Menu Sign In Contact FAQ
Banner
Welcome to our forums

Need advice on good English language books for EASA PPL(A)

Hello forum,

I need some advice on training material for the PPL(A) academics. Not for me, obviously.

My aeroclub is a German ATO offering training for PPL(A) and some additional ratings.

We now have a new student who speaks some German, but he’d rather do the training and exams in English. We have enough English-proficient instructors for both the academics and the practical flying. The only thing we need is a good PPL book for him.

Usually everyone is given a German book when they start training, but we want to supply him with an additional English one so he can learn the material and improve his German language skills.

I did look at Amazon, but most material is FAA/US-centric. The only dedicatedly EASA one I found is EASA Private Pilot Studies by Phil Croucher.

Can anyone comment on it’s quality, or come up with additional suggestions?

I know the student could do a distance learning course in English, but that would cause additional costs for him which we want to avoid.

Last Edited by CharlieRomeo at 15 Oct 09:06
EDXN, ETMN, Germany

The PPL simplifier (by Jeremy M. Pratt) was really good when I did my PPL. This was more of a Q&A book, but with great summaries.

I imagine his more general books are decent too!

I’ve never actually looked at one, but I believe the UK uses Pooleys for the theory books – other people will know more.

Mid way through my French PPL I read one of Rod Machado’s books (probably Private Pilot Handbook) which was FAA-centred and a bit too light hearted, but I enjoyed it and learnt a few things from it.

EGHO-LFQF-KCLW, United Kingdom

The EASA PPL books published by Jeppesen in cooperation with Peeters Software are very good

EHLE / Lelystad, Netherlands, Netherlands

Historically most UK PPLs learnt from “Trevor Thom” books. These later became “Pooleys” books.

Jeremy Pratt is another name I recall.

The American books tend to be good for flying (the FAA PPL is good for flying) but not for passing European flying exams.

Whether reading these very dry books is an effective way to learn the exam material is debatable, and for learning what a pilot needs to know they are even less suitable. My son recently used PPL Cruiser.

Much depends on the candidate, his/her education and approach to learning what is rather dry material.

With someone technical I would recommend buying old versions of the books (some air law details wrong) on Ebay and just quickly reading through them without trying to memorise facts. Then bang the computer QB (question bank) until you consistently get 85% (this took me ~35 goes, per subject, for the JAA IR, whose mostly daft theory I never read) and then sit the exams.

With someone non technical, it’s going to take more reading and study and working through example exercises, and some ground school will probably help.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

I’d say that the FAA books (Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge and Airplane Flying Handbook) are what he wants to read.
As far as passing the theoretical exam goes, I’m sure “there is an app for that”.

tmo
EPKP - Kraków, Poland

Thank you all for your suggestions!
Now I have some material to check and see which book will accompany our classroom training best.

The intention was not to leave him on his own with the book, but give him something in which to look up the info presented in the classroom and compare his notes with.

EDXN, ETMN, Germany
7 Posts
Sign in to add your message

Back to Top