IFR Groundcourse: Which books

[Thomas Wimmer]

Hello

I'm staying for some months in Mojave, and would like to use the
opportunity to get my instrument rating while in the US.

In order to prepare myself (for the written test as well as for the
whole ifr stuff generally), I would like to do some home-study before
travelling to the US.

What kind of training material would you recommend?

Currently I do have set my eyes on the Instrument/Commercial manual from
Jeppesen, as I have used the Privat manual some years ago to learn for
my privat certificate and I liked it.

Any other recommandation?

Video: I didn't needed them on my vfr/privat training, so I figure I
don't need them for my ifr. what are the thoughts on those?


Thanks


Thomas

[rasenflieger]

Hallo Thomas

Instrument Flying (Band 3) von ASA + Instrument Oral Exam Guide ebenfalls
von ASA sind meiner Meinung besser als
Jeppessen. Ausserdem solltest Du eine CD-ROM mit allen Fragen besorgen (bei
Fa. Eisenschmidt in Egelsbach).
Dort kannst Du auch die theoretische Prüfung ablegen (CATS Testcenter).

G. Spohr



"Thomas Wimmer" > schrieb im Newsbeitrag
...
> Hello
>
> I'm staying for some months in Mojave, and would like to use the
> opportunity to get my instrument rating while in the US.
>
> In order to prepare myself (for the written test as well as for the
> whole ifr stuff generally), I would like to do some home-study before
> travelling to the US.
>
> What kind of training material would you recommend?
>
> Currently I do have set my eyes on the Instrument/Commercial manual from
> Jeppesen, as I have used the Privat manual some years ago to learn for
> my privat certificate and I liked it.
>
> Any other recommandation?
>
> Video: I didn't needed them on my vfr/privat training, so I figure I
> don't need them for my ifr. what are the thoughts on those?
>
>
> Thanks
>
>
> Thomas

[Brad Johnson]

Thomas Wimmer > wrote in message >...
> Hello
>
> I'm staying for some months in Mojave, and would like to use the
> opportunity to get my instrument rating while in the US.
>
> In order to prepare myself (for the written test as well as for the
> whole ifr stuff generally), I would like to do some home-study before
> travelling to the US.
>
> What kind of training material would you recommend?
>
> Currently I do have set my eyes on the Instrument/Commercial manual from
> Jeppesen, as I have used the Privat manual some years ago to learn for
> my privat certificate and I liked it.
>
> Any other recommandation?
>
> Video: I didn't needed them on my vfr/privat training, so I figure I
> don't need them for my ifr. what are the thoughts on those?
>
>
> Thanks
>
>
> Thomas


Thomas:

This is just my opinion, but here is what I would focus on:

1. Jepp Instrument/Commercial Manual
2. Instrument Flying Handbook - FAA
3. Instrument Flying - Author: Richard Taylor
4. Weather Flying - Author: Robert Buck
5. Gleim Instrument Study Guide - www.gleim.com
6. Instrument PTS - ASA
7. Instrument Oral Exam Guide - ASA

This list is extensive and has some repetion, but they are all good
resources for refernce later as well.

Brad Johnson

[Brad Johnson]

Thomas Wimmer > wrote in message >...
> Hello
>
> I'm staying for some months in Mojave, and would like to use the
> opportunity to get my instrument rating while in the US.
>
> In order to prepare myself (for the written test as well as for the
> whole ifr stuff generally), I would like to do some home-study before
> travelling to the US.
>
> What kind of training material would you recommend?
>
> Currently I do have set my eyes on the Instrument/Commercial manual from
> Jeppesen, as I have used the Privat manual some years ago to learn for
> my privat certificate and I liked it.
>
> Any other recommandation?
>
> Video: I didn't needed them on my vfr/privat training, so I figure I
> don't need them for my ifr. what are the thoughts on those?
>
>
> Thanks
>
>
> Thomas


Thomas:

This is just my opinion, but here is what I would focus on:

1. Jepp Instrument/Commercial Manual
2. Instrument Flying Handbook - FAA
3. Instrument Flying - Author: Richard Taylor
4. Weather Flying - Author: Robert Buck
5. Gleim Instrument Study Guide - www.gleim.com
6. Instrument PTS - ASA
7. Instrument Oral Exam Guide - ASA

This list is extensive and has some repetion, but they are all good
resources for refernce later as well.

Brad Johnson

[PaulH]

I found the King video course much better than the book materials I
tried. The advantage of the video (particularly the CDrom) is that
you can take test exams with random questions taken from actual exam
material.

The video course is just focused on the exam. The Kirchner book is
helpful in providing a broader view of Instrument Flight.

[Cecil Chapman]

My list:

King IFR DVD course

King Jeppesen Enroute & Approach chart review (great for learning about the
little 'nuances' in the chart zymology - especially helpful for those
examiner questions that may delve into the minutiae of the chart

Rod Machado Instrument Handbook

U.S. Govt's NEW Instrument book (BEAUTIFULLY DONE!)

PTS

Instrument Oral Exam Guide

VOR/ADF/Navigation Simulator (great for getting the nav aid concepts into
your head - you can move the aircraft around on a 2-d map in different
positions and headings and organize nav aids in the position you would like
((great for helping one to see what a given indication on the needles as it
relates to one's physical position to the navaid)))

OnTop Flight Simulator (great for practicing one's scan) of course FS 2004
can help you in this regard too (though I haven't used it very much)

I've tried many, more but the one's on the list are the ones that have
worked for me.


--
--
=-----
Good Flights!

Cecil
PP-ASEL
Student-IASEL

Check out my personal flying adventures from my first flight to the
checkride AND the continuing adventures beyond!
Complete with pictures and text at: www.bayareapilot.com

"I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things."
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery -

"We who fly, do so for the love of flying. We are alive in the air with
this miracle that lies in our hands and beneath our feet"
- Cecil Day Lewis -
"

[Mark]

Thomas Wimmer > wrote in message >...
> What kind of training material would you recommend?

Personally, I love the Gleim books. They provide alot of reference
materials before each section, then you can go right over the
questions.

http://www.gleim.com/aviation/instrument/books/

[Michael]

Thomas Wimmer > wrote
> In order to prepare myself (for the written test as well as for the
> whole ifr stuff generally), I would like to do some home-study before
> travelling to the US.
>
> What kind of training material would you recommend?

I would recommend you not try to prepare for both with the same
materials. The written test contains some useful stuff, but mostly
it's just a hurdle you have to overcome. Therefore, I suggest that
you use only one book to prepare for it - the test prep book by Gleim,
ASA, or whatever other outfit publishes all the questions and answers
in an organized form.

For actually using the rating, I recommend Rod Machado's Instrument
Pilot Survival Manual as an introduction, and Buck's Weather Flying as
a more advanced text.

You can also do yourself a lot of good by practicing the procedures on
Microsoft Flight Sim or equivalent product - there are lots of them,
and they are all adequate to the task.

Realize that the Mojave is EXTREMELY unlikely to offer any IFR weather
flyable in a light single. While you're there, consider hopping over
the Tehachapis and into the LA Basin, which is likely to offer you
much better weather training opportunities.

Michael

[Geo. Anderson]

On 6/17/04 5:38 AM, Thomas Wimmer wrote the following:

>
> What kind of training material would you recommend?
>

I took my written about 15 months ago and was very pleased and lucky to
have scored 100. Here are comments on what I used:

1) www.faatest.com for drilling on the questions. I have used Adrian's
software for my Private, Instrument, and Commercial written tests and
the lowest score I got was 94 on the Commercial. (I have excuses for
missing so many, but I will keep them to myself!)

2) Peter Dogan's Instrument Flight Training Manual. Easily the best
"first" book -- his narratives of flights give you a real-world feel
that is just a great introduction to the subject.

3) Richard Taylor's Instrument Flying and Bob Buck's Weather Flying. I
will own these books for the rest of my life, along with the
Langeweische book Stick and Rudder.

4) The FAA book. Essential for memorizing the primary/secondary
instrument matrix that you will need for the test and probably will
never think explicitly about again, and pretty good overall.

------------you can stop here and have plenty----------------

5) ASA Written Test Prep. Not necessary but if you want to sit in a
chair and read a test prep book, this is as good as any. More
importantly, you get a copy of the computer test supplement which is
almost mandatory for use with the faatest.com software. (The software
renders the supplement pages on your screen but they are pretty hard to
work with.) General note: I have found that taking the supplement books
apart at the binding and getting the pages spiral wire bound at
OfficeBizMaxMart makes them _much_ easier to work with.

6) Bob Gardner's Advanced Pilot, Trevor Thom's Instrument Flying, and
Ralph Butcher's Instrument Pilot are all on my shelf and I have used all
as reference materials from time to time. None of the three is
particularly compelling to me. All have useful insights but if you're
on a budget you could get by without any of them.

7) Rod Machado's Instrument Survival (first edition; there is now a new
one) I felt was very weak. But then I am in the 1% of pilots
(apparently) who find his humor very tiresome. His Private book was
good enough that I endured the cuteness and all the exclamation points,
but the instrument book was not. IMHO, anyway.

(Anybody wants to buy a book on my #4, #6, & #7 list drop me a line.
50% of amazon.com price plus $3 book rate USPS shipping.)

HTH,
Geo. Anderson

[gatt]

I've got the ASA 2004 Instrument Test Prep manual which has all the FAA
ground exam questions, the correct answers and an explanation of why the
incorrect answers are, in fact, incorrect. I'll let you know in a couple
of weeks if it did me any good. :>

-c

"Thomas Wimmer" > wrote in message
...
> Hello
>
> I'm staying for some months in Mojave, and would like to use the
> opportunity to get my instrument rating while in the US.
>
> In order to prepare myself (for the written test as well as for the
> whole ifr stuff generally), I would like to do some home-study before
> travelling to the US.
>
> What kind of training material would you recommend?
>
> Currently I do have set my eyes on the Instrument/Commercial manual from
> Jeppesen, as I have used the Privat manual some years ago to learn for
> my privat certificate and I liked it.
>
> Any other recommandation?
>
> Video: I didn't needed them on my vfr/privat training, so I figure I
> don't need them for my ifr. what are the thoughts on those?
>
>
> Thanks
>
>
> Thomas

[TJ Girl]

"Geo. Anderson" > wrote in message >...

> 7) Rod Machado's Instrument Survival (first edition; there is now a new
> one) I felt was very weak. But then I am in the 1% of pilots
> (apparently) who find his humor very tiresome. His Private book was
> good enough that I endured the cuteness and all the exclamation points,
> but the instrument book was not. IMHO, anyway.


I'm with you on that. I can't stand Machado's books. I tried to read
his private book when I was studying that, and felt like he was trying
to talk to an elementary school kid. I glanced through his other ones
and saw enough that turned me off enough that I didn't attempt to read
any more of them.
I was pleasantly surprised when I've watched his videos, though. I
thoroughly enjoyed his humor in those. They are not study material,
though, just aviation humor videos.

As for my study material preference, I really like Kershner's books
for an overall understanding.
A good question bank with answers is good for preparing for the
written, and ASA's Oral Exam Guides are great for the checkride oral.

[Thomas Borchert]

Hallo Thomas,

I would recommend a CD-ROM software training course, if that fits your
learning style. The one from Jeppesen is very good, IMHO, providing you
with explanations and a real "course", not the questions only.

With regard to books, in addition to what's been said, I'd recommend

- Bob Gardner's Complete Pilot
- Rod Machado's Instrument Flying book, if you can stand the humor
- Peter Dogan's course book. He is the founder of P.I.C.'s ten-day IR
courses. An excellent basic book

These books are more geared towards IR training in general, not so much
getting through the written.

Oh, re the King videos: They are really hard to stand for people that
don't like the King-type personality. One minute makes me scream and
want to destroy things. But that's just me...

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

[Cecil Chapman]

> Oh, re the King videos: They are really hard to stand for people that
> don't like the King-type personality. One minute makes me scream and
> want to destroy things. But that's just me...


Let's all keep a watch on Thomas <GRIN> ;0)

--
--
=-----
Good Flights!

Cecil
PP-ASEL
Student-IASEL

Check out my personal flying adventures from my first flight to the
checkride AND the continuing adventures beyond!
Complete with pictures and text at: www.bayareapilot.com

"I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things."
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery -

"We who fly, do so for the love of flying. We are alive in the air with
this miracle that lies in our hands and beneath our feet"
- Cecil Day Lewis -

[Geo. Anderson]

>
> I would recommend a CD-ROM software training course, if that fits your
> learning style. The one from Jeppesen is very good,

Yes, I agree. Forgot to mention that in my post above but Jepp's fast
paced little lectures followed by questions are a nice diversion from
slogging though test questions fed to you by a computer and sitting
staring at a book. The Sporty's DvD course is good for the same reason
but it really takes a long time to go through it all.

The nice thing about all the CDROM and DvD courses, Jeppesen, Sporty's,
and King are that you can buy them on eBay, use them for as long as you
want and then resell them for about what you paid. I think I actually
made money reselling my Jepp and Sporty's discs when I was done with them.

Geo. Anderson

[twomorrow]

I would also recommend "Instrument Flying Made Easy" available through
http://www.genehudson.com/ghft/.

Possiblely the best practical reference for procedures for basic attitude
instrument flight.

Luke.


"Thomas Borchert" > wrote in message
...
> Hallo Thomas,
>
> I would recommend a CD-ROM software training course, if that fits your
> learning style. The one from Jeppesen is very good, IMHO, providing you
> with explanations and a real "course", not the questions only.
>
> With regard to books, in addition to what's been said, I'd recommend
>
> - Bob Gardner's Complete Pilot
> - Rod Machado's Instrument Flying book, if you can stand the humor
> - Peter Dogan's course book. He is the founder of P.I.C.'s ten-day IR
> courses. An excellent basic book
>
> These books are more geared towards IR training in general, not so much
> getting through the written.
>
> Oh, re the King videos: They are really hard to stand for people that
> don't like the King-type personality. One minute makes me scream and
> want to destroy things. But that's just me...
>
> --
> Thomas Borchert (EDDH)
>

[Mark]

"Geo. Anderson" > wrote in message >...
> The nice thing about all the CDROM and DvD courses, Jeppesen, Sporty's,
> and King are that you can buy them on eBay, use them for as long as you
> want and then resell them for about what you paid. I think I actually
> made money reselling my Jepp and Sporty's discs when I was done with them.

yeah.. thats what I did.. a $300 king course for $60 :) I'll throw it
back up on ebay when I'm done

[Cecil Chapman]

> little 'nuances' in the chart zymology

Hmmm.... I never knew that I could write in foreign languages <g>,,, perhaps
I meant chart symbology


--
--
=-----
Good Flights!

Cecil
PP-ASEL
Student-IASEL

Check out my personal flying adventures from my first flight to the
checkride AND the continuing adventures beyond!
Complete with pictures and text at: www.bayareapilot.com

"I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things."
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery -

"We who fly, do so for the love of flying. We are alive in the air with
this miracle that lies in our hands and beneath our feet"
- Cecil Day Lewis -