New Student Information
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When to start ground school? Two main options, you can complete the
class-work before starting flight training, or do them concurrently.
I found that having some experience with aircraft controls and
instruments and operations is helpful to better understand the
course material and to facilitate some good discussion and Q&A.
The flight training and ground school help to reinforce each other.
Also, a weekly ground school may stretch out over a period of 14 weeks,
which may be better suited during winter when flying weather is
less than optimal. Another option is self-study and closely working
with an instructor to help guide you through the lesson plans.
Self study book options are given below.
Ground school classes are periodically scheduled at area flight schools and at some of the local community colleges. They will often recommend/suggest an optional package of books for you to purchase. The class lessons will usually be based on a specific private pilot handbook/syllabus. AOPA maintains a directory of flight schools that offer various types of scheduled training classes. Lastly, there are some pricey online ground school video courses (watch for specials) which you can augment with periodic review and discussion with your flight instructor. A summary of online choices is given on the club's link page. - Where to purchase aviation books and supplies? The main on-site pilot shop in the local area is located in the Aircraft Spruce building in West Chicago, with stock limited to some popular items. Alternatively, there are some pre-packaged private pilot training kits available for online purchase (like jeppesen or asa or gleim), but be careful you may be buying more stuff than you really need, you can't make your own product selections, and it's not clear at all that you are getting discounted pricing. It's best to discuss with your instructor what you will need at various stages of your training. See below for some suggestions.
- Where else can I go for on-line aviation shopping (besides amazon or ebay or craigslist)?
- Skygeek - low prices
- Sporty's - ratings and reviews
- MyPilot - ratings and reviews
- PilotShop - good prices
- Pilot Gear Online
- Aircraft Spruce
- Gulf Coast
- Chief Aircraft
- Pilot Mall
- SkySupply
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Tell me about the new
Airman Certification Standards?
- ACS Overview Briefing
- Private Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-6b)
- Instrument Rating ACS (FAA-S-ACS-8b)
- Airmen Certification Standards FAQ
- ACS Tips for Evaluators
- Remote Pilot UAS ACS
- What do I need to start my flight training? A basic pilot logbook, a comfortable headset, and probably a flight bag to keep everything organized.
- What type of pilot logbook do I need? It should have good spacing to record flight activity and extra pages for endorsements. These are popular choices:
- What type of headset do I need? Good articles on what factors to consider are written by
AOPA
and Plane&Pilot.
However it is best to try them on, they need to be light-weight and comfortable over your
head and ears for multiple hours. Active noise cancellation (ANR) provide the best clarity and are by far
the most expensive headsets and probably not a good value for students. Passive noise cancellation (PNR)
headsets come in entry-level, mid-priced, and premium selections. There is a
pilot web site dedicated to articles on headset selections and reviews.
Both
Flying Mag and
Plane&Pilot offer buying guides.
I do recommend reading through the product reviews at the online pilot shops or
Amazon, narrow the selections by price range.
Some headsets already come with bags, else it may need to be purchased separately.
- Popular ANR headsets
- Popular PNR headsets
- What type of pilot flight bag do I need? Probably any carry-on luggage tote bag with front and side
pockets, zippers, reinforced base, and shoulder strap will suffice. There are a wide range of sizes and prices
for aviation flight bags. Brightline flex products (
B2,
B4,
B7)
are probably the best sellers,
but here are a few lower-priced highly-rated bags with many compartments
that meet the needs of most students.
- Jeppeson Student Pilot Bag (16 x 11 x 5.5)
- Noral Mach 1 Flight Bag (15 x 10.5 x 11)
- ASA AirClassics Flight Bag 2 (18 x 11 x 11)
- Sporty's Flight Gear Bag (16 x 10 x 8.5)
- TravelPro Flightcrew Tote Bags (my bag of choice)
- LA Police Gear Jumbo Bag (20 x 11 x 15)
- Do I need any charts and maps? Your flight instructor will guide you in this purchase, but typically you can expect the following three items. Club members or your CFI may well have some older editions available for you to use temporarily (they all have obsolete dates between 2 and 6 months, so need to be repurchased periodically to stay current). Pilot stores may carry these, but they can be out of stock. MyPilotStore is a good on-line site that also offers subscriptions.
- What about the Pilot Operating Handbooks (POH)? Yes, it would be good to order a copy for the specific year of the aircraft you will be flying and keep it in your flight bag. Manual reprints are available from Essco. In some cases, it may be possible to find free pdf versions on the internet, check with other club members. There are scans of the POH for each respective aircraft under the members only section of the club web site. Lastly, the club treasurer may have some extra used POH copies in stock available for purchase. The IFC club web site under the fleet tab provides printable checklists for each of our planes, plus weight and balance calculators. Nicely colored/laminated checklists can be ordered from CheckMate Aviation for all aircraft.
- Does FAA provide any subscriptions/publications/books for download? Yes, the FAA Safety Term provides many
online resources. And the FAA Pilots Portal
has a lot of
informational links some of which are listed here.
- Digital AFD - Chart Supplement
- Terminal Procedures and Airport Diagrams
- Student Pilot Guide (free pdf FAA-H-8083-27A)
- Aviation Weather Handbook (free pdf FAA-H-8083-28)
- Instrument Procedures Handbook (free pdf FAA-H-8083-16A)
- Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (free pdf FAA-H-8083-25B)
- Airplane Flying Handbook (free pdf FAA-H-8083-3B)
- Aircraft Weight and Balance (free pdf FAA-H-8083-1B)
- Aviation Weather Services (free pdf FAA-AC-00-45G)
- Aviation Weather for Pilots (free pdf FAA-AC-00-6B)
- Pilot's Guide to weather planning (free pdf)
- Private Pilot PTS (free pdf)
- Private Pilot ACS (free pdf FAA-S-ACS-6)
- Airman Knowledge Test Questions (free pdf)
- Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) (free pdf)
- Federal Aviation Regulations (free pdf)
- General Operating and Flight Rules (free pdf 14 CFR Part 91)
- Pilot Risk Management (free pdf)
- Pilot Safety Brochures (free pdf)
- FAA Safety Briefings (free pdf)
- FAA Become a Pilot FAQ
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What are some good books and study guides? Either the Jeppesen Private Pilot publications (option 1, $106) or the
ASA PM Series (option 2, $145 hardcovers) are great investments, albeit a bit expensive.
Kershner's flight manual (option 4 first bullet, $21) is a comprehensive course including ground school, maneuvers,
and syllabus; This classic textbook has long been the best value for student pilots.
Other private pilot handbook publications such as Gleim (option 3, $52) mostly consolidate and re-organize
the free FAA pdf material to improve readability.
The ASA color-illustrated faa reprints (option 4 second/third bullets, $47) of the Pilot's Aero Knowledge and Flying Handbook
are great references and should almost be required reading for everybody (also sometimes available as a combo package).
Rod Machado (option 5) has a great reputation for easy to understand material and enjoyable reading,
but some find the writing style to be a distraction. Lastly, we've compiled a
general list of other highly recommended books, pilot info, and supplemental training material.
Check with Bob the club treasurer for member discounts on aviation supplies.
- Option 1:
- Jeppesen Private Pilot Manual (the older used hardcover version may be preferable for durability)
- Jeppesen Private Pilot Maneuvers
- Option 2:
- Option 3:
- Option 4:
- Option 5:
- General:
- ASA 2024 FAR/AIM (free pdf at FAA) ($10 in IOS app store)
- Airport Facility Directory - Chart Supplement
- Terminal Procedures and Airport Diagrams
- Gleim Private Pilot FAA Knowledge Test Booklet
- ASA oral exam guide (private pilot edition)
- ASA PTS/ACS (private pilot edition)
- Aviation Weather Services (FAA Advisory Circular 00-45H)
- Aviation Weather for Pilots (FAA Advisory Circular 00-6B)
- Stick and Rudder - The Art of Flying
- Say Again, Please - Radio Communications
- Learn to Fly Guidebook (free pdf)
- Flying and Learning Basics (free pdf)
- How to Fly Airplanes (free pdf)
- Basics of Flight Control (free pdf)
- Hands-Off Flight Control (free pdf)
- How not to Stall - Ever (free pdf)
By now you are probably wondering so how do I decide amongst all these good choices to begin my studies. The following combination of books would be a cost effective selection: Kershner's ASA Student Pilot Flight Manual, ASA Pilot's Aero Knowledge and Flying Handbook set, and the current FAR/AIM (total $89 plus shipping). Regardless of the option selected, one might also add the Gleim FAA knowledge test booklet ($26) to practice for the FAA written exam or Dyer's ground school workbook ($42). Also worth consideration are the oral exam guide and airman test standards as you progress in your flight training. Aviation weather resources are available for free download at faa, so it may not be worthwhile to purchase reprints. Many of the above books are also available at Amazon or on eBay for good prices, but be careful you get the correct publisher and edition. - Option 1:
- Is there anything else I might eventually need?
- E6-B flight planning computer (paper, aluminum, electronic, android app, iphone/ipad)
- small flashlight: red/green/white, smith&wesson
- IFR hood or training foggles ( clear, yellow )
- good pair of sunglasses
- emergency or first aid kit
- fuel sampler cup or GATS fuel jar strainer
- fixed plotter (for cross-country planning)
- kneeboards: Jeppesen, ASA, Sporty's
- ipad kneeboard: ASA
- classic clipboard: ASA, Sporty's
- Nav-Com Radio Transceiver
- Are training videos worthwhile, and which are good to own? It's a matter of personal preference depending on your learning style. King Schools offer various types of video packages. You may be able to borrow some dvds or share expenses on the training videos. Some students find these helpful, others students don't bother with this extra purchase. Personally I like having the printed illustrated student guides which I can mark up and carry with me and easily reference as needed.
- What other web resources are there to guide me in my initial purchases?
- Do I need renters insurance? No, you are fully covered at a flying club. However, if you rent aircraft at a commercial operator or flight school, or wish to double your coverage, then you would want to check into a non-owner aviation policy at AOPA Insurance Services or Avemco Renters Insurance.
- By when do I need to obtain an FAA medical exam? It is required prior to your first solo flight, which is approximately 8-10 hrs into your flight training. You can ask your flight instructor for local recommendations, or search via the faa aviation medical examiner tool. Allow extra time for faa processing if you have any medical issues that need to be reviewed.
- When do I need to obtain a student pilot license? Your flight instructor will guide you through the IACRA process soon after your training begins and prior to your first solo flight.
- What are some favorite aviation apps? AOPA did a survey and here are the results. IOS is by far the dominant platform for pilot apps. For the serious pilot, about the coolest product out there is ForeFlight with ipad tablet and a GPS receiver or Stratus ADS-B. For the android platform, a moving map display is provided by Garmin Pilot. Both Foreflight and Garmin are compatible with our installed ADS-B in units. Here is a top 10 list of most popular pilot apps. Here are some favorite free IOS apps for pilots.
- What is the best tablet to use in the cockpit? The iPad Mini is preferred by most pilots, but it's not necesssary during training.