Ground School

[Daveinthebush]

I was told by a knowledgable pilot that the easiest way to complete your ground school was through King Ground School using their materials and then take the test. How do you other pilots feel about this for someone who does not have the local resources of schools being available and is kind of remote.

 

[Louis]

I would say that in your situation a good home study course, like the Kings, would definitely be the way to go. I've used a couple of their video courses for ratings and was satisfied. I've never used the new computer versions.

There are test guides also available that give you all the FAA exam questions with answers. I'd go through one of those for a week or two until you know all the answers and that will pretty much guarantee a high score on your test.

Unless something has changed you'll still need a rated flight or ground instructor to sign you off for the written.

Of course, none of this will give you the in depth knowlege that a ground school, like the one at the University would give you, but there are many good books like William Kershner's "Student Pilot Flight Manual" that can help supplement your learning.

There is a lot of help available online, if you're in a remote area with a computer. Even right here. You're welcome to write to me if you have any questions. I might not know the answer, but I can find out. I'm sure there are others on this list who know more than I do to and would be willing to help also.
Good luck.....Louis

 

[martyv]

Weekend course

Weekend course

I don't know if they still do it but I took a weekend course in Anchorage. It was quite a cram course and you only learn the stuff good enough to pass the test. But it definetely worked. It seems to me that it was a King Air course as well.

Quite a long time ago however, maybe they don't do that anymore.

I knew the stuff so good that I didn't feel like there were any questions on the test that I wasn't confident of the answer.

But then it all disappeared from my head like a vapor....

 

[Daveinthebush]

Check

Check

I ordered the King materials today. If I have money in my checking account then I have to keep a balance. If it is empty, then less work for me.

When I recieve the information and read throughit enough I will post back to let everyone know the quality of the material.

 

[Terry]

Way it works

Way it works

When you take an accredited course like the king private pilot course, upon successful completion you will be able to print a course completion certificate which will replace the letter of completion from an instructor. Then you need to take the computerized test. Pretty easy if you use one of the test course programs or books (I like the computerized programs). Then you need to get a flight instructor and get trained (the expensive part). Upon completion then you have to take a practical test and an oral test. The oral test is where the FFA examiner will know if you know you stuff or not. May all your landings be safe ones.

Good luck, Terry

Terry

 

[Float Pilot]

King Stuff

King Stuff

I have used the videos and DVDs for some of my students and the computer CD version for a few more. The CDs seemed to really help since they have the entire test question battery.

I have seen them so many times that my wife and I can tell when they patched in new material from Martha Kings hair-doo changes.

My oldest daughter grew up around them so she wanted the Sportys DVDs when she started studing for hers. They are good info, but did not help with the test taking as much as the kings....

There are a couple internet sites including the FAA where you can get ALL of the test questions and take practice test.

If you have any questions give me a call or e-mail

Winters here and my flying schedule is slow enough that I enjoy talking flying with folks who need help.

[email protected]

 

[Louis]

One thing that helped me on the practice tests was to highlight all the correct answer choices on the study guide. Then when you take the test the answers kind of leap out at you.

The Kings have come a long way. I took their instrument rating ground school in Fairbanks in the early 80's and back then it was just John and Martha traveling around teaching classes.

For Private ground school I was lucky to have Aviation Science in my High School (Dimond in Anchorage) If you took the Private written at the end of the class and got any sort of a passing score it was an automatic A for the class. A nice deal for a guy like me who was an aviation nut, but not quite a straight A student....Louis

 

[Daveinthebush]

Thanks

Thanks

Thanks for the replys and the offers guys. IT looks like time to start reading and watching the material as it should be here any day. Weather man is predicting temps in the 20-30's latter in the week so it is time to put the boat away. Five weeks with my hunting pack packed and no decent weather to get out in.

Time to study and learn to fly.

 

[DanC]

Dave, good luck

Dave, good luck

with your studies. When you look for a flight instructor I suggest you find a more seasoned old fart rather than a hot shot kid that is a newly minted CFI and just needs to accumulate flying hours at your expense. First, the kid won't be as patient with a mature student. We senior citizens don't absorb new material quite as fast and we don't react quite as fast either. Slow reaction time is sometimes a good thing in aviation. If you keep ahead of the airplane you will seldom have to do anything without having plenty of time to take a few deep breaths and sort through the options. Second, the kids just don't have enough air under their butts to give you practical flying advice beyond the practical test standards, which they have only recently mastered themselves.

To really make use of your flying ticket you will HAVE to buy an airplane. Sure, you can enjoy burning avgas with a rental but that is just pleasure flying and not utility flying. I suspect that you want to do something with an airplane. You already have a boat and I am sure you know what a money sink that can be. You ain't seen nothing yet. Wait until you get seriously into aviation.

I hope I haven't offended any young CFIs but I get amused when I take my flight reviews from kids who lave less cross country time than I have.

 

[Daveinthebush]

What

What

"We senior citizens ...." Hey! At 54 I consider learning to fly to be a mid-life crisis sort of thing. I have a lot of tags to fill before I plan on dying in the woods dragging out a big bear. :-D

 

[Float Pilot]

DanC is right on with those thoughts.

While I have been flying on and off for three decades, I did not decide to become a legal CFI until 5 years ago after I retired from my primary occupation.

So off I went to Nevada where they promtly placed me with a CFI who was younger than 3 of my 5 kids. He was still trying to figure out what he wanted to be when he grew up.
It was all very well and fine for the first few days while I showed him how to do short field take-offs, canyon turns and the proper use of survival gear. (Nobody there carried any survival gear in their planes)

But after a while, I figured I was getting hosed while not learning much.

Fortunately I complained enough that the company gave me a MUCH older female CFII. She was a former air-racer and actually knew Howard Hughes. Something I doubted until another gal showed me her 1940s photos on the wall of the North Las Vegas Airport...

Talk about night and day..... I actually learned something and while I was already an instructor in a couple other careers, she taught me to be a better one...
Not to mention making me a much better pilot...