Private PIlot License, Books and Materials

Today I am going to go over the Aeronautical Knowledge part of your Private Pilot Training. Remember there are two parts of your training in order to get your pilot certificate.

1: Aeronautical Knowledge: The Knowledge required for your FAA Written Test

2: Aeronautical Experience: This is all of your flying
There is a written test for the Aeronautical Knowledge Portion of your Training.

There are many different subject areas that you will need to cover in order to pass this test. There are also many different ways to get the study materials for this. The Regulation for the Subject areas required is listed below:

(a) General. A person who is applying for a private pilot certificate must receive and log ground training from an authorized instructor or complete a home-study course on the aeronautical knowledge areas of paragraph (b) of this section that apply to the aircraft category and class rating sought.

(b) Aeronautical knowledge areas.

(1) Applicable Federal Aviation Regulations of this chapter that relate to private pilot privileges, limitations, and flight operations;

(2) Accident reporting requirements of the National Transportation Safety Board;

(3) Use of the applicable portions of the “Aeronautical Information Manual” and FAA advisory circulars;

(4) Use of aeronautical charts for VFR navigation using pilotage, dead reckoning, and navigation systems;

(5) Radio communication procedures;

(6) Recognition of critical weather situations from the ground and in flight, windshear avoidance, and the procurement and use of aeronautical weather reports and forecasts;

(7) Safe and efficient operation of aircraft, including collision avoidance, and recognition and avoidance of wake turbulence;

(8) Effects of density altitude on takeoff and climb performance;

(9) Weight and balance computations;

(10) Principles of aerodynamics, powerplants, and aircraft systems;

(11) Stall awareness, spin entry, spins, and spin recovery techniques for the airplane and glider category ratings;

(12) Aeronautical decision making and judgment; and

(13) Preflight action that includes—

(i) How to obtain information on runway lengths at airports of intended use, data on takeoff and landing distances, weather reports and forecasts, and fuel requirements; and
(ii) How to plan for alternatives if the planned flight cannot be completed or delays are encountered.

In most cases the flight schools you are looking at will have what is called a "Private Pilot Kit " This will include most of the things you need depending on which kits are offered by the flight school. I have listed the best kits in the free report.

In most cases the private pilot kits will cost between $150 - $200. For some people this is the easiest way to go. I have explained this in the Section Of my Website.

The link is below:

Private Pilot License Books and Materials Cost

There are other options also. You can buy all of the materials individually . I will list them again here for you. The things you will need to get started are listed below:

Fuel Tester

Fuel Tank Gauge

Aircraft Pilot Operating Handbook (POH) This is for the make and model of the plane you use for training.

Pilot Logbook

Maps: Sectional Chart and Terminal Chart if applicable

Flight Planning Sheets

Course Plotter

E6B Flight Computer

Private Pilot Practical Test Standards

Text book: You will also need a text book with all the aeronautical knowledge areas in it. There are many books out there that cover this. The top companies that produce these books are ASA, GLEIM and JEPPESON. They are all pretty much called "Private Pilot Manuals". In most cases they come as part of a Private Pilot Kit.

These Textbooks cover all the material covered by the FAA books. Most of the aeronautical knowledge is taken from four books.

The Pilots Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge

The Airplane Flying Handbook

Aviation Weather

Aviation Weather Services

Some People like the Full Textbooks that have all the information in one spot.

The Written Test: The FAA written test is the last thing you will need to do. Some people may decide to take this test before they even start flying. Others will wait until the week of their flight test. It is a good review for the oral portion of your flight test if you wait until closer to your flight test. I would advise that you purchase a written test preparation guide. They will usually run about $15. I have links to those in your free report.

There are also many weekend seminars out there that will prepare you for the written test in one weekend or a few nights during the week.

It is really up to you how you want to handle this. You just can't take your flight test without it being done. I recommend to my students that they have it done by the time you are in the cross country phase of your training. Your instructor will cover all of these areas through out your training also.


Tomorrows Installment is Aviation Terminology and Flight School Cost Estimates

Hope To See You In the Sky

Airfreddy

Airfreddy's Private Pilot Manual

Airfreddy's Private Pilot License Course

Airfreddy's Flying Stories

Airfreddy's Flight Training Site