What private pilot training kit?

Alan

Alan

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Alan
My kid sister has a 15 yo son who is convinced he wants to be a career pilot. I've taken him on a few trips and he is "ate up" with flying. She has asked me what to get him for Christmas. The outfit that produced my private pilot training aids has been out of business for 15+ years. What do you all recommend? I bought him one of the Gleim books and see that they have a "private pilot kit". I am thinking of recommending this to her? What do thode of you who have been through this lately think is best?
 
Have you looked at the Jeppesen PP kit? I haven't seen the new kits however a friend of mine has one and said it was easy to follow and had no problem with ground school.
 
I personally like the Jepp materials -- pricey, but really good with outstanding illustrations.

I use the Gleim when I did my PP-ASEL some years back, but didn't find it especially helpful. I used the (I know they're corny) King CD's to study for the written.
 
For the best knowledge and study material for the money, the Sporty's DVD's are great. I have the Sporty's PPL DVD's and they are really worth it. The King/Cessna Demo I tried was alright, but didn't grasp it as well as the Sporty's ones since they base their DVD's off in-the-cockpit video.
 
I went to the local barnes and noble and bought "The Complete Private Pilot" by ASA. It was the cheapest one I could find there...seemed to work. I think it was about $25.

So I did all my ground for $25 :)

...Though it did help that my instructor was also nice enough to sneak books out of the store and let me use them, and then put them back to save me money :)
 
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Like Jesse, I too used the ASA course, but I opt for the DVD set. I paid $99.00 for it off an ebay store.
 
I sent her links to all of them. I'll let her decide since he can get what he needs from any of them. Thanks for the help.
 
Well Alan i did my PPL with the Cessna course(also done by King).it's kind of boring but it works,all the FBOs around here use this program.I also Used ASA's course for my IFR written. Between that and the Gleim Test Prep CD it worked. i also used Gliem Test Prep for my PPL. Hope this helps.
Dave G
 
Alan before she gets it find out what the school his is likely to get his pp will use. That way no money wasted.
 
For a 15-y/o, who is probably very computer-oriented, I recommend the interactive Jeppesen FliteSchool computer based multimedia training package. The DVD programs are all well and good, but they are pretty much one-way communication, and I can see a teenager getting real bored real fast. Same negatives apply to the Jeppesen and other courses based only on books or videos.
 
Ron Levy said:
For a 15-y/o, who is probably very computer-oriented, I recommend the interactive Jeppesen FliteSchool computer based multimedia training package. The DVD programs are all well and good, but they are pretty much one-way communication, and I can see a teenager getting real bored real fast. Same negatives apply to the Jeppesen and other courses based only on books or videos.
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I think it depends on the 15 year old. If he is very bright and enthusiastic about it, he'll definitely watch anything to do with flying. I bought the Sporty's DVD's back when I was 12 and I learned how to deal with the boring weather guy. :goofy:
 
I got hood winked into the $200+ Cessna Pilot course, Cleared for take off. The FBO I attended was a CPC and required this for all their students. It was IMHO awful. I like the Rod MAchado book and Gliem for test prep.

If I had it to do all over again. I would go with the Machado book, ASA PTS, and a Gleim CD-ROM test prep.
 
Alan said:
My kid sister has a 15 yo son who is convinced he wants to be a career pilot. I've taken him on a few trips and he is "ate up" with flying. She has asked me what to get him for Christmas. The outfit that produced my private pilot training aids has been out of business for 15+ years. What do you all recommend? I bought him one of the Gleim books and see that they have a "private pilot kit". I am thinking of recommending this to her? What do thode of you who have been through this lately think is best?
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I think the Gliem books are the best FAA Written Test Prep books around, however for thurough subject presentation, I think the Jepps packs are the best of the mainstream intruction packs. I think everyone has a pretty easy time with this kid this year though, everyone go in together and buy him a block of time at a flight school. Can you still find an old beater 150 on a line for $42hr? You could buy him the plans for a cool little wood and fabric style 2 seater, give him something to work on besides trouble....
 
I did all of my ground school for the private with Rod Machado's Private Pilot Handbook. The humor makes some of the dry stuff bearable. I would think that for a 15 year old, it may be easier to understand.

Rod Machado is awesome. I'd like to meet him sometime to shake his hand for giving me the knowledge I need.
 
SkyHog said:
I did all of my ground school for the private with Rod Machado's Private Pilot Handbook. The humor makes some of the dry stuff bearable. I would think that for a 15 year old, it may be easier to understand.

Rod Machado is awesome. I'd like to meet him sometime to shake his hand for giving me the knowledge I need.
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Dry stuff? What dry stuff, Nick? I met Rod at a Travis AFB fly-in in '00. As classy as he is funny. Not as tall as his pictures, though.:)
 
Alan said:
My kid sister has a 15 yo son who is convinced he wants to be a career pilot.
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Buy him a case of Ramen noodles from Sam's Club.

Tell him this is the first step in becoming a career pilot.

Dick Depew said:
The most dangerous thing about flying is the risk of starving to death
--Dick Depew
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AdamZ said:
Alan before she gets it find out what the school his is likely to get his pp will use. That way no money wasted.
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I'm pretty sure he'll just find a local instructor to get his Private Certificate. After HS he'll go to one of the 141 schools I suppose. Since he's just a sophomore he has plenty of time.

jangell said:
Buy him a case of Ramen noodles from Sam's Club.

Tell him this is the first step in becoming a career pilot.
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You pretty much have an answer for everything doncha.

I have a 24 yo son in grad school who is starving. I starved when I started my business. It goes with the want. Without the want, take the easy way and get a check today and never be hungry but never be satisfied. Neither way is right for everyone.

I think I'll recommend the Jepp. If he wants to learn he'll have the material available to him.
 
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Alan said:
You pretty much have an answer for everything doncha.
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Yup. Some of them are jokes; that one is the truth. I can get a case of Ramen noodles after shipping for $14.93. That is 24 meals. @ 62 cents per meal. Can't argue that one.

I also will order a case of pop tarts. You can get 12 boxes of 8 pasteries (96 pasteries) for $35.09 after shipping. This is where I splurge a bit, That's slightly expensive at 37 cents per pastry. But oh well.

I can live for well under $2 per day.

Alan said:
I have a 24 yo son in grad school who is starving. I starved when I started my business. It goes with the want. Without the want, take the easy way and get a check today and never be hungry but never be satisfied.
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I have to go the take the check today and starve option.

I'm not complaining. I love where I'm at in life, where I am going, and where I have been.

You have to joke about it though sometimes :D
 
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Alan said:
The outfit that produced my private pilot training aids has been out of business for 15+ years. What do you all recommend?
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Give him your private pilot kit, your old E6B, your old plotter (unless it is warped like mine then buy him a new one) and your used POHs for typical training aircraft he might use. Wrap them in a used sectional.

Len
 
Len Lanetti said:
Give him your private pilot kit, your old E6B, your old plotter (unless it is warped like mine then buy him a new one) and your used POHs for typical training aircraft he might use. Wrap them in a used sectional.

Len
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A great idea Len, but I have no idea where all that stuff is. I'll see if I can dig it up (I even have some Dave Clark headsets that I'll likely never use again) and do just as you suggest.
 
Alan said:
A great idea Len, but I have no idea where all that stuff is. I'll see if I can dig it up (I even have some Dave Clark headsets that I'll likely never use again) and do just as you suggest.
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You'll be the uncle he never forgets. Looks like you might have a job as a mentor too.

Len
 
i used the cessna interactive kit. it was the most horribly written software in the world.

i ended up going through each cd ( all 20+ or so ) and extracting the videos so i could just watch the kings videos.

i would rather watch videos than having an interactive experience. this way you don't have to be sitting in front of a computer for hours upon end while learning.
 
I used the Cessna kit for the Instrument knowledge. I agree with Mike that the software is horrible, but the content itself isn't too bad. For the instrument, Rod Machado even makes a cameo for one of the lessons!

If you don't have a floppy configured as A: you run afoul of their moronic DRM scheme. I wound up having to map a USB drive to A: and transfer the files to an actual floppy to take into the FBO. A REAL hassle. And heaven help you if you want two people in the household to go through the same courseware!
 
gprellwitz said:
I used the Cessna kit for the Instrument knowledge. I agree with Mike that the software is horrible, but the content itself isn't too bad. For the instrument, Rod Machado even makes a cameo for one of the lessons!

If you don't have a floppy configured as A: you run afoul of their moronic DRM scheme. I wound up having to map a USB drive to A: and transfer the files to an actual floppy to take into the FBO. A REAL hassle. And heaven help you if you want two people in the household to go through the same courseware!
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I hated that CPC stuff as well. I was forced to buy it for both PP and Inst. I fused for Commercial and went to a school that did not use it.

In the CPC stuff did you also catch Rick Rockwell in the videos? Don't remember him? He was the millionaire in Who wants to marry a millionaire.

BTW for those who have used the CPC course check out this picture in the photo gallery, http://www.pilotsofamerica.com/gallery/files/478-N359ES_original.jpg. That is me right by the famous 359ES. It was taken in Las Vegas. At the time the owners of 359ES had it based at a lfight school there.
 
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OK, I'm late (and prbably lame).

I would suggest the first thing you get him is the Airplane Flying Handbook because:
  • It's about how to fly the plane, not just the stuff you need to know to pass the tests (and fly legaly and safely with others).
  • It's well written and easy to read.
  • You have to read it 10 times to get it anyway.
  • It's short and inexpensive.
Joe
 
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