Learning to fly, or thinking of learning? Post your questions, comments and experiences here

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By JonathanB
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1624325
You certainly need to have the most recent book for Air Law. Meteorology however doesn't change (for example).

You also need to check how the books relate to the current set of PPL exams.
By cockney steve
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1624343
As you are being prudent, I'll assume you're on a tight budget (or maybe a Yorkie! )
Physics and our understanding of them changes little...so Principles of Flight, likewise, engine and airframe, met. change very, very little. Principles of navigation have also changed very little, probably Harrisson's accurate chronometer was the last major breakthrough. GPS is, AFAIK, still ignored for training- purposes, so compass, stopwatch (kitchen-timer) whizzwheel and ruler, it is.
Human performance is a bit fluid, as our understanding of the human body improves, but an"oldish" textbook is unlikely to lead you significantly astray.
Flight- planning is also pretty stable.....learn to jump through the hoops with the "manual" equipment as above and a current chart( which, of course, is out -of-date before it's even printed :roll: ) ,Then, AIUI, after you pass your Skills Test, you chuck it all in a dark cupboard (or flog it on fleabay, the Forum or AFORS to another stude , buy a "tablet" or use a smartphone, run Sky Demon and Bob's a close relative 8)

As @JonathanB
said, that, really, just leaves Air Law, - another one that's like a chart (obsolete before printing!) but, look on the bright-side, unless you're very unlucky and there's been an overhaul shortly before you sit an exam, it will be as out of date as the study -material.

Note! I'm not a qualified pilot, the above is probably worth what you paid for it! :lol:
edit: check the current secondhand value against Amazon and ebay, I lent out book 1 of my ancient set of Trevor Thom's and it never came home....recently replaced for about a fiver (new name, new cover, same contents!)
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By F1_Sunny
#1625087
Stevefarn wrote:Hi all very newbie question and this is my first post - so be gentle.

I have a chance of buying ppl books 1 - 5 but fairly old editions.

Would this be ok or is it better to buy 2017 or 2018 ?

Many thanks


I'm in a similar position, just starting out on the PPL. Been spending the last few weeks getting a head start on the Groundschool. Purchased the J. Pratt books a few years back (2014) when I first wanted to do the PPL, but alas life got in the way and I never really started.

I went onto the AFE website and looked at the year the latest books were published. To my surprise, the only one that has been revised since my initial purchase back in 2014 was the Air Law book. The others are all still the current revisions.

If you can find out what year the books you're looking at picking up were published, you'll be able to tell straight away if they're the most current (assuming you're talking about the J. Pratt books, which given the reference to PPL 1-5 I am going to assume is the case:

PPL 1 - Reprinted 2014
PPL 2 - Reprinted 2016
PPL 3 - Reprinted 2014
PPL 4 - Reprinted 2014
PPL 5 - Reprinted 2012

Hope that helps!

Sunny
By cockney steve
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1625119
Read them in numerical order, or just dip-in at random...istr that #1 skims over just about everything and the others then fill-in in depth. I thought there was a lot of overlap/duplication -not a bad thing, as it helps the info to sink in!
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By F1_Sunny
#1625127
cockney steve wrote:Read them in numerical order, or just dip-in at random...istr that #1 skims over just about everything and the others then fill-in in depth. I thought there was a lot of overlap/duplication -not a bad thing, as it helps the info to sink in!


I started with PPL5 - Human Factors and Flight Safety as it felt like a smaller subtopic from all of the rest. On PPL2 now.
Have my trial lesson tomorrow so will discuss with the instructor the PPL1 book and how it plays into the grand scheme of things (reading up on the next lesson in the book before flying I'm sure is the answer).