From: geoff@peck.com (Geoff Peck)
Newsgroups: rec.aviation.student
Subject: Re: video/audio/computer based instruction
Date: 4 Oct 92 08:33:06 GMT
Organization: Geoffrey G. Peck, Consultant, San Jose CA

In article <1992Oct2.184024.2188@drycas.club.cc.cmu.edu>
GRIGG@dirac.physics.jmu.edu (Steve Grigg) asks about non-classroom ground
school packages.

There are two primary approaches to self-study, of which one may do either
one or both:

    (1) buy a book, probably some other materials, and do the work on your
	own, possibly with a little assistance from a flight instructor
	or other knowledgeable pilot
    
    (2) utilize a videotape training program
    
In the textbook department, there are a number of possible choices.  At
this time, I typically recommend the Jeppesen-Sanderson textbook plus the
coordinated study guide (workbook).  I also suggest that the student
purchase the Private Pilot Written Test Guide by Gleim.  The Jepp package
is well-structured, and contains a reasonable amount of material for a
person to learn on their own.  Nothing is missing, although sometimes there
is less detail than competitive texts may provide.  I consider this an
advantage, since it's particularly difficult when studying on your own to
figure out what portion of a vast amount of material is actually important.

If you're a reasonably technical sort who can handle a lower-level college
course on your own (probably a bit easier than, but quite different from,
first-year Calculus or Physics), then self-study via books is a practical
choice.  If you need additional motivation, or would benefit from easier to
see explanations than would be found in print, then a videotape school or a
live ground school is recommended.

In the videotape department, there are also several choices, listed in
order of overall quality as perceived by me:

[first group; approximately equal in quality -- these provide a full
 private pilot ground school course, and spend most of the time discussing
 actual material]

A.  Jeppesen has a set of videos which are coordinated with the text.
    They're reasonably well-produced full instructional tapes which parallel
    the text.  There's good use of in-flight video and computer-generated
    graphical information.  These tapes are available only through authorized
    flight schools; the flight schools pay well over a thousand dollars plus
    a yearly update fee for a license to use them as a part of their
    instructional system.  Some schools bundle the cost of the videos in with
    their book kits; others price them separately.

B.  Sporty's Pilot Shop has a recently-produced set of six 2-3 hour
    videotapes which rival Jeppesen's tapes.  Their visuals are quite
    possibly superior.  These tapes are not coordinated with any particular
    text, so if you choose to "back them up" with a text, you'll have to do
    that on your own.  Cost:  $243, call 1-800-LIFTOFF to order.

[second group: lower in quality than the first group -- provide a mix of
 basic material and time spent discussing FAA written test questions]

C.  King Private Pilot Written Exam Video Course features the energetic
    and entertaining John and Martha King.  Unfortunately, the tapes
    suffer from lower production standards ("monster graphics" are
    typically chroma-keyed close-ups of ordinary text) and an adherence to
    the "teach the written exam" school of thought.  Cost: about $169,
    offered in various more expensive packages with additional tapes.

[third group: considerably lower in quality than the first group --
 concentrates almost exclusively on FAA written test questions]

D.  ATC Private Pilot Written Exam Video Course features a newsroom
    "interview" style, plowing through one FAA written exam question after
    another.  Unfortunately, the error rate on these tapes is higher than
    acceptable, and the format is deadly boring.

> Finally, the school I'll be going to (a local flight school) has a
> set of tapes they lease.  The price is significantly less but do I
> want to consider keeping them for future "refreshment"?

Probably not.  Once you've viewed a set of these tapes, it'll be behind
you.  You may wish to view one or two segments an extra time during your
private pilot training, but you can do that with a leased set of tapes.

If your school is offering the Jepp or Sporty's tapes, I'd go with those.
Otherwise, see above.

						Geoff
Newsgroups: rec.aviation.student