Question for people with their PPL (United States)

[JordanD]

How many Americans on here have their PPL? Is the exam you have to take hard? Do they expect you to remember almost every little detail from the Aeronautical knowledge book? What kind of questions are on there?
Thanks.

[screaming_emu]

Hey Jordan, I used to have my PPL, but they took it away....and gave me a CPL . Anyway, for me I have found that because of my level of interest in the stuff that I'm studying, it really has not seemed that difficult. Yeah there is a lot of studying involved, but when its something you enjoy, it doesn't really feel that bad. The written exam wasn't hard at all and difficulty of the checkride really depens on two things, how ready you are to take it and how hard/easy your check pilot is. The way it is supposed to work with the oral exams is they dont expect you to know everything, but they do expect you to be familiar with all the information enough that you will be a safe pilot. While you dont want to do this too much on the oral, if you dont know the answer, say something along the lines of "The details are a little fuzzy, but I know where to find the answer". If you only do this one or two times, usually the examiner will allow you to come up with the answer.

[scramjet]

How many Americans on here have their PPL? Is the exam you have to take hard? Do they expect you to remember almost every little detail from the Aeronautical knowledge book? What kind of questions are on there?
Thanks.

In the US, there is about 800,000 pilots past and present including professional, rotary, recreational (not the certificate, the status), etc. So in reality, there aren't that many of us compared to the entire US population (well, I'm not counted yet, but hopefully soon )

[screaming_emu]

(well, I'm not counted yet, but hopefully soon )

have you soloed yet? If so you are still considered a pilot, even if its just a student pilot. To me, after that first solo is when you become a pilot because then you are capable of flying an airplane by yourself. Good luck on the rest of your training.

[NVPilot]

I am an 1100 hour CFII. The best advice i can give you falls along what emu said. Be familiar with everything. Also if you can get your hands on one of the ASA Private Oral Exam Guides that will help you out more than you can imagine. They are cheap and chock full of great information. The answers they provide in the book are more along the minimum acceptable type, but if you can speak to most subjects a little deeper than the info they give you will be just fine. Good luck and if you have any further questions feel free to ask.

[screaming_emu]

Oh yeah, I also reccomend getting a copy of the practical test standards and using that as a guide on what to study. The way I do it is I go through the booklet and any topic that I think I may be a little bit weak on, I look through the index of every single book that I think may have info on that topic and read up on it/highlight a bit. The ASA and Gleim books are gonna help you pass the test, but its just going to be rote memorization which isn't going to help you be a better pilot.

[swaphx99]

Having just passed the Private Pilot Written Exam on Tuesday, I would have to say it is not that difficult. I studied using the ASA Private Pilot Exam Study Guide and the online study buddy and pratice test from Sportys.com. Don't try to learn everything in one night. I broke it up each night and worked on something different everynight and I passed with flying colors (get it FLYING colors). j/k

Anyway, I took the week off and have been flying my X-countries and will take the checkride the first Monday or Tuesday in February.

Good luck and if you need any help, message me!!

[JordanD]

Thanks for your answers everybody. I still have about two years before I take the test so I should be able to cram everything in there between now and then.
SWAPHX99: Congrats on passing the test, and good luck with the checkride!

[DeltaRules]

I'm glad I saw this thread...it's helped me out by reading the replies. I'm still working on my PPL, although, minus the various tests, I'm basically done. I have my solo time & my three XC's in, both of which were a lot of fun. I spent all of last summer in DAY at Delta Connection Academy working on my PPL, only to end up having a bunch of roadblocks due to weather, an ear infection, etc. & forced me to still be working on it today. I'm still in high school, which reduced me from being able to be there every day to going over on weekends when I wasn't busy, which didn't help.

I'm looking to take my written test really soon & I'm surprised how many questions I remember while going through it, despite not opening the Gleim book in a couple of months before last week. I could've taken the written test a long time ago, but my instructor didn't mention until late last year that I could have taken it pretty much anytime, which pissed me off. I want that done before I do my oral & checkride, which I hope to do within the next few weeks. I'm most concerned about the oral, because I don't remember a lot of the stuff not being over in DAY every day like I was last summer. I did awesome on the first Stage Check, which was while I was there daily. The second one was ugly, but I passed it. I've got the Oral Exam guide & am going to hit that pretty hard soon. I think the flight portion shouldn't be too bad.

My problem has always been I keep forgetting that the Check Instructors aren't looking for perfection. I keep thinking that if I'm hazy on one topic, I'm going to end up failing it.

DeltaRules

[JordanD]

I'm going to approach it as if they do expect perfection. Just in case.

[Van Hoolio]

I'm a 330 hour CFI. Like Emu, they took my PPL away and gave me a commercial.

Way back in 2003 when I took the written test I bought the DVD's that walk you through the private pilot written test. They worked!

The practical test for me in September 2004 wasn't all that bad for me. My instructors had me over-prepared on the flight part. The oral part wasn't that bad. You'd have to get an examiner who's a real hard ass to struggle with the PPL checkride.

You'll never know it all! I learn new things everyday. I instruct in Katanas, 172s, an Archer and now I have to fly with someone in the Diamond Star soon and I was just given a quickie checkout! I feel comfortable in the Katana and Cessna, but even I have brain-fried-CFI moments in the other planes.

Mike

[JordanD]

And, what is the best way to single out the most important points from the pilot's handbook of aeronautical knowledge? I read the whole thing, but what's a good way to really get the main points to stick? I'm not having trouble with it, but if there's any good techniques i'd like to know them.

[scramjet]

have you soloed yet? If so you are still considered a pilot, even if its just a student pilot. To me, after that first solo is when you become a pilot because then you are capable of flying an airplane by yourself. Good luck on the rest of your training.

Haven't soloed yet. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to fly since last summer due to academic obligations I am really hoping to do a few hours in the next few months though. I only have about seven hours or so and I'll probably have to do a lot of review. I have, however, had some formal ground school, but I haven't taken the Knowledge Test yet. Despite my misgivings, I am really thinking about doing a pilot major at my college so there won't be so many gaps in my training. The community college I am at offers an AAS in flying with a transfer to four year colleges for a bachelors in Aerospace Management, which would give me some other employable skills.

[screaming_emu]

Hey Mike, as you are flying out of BWI, I was wondering if you have heard anything on Capitol Air Services. They fly out of Tipton and Bay Bridge Airport. Bay Bridge (W29) is at most 15 minutes from where my parents live. My dad knows someone who's son used to instruct there and apparently they're really hurting for instructors. I'm considering applying there as I get closer to graduation, but I would like to know a bit more about the school, have you heard anything? How you enjoying flying out of BWI? I'm sure that's a damn good experience.

Here is the website http://www.capitolairservices.com/

[flyingbosshog]

How many Americans on here have their PPL? Is the exam you have to take hard? Do they expect you to remember almost every little detail from the Aeronautical knowledge book? What kind of questions are on there?
Thanks.

I think like alot of other people have said it is all about how into it you are.... as a student in MTSU's aviation program I find my check rides and oral exams much easier as I am really enjoying the courses...... I think the hardrest test I am going to have is the entrance exam and final exam for the CTI program (Federal ATC school prep....)