Best self-study ground course?

rbhankins001

rbhankins001

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Rob
Hey everyone!

I'm getting close to check ride time. The plane I rent down south is FINALLY back online. So one more cross country should put me where I need to be.

What is the best self-study ground course prep you know of?

My CFI(s) there's been two (one in Alaska, and one in Mississippi) have both been great. I just want to add another dimension to my studies and knock the written test out first try then have one less thing to worry about.

I can't wait!

Thanks,

-Rob
 
rbhankins001 said:
Hey everyone!
What is the best self-study ground course prep you know of?
Click to expand...

I took my son through his PP this summer and we used the Gleim books and test prep CD combined with the ascentgroundschool.com which seemed to work pretty well for him.

Good luck. The written was a huge mental hurdle for him.
 
Rod Machado's Private Pilot Handbook. Hands down. Nothing compares.
 
I really enjoyed the Sporty's private pilot DVDs when I was doing my initial training. I still use them today as a CFI for reference. Lots of in flight and well explained material.
 
I read and answered all questions in Gleim and that was it for the Written. No need for CDs or any of that online whatchawacha for $99. And for the rest of the schooling, my instructor showed me how to plan a cross-country once, and that was enough. I also read FAA handbooks #3 and #25. For oral portion, I crammed on ASA's Hayes book. That is my recipy for success.

Nothing against Rod and I think his is a terrific book, but not enough detail to prepare for tests.
 
Gleim. Works. Rod's stuff is good but too much chatter and of course, attempts at using humor to get you to remember. If that works for someone, it probably works well. I find it distracting from the intended topic, but when I want a "fun" read to augment the "all business" stuff like Gleim, I'll still reach for Rod. But not in serious study mode.
 
It sounds to me like you are asking for Ground School for the checkride? Or are you asking for test prep software?

I took it that you're asking for Checkride stuff (things like the cross country planning and other things that aren't on the written). I watched a King Schools Checkride Prep video where good old John goes through a mock checkride. Cheesy and terrible, but that being said, I passed. Whether the video helped any, I have no idea. SOmebody gave me the video -- no idea of the cost.

If you're looking for written test prep I highly recommend "Prepware" from ASA. It's computerized and uses the latest question bank and does a good job of approximating the real written exam. In fact, their software runs much more smoothly than the real FAA test, and the FAA should seriously consider contracting out to ASA to come up with a better testing experience.
 
rbhankins001 said:
What is the best self-study ground course prep you know of?
Click to expand...
The most comprehensive one which fits the trainee's learning style. The first step is to determine whether you do best with a book-based system, an interactive computer system, or a DVD-based lecture system. Tell us that, and we can make some good suggestions. Otherwise, it's you like asking folks which headset will fit you best -- which nobody can tell you because everyone's head is different.
 
Not only do you have to decide which type of learning suits you, but you also have to determine what your objective is. If you are looking for a comprehensive groundschool versus written test preparation, your choices will be different.

As cheesy and low-tech as John and Martha King are, their videos do a great job of preparing you for the test. But that's pretty much all they do. On the other hand, I've found comprehensive video courses such as Sporty's long-winded and condescending.

For comprehensive groundschool, I think books are your best bet. For written test prep, the King videos, Gleim book, or computer software are my three choices. And there are practice tests online for free, e.g. exams4pilots.com.
 
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Rod Machado book was great but has too much filling. I was going through weather chapter, got a good idea about weather, but continuously failed sample test. So I got King Schools course to supplement it. Alone, it's not that great. But after the book, it helped me to take knowledge from the book, and apply it practically. Result was 92% on knowledge test, mostly due to me not being careful on some calculations, and one bad SVFR question.
 
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