Learning to Fly
 

Hello all,

I am currently a grad student looking to get into flying. At this point I am trying to survey my options for learning about aviation. Currently I do not have the funds available for flying lessons and was wondering if there are any good computer programs available that teach beginners the basics. There are several simulators available for flying that I am aware of, but my needs are for an educational program. My initial goals are flying smaller planes such as those used for personal use, emergency responders, and missions-type work. If anyone has any suggestions I would greatly appreciate it, thanks! :)

Or any books that would be helpful for a beginner, thanks.

You don't say where you are?, but the FAA publishes some good manuals which you can get free from their website in PDF format:

Aviation Handbooks & Manuals

Oh, I live in the usa. Thanks I'll have to take a look at those!

Jeppesen has software used for teaching the material for Private Pilot, Commercial Pilot, and for Instrument Pilot FAA exams. Visit your local flight school and I'm sure they'll be happy to fill you in.