Best books and apps for PPL beginners?

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carlapilot
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Best books and apps for PPL beginners?

Post by carlapilot »

Hi! I think there are many experienced pilots or FI-s are here to give me some advise please.
I ve read my PPL book completely and some others as well which I have on my ipad. But I ve found way too much apps to help beginners... do you recommend me some? (Some i ve downloaded is total bulls**t... )

Im interested in EVERYTHING for ppl students... printed and online magazines, mobile apps with PPL theory tests, pictures, explanations, maybe something interactive. (I prefer apps with free trial or something really good and useful.) or learning homepages which are not forums.
Thx
Carla
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WDD
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Re: Best books and apps for PPL beginners?

Post by WDD »

Have you passed your written yet?
carlapilot
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Re: Best books and apps for PPL beginners?

Post by carlapilot »

no, not yet. I passed the flight school exams, and started flying, to understand many aspects from the theory, but no exam yet!


WDD wrote:Have you passed your written yet?
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WDD
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Re: Best books and apps for PPL beginners?

Post by WDD »

I would buckle down with Gleim or Sporty's knowledge test books, study hard until you can pass the knowledge test.

Then you'll have a solid understanding of what you'll need and thus what apps and other material would be helpful.

For example, after passing the written test and starting flying lessons, I found ForeFlight to be helpful for checking weather, TFRs, etc. Using that has helped solidify the book learning.
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FastEddieB
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Re: Best books and apps for PPL beginners?

Post by FastEddieB »

The “go to” books are The Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge and Airplane Flying Handbook, both downloadable from the FAA site.

Higher in entertainment value and readability is The Student Pilot’s Flight Manual by Bill Kershner.

For insight into the art of flying, I still recommend Stick and Rudder. It was the first aviation book I read, years before starting lessons. As a bit of history, I was led to it in the early 1970’s by a mention in Stewart Brand’s “Whole Earth Catalog”:

Image
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ShawnM
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Re: Best books and apps for PPL beginners?

Post by ShawnM »

Speaking of apps and weather that WDD mentioned my go to apps for weather are:

Aeroweather Lite by Lakehorn AG
This is a free app for a very quick look at METAR's at your favorite airport(s) and offers a "nearby" button if you dont know what airports around you have METARS. Offers raw and decoded views of the METAR, this helped me learn to read the raw version very quickly. You can add all your favorite, local airports and have them in a quick view list. Awesome app and it's free. They offer a pro version as well but it's not free.

MyRadar by Acme Atronomatic
This is also a free app and by far the best, high definition composite radar weather app available. As soon as you open it the radar image is moving showing the last 1 hour track. There's no play and pause button to hit to view it. It plays as soon as you open it. You can also save locations and quickly swipe through them. There are more advanced aviation layers but that also come with the paid version. Again this app is free and awesome for viewing and tracking winds and rain showers and storms at a glance.

If you use something different please share.
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Re: Best books and apps for PPL beginners?

Post by Wm.Ince »

FastEddieB wrote:Image
Eddie,

Which edition of Stick and Rudder is that?
Bill Ince
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ShawnM
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Re: Best books and apps for PPL beginners?

Post by ShawnM »

That appears to be only a small ad for the book Bill and not the actual book itself.

I'm also curious of the latest revision or edition, if any, of the book. I have a PDF version of it on my iPad and it's copyright is 1944 and was renewed in 1972. There is no revision or edition number in the first few pages of the book. It's 398 pages and includes the front and back cover of the book.

Anyone know of or have a newer edition or revision?

This is the copyright page from my PDF version.
dates.jpg
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Warmi
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Re: Best books and apps for PPL beginners?

Post by Warmi »

I think that’s the latest. I got the paper edition , updated in 1972 as well, got it last year after not being able to find an electronic version - my first actual paper book in many years :D
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Re: Best books and apps for PPL beginners?

Post by drseti »

Wm.Ince wrote:
Which edition of Stick and Rudder is that?
Much more important: which edition of Whole Earth Catalog is that?
The opinions posted are those of one CFI, and do not necessarily represent the FAA or its lawyers.
Prof H Paul Shuch
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Re: Best books and apps for PPL beginners?

Post by FastEddieB »

drseti wrote:
Wm.Ince wrote:
Which edition of Stick and Rudder is that?
Much more important: which edition of Whole Earth Catalog is that?
Lord only knows.

I just dug out my copy, which is literally falling apart:

Image

The cover is long gone, as are the first 6 pages apparently.

My best guess is 1970 to 1972. It helped mold the person that I am today.
Fast Eddie B.
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drseti
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Re: Best books and apps for PPL beginners?

Post by drseti »

FastEddieB wrote: It helped mold the person that I am today.
I think the book that made me the man I am today is the Anarchist's Cookbook.
The opinions posted are those of one CFI, and do not necessarily represent the FAA or its lawyers.
Prof H Paul Shuch
PhD CFII DPE LSRM-A/GL/WS/PPC iRMT
AvSport LLC, KLHV
[email protected]
AvSport.org
facebook.com/SportFlying
SportPilotExaminer.US
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ShawnM
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Re: Best books and apps for PPL beginners?

Post by ShawnM »

Warmi wrote:I think that’s the latest. I got the paper edition , updated in 1972 as well, got it last year after not being able to find an electronic version - my first actual paper book in many years :D
Warmi, if you want a PDF version I could upload it to my Dropbox account for you to download. It’s 398 pages that I found online, it’s about 40MB.

I try not to buy paper books either, if I have to I try to buy used. :mrgreen:
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Warmi
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Re: Best books and apps for PPL beginners?

Post by Warmi »

Well, I already have the paper edition so I am good but thanks for the offer ...

It was actually surprisingly nice feeling to have a true paper book in my hands again but ultimately, can't beat the convenience of having 100+ books on my iPad :-)
Flying Sting S4 ( N184WA ) out of Illinois
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Re: Best books and apps for PPL beginners?

Post by Wm.Ince »

FastEddieB wrote:. . . . . My best guess is 1970 to 1972 . . . . .
Thanks Eddie.
Bill Ince
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Retired Heavy Equipment Operator
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