Best study material

[foresterpoole]

Hello everyone I'm hoping that the experience folks have here can help get me over a bump in my learning curve. First a little background: I'm currently working on a light sport license, however, thanks to my company I already have an sUAS airman certificate. I'm using that as a basis of knowledge to build on. I've got sectional maps under control, most aeromedical, and basic weather. However, I'm looking for some reference material that will be easier to read and a bit more comprehensive than the Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge I've got right now. That thing is about to drive me crazy, it's worse than some grad school textbooks!

Let me also add than I've got a friend that is a CFI and he is assisting. He gave me an oral grilling and said I was ahead of the curve by a good bit and just keep studying, but no direction other than that which is a bit vague. Im also a hands on type of learner so is there test prep software or a CD set that anyone can recommend? Thanks!

[pjdavis]

Hi Foresterpoole,

Welcome the forum. I also love the Arion Lightning. I started training early June and originally going for my PPL. I have switched sport as a have been diagnosed with an issue that may or may not be dis-qualifying. So I am going to let the AOPA work on it. I meantime I did not want to slow down my training. My school for the PPL recommended that I buy Sporty's course - I bought the disc set. It is good but I wanted more more. I was easy - I think to easy I went through it in a week and got my endorsement to sit for the exam. When I started sport the school train with now uses Gleim. They felt I did not need to use it as I was already endorsed - would only need them to endorse me for sport. I felt that Gold Seal was to easy and I did not just want to pass the test but know the stuff. I am very surprised as I am already 1/2 way through Gleim in just a few days and I am seeing things in each section that were not in Gold Seal. So I will say Gleim is an excellent alternative.

Speaking of the Arion - I am meeting with a guy today who is building one and is getting burned out and may be looking to sell it. He already has a Lancair that he built and seems to be the desire for a another build is waning.

PJ

[HAPPYDAN]

I bought the King Schools course, found it to be adequate and entertaining. I passed my written with 95%, not perfect but good enough. Sporty's and Gleim have good courses, too, and all 3 provide an online endorsement certificate on successful completion. But - be aware that the new ACS are now in effect, and many questions on the test have or are going to change, so you might want to look for study material that addresses those issues.

[foresterpoole]

Thanks for the responses guys. Sounds like Gleim would be a good start, maybe the Sporty's DVDs since I'm a more of a visual learner. HappyDan, I have been studying the 2016 version of the handbook. I can find where the FAA has changed the ACS standards for Private, sUAS (brand new), and instrument, but not sport?? https://www.faa.gov/training_testing/testing/acs/ The sUAS test was brand new when I was getting ready for it. No test Bank was available just a practice and no answer key! I managed to squeak by with an 82, I was making mid 90's on the practice. If that's any indication, the questions can be ambigiously worded at times. Also, on one question they misspelled the name of a city on the sectional, which led me to search for 10 minutes for something that was not there. That test was 62 questions 60 counted and 2 were for " evaluation for future use."

pjdavis, I've read a bit about building an Arion but I would probably defer to buying an S-LSA version. I'd love to build one from the ground up, but I don't think the time involved would be available to me. Let me know how it turns out for you, I've read that the plane is a rocket for a LSA, I might make it down to fun n sun this year, my wife's family lives in Tampa, Orlando and Rocklege, so an easy drive so I can see the models available up close. One other I've heard about is the Magus fusion, that thing looks sweat as well. Not that I'm interested, but they teamed up with Siemens and made an electric version.