gusto into the JAA course to make it ever bit as good if not better than the excellent CAA one. anyone got any actual experience?

ATCNightmare

If you phone up ask to speak to Dena or Mike in modular.

And when your there you do feel strange because the modular folk are the only ones not in uniform. And you will feel distictly old as well.

MJ

Thanks for that Little Red Train and MJ

At a crucial stage in training at the moment where the only thing stopping me from calling it all quits is the unconditional support and faith in me of my family and my desire to actually be flying one of the big jets that fly over my house daily, instead of just staring at them. (One of the Heathrow Holds is directly overhead)

Finding it hard to re learn for the subjects I failed - keep finding myself skipping sections of text book because I think I know it all ready - which I obviously dont.

Any hints or good ways of learning that you could suggest.

MJ - just been reading past posts on self sponsered students being less looked after than sponsered at OAT, which to be honest isnt my concern...

I am concerned about class size and pressure levels...

I mean at my last school you could ask and ask and then ask again for things to be explained if you needed to (and for some things i did) and worry that at a school where so many people are trying to keep sponsers happy with Grade A results someone like me might get stepped on.

[This message has been edited by ATCNightmare (edited 15 June 2001).]

You think you lot have problems I've just dicked my last attempt at passing the CAA ATPL by 6% on navigation.I've got 4000 hrs on the A320 and desperately needed these exams to go longhaul when the 320's go.Now I cant change A/C type and have to face these JAR exams which look like a complete nightmare.