Pooley’s Air Pilot’s Manual #1: Flying Training

Guy Leitch

Pooley’s Air Manuals have set a new standard in essential texts for the Private Pilot Exams – and they are now publishing the series for Southern Africa.

The first book in the series is simply called ‘Flight Training’ and if there is just one essential PPL textbook you can afford to buy at a time, this is it.  

Flight Training is the book that teaches you how to get a Private Pilot’s Licence (PPL). It is structured so that it follows the SACAA’s flight training syllabus from Exercise 1 (Aircraft Familiarisation) to Exercise 19 (Instrument Flying).

For readers looking for an overview of the PPL Exercise structure – here is a detailed breakdown of the curriculum as required by the SACAA and covered chapter by chapter in this book:

  • Exercise 1:           Aircraft Familiarisation
  • Exercise 2:           Before and After Flight
  • Exercise 3:           Air Experience
  • Exercise 4:           Effects of Controls
  • Exercise 5:           Taxiing
  • Exercise 6:           Straight and level
  • Exercise 7:           Climbing
  • Exercise 8:           Descending
  • Exercise 9:           Turning
  • Exercise 10:        Stalling and Slow flight
  • Exercise 11:        Spinning
  • Exercise 12:        Standard Take-off and Climb
  • Exercise 13:        Circuits, Approach and landing
  • Exercise 14:        First Solo
  • Exercise 15:        Advanced Turning
  • Exercise 16:        Forced Landing without power
  • Exercise 17:        Precautionary Landing
  • Exercise 18:        Pilot Navigation.
  • Exercise 19: is Instrument Flying, which is not part of the basic PPL syllabus.

As South Africa’s doyen of flying instructors, Jim Davis, likes to point out, cockpits make bad classrooms. Therefore, before each flight your instructor should brief you on the principles of flight relevant to the practical flight exercises you are about to do. This is where these textbooks are invaluable.

You prepare for each lesson by reading up on the lessons the night before. And that’s where this book comes in. In each chapter the lesson is thoroughly explained, with Pooley’s standard of clarity and excellent diagrams to aid the explanations.

Using this book to prepare for the lesson is the best investment a budding pilot can make. It will make understanding what may seem to be complex concepts much easier and will thus improve your ability to learn from the flight lesson.

If this book saves you just one hour’s flight training while you struggle to get to grips with an exercise, it will have paid for itself many times over. And most importantly – it may remove those discouraging moments when it all just seems too much, and you are tempted to chuck it in.

At the end of each chapter there’s a selection of well-constructed questions to test your knowledge – with the answers supplied over the page. And at the back of the book is the Skills Test Form that your flight test examiner will use. This is an invaluable insight into what the examiner looks for and how s/he is likely to grade your performance.

This book covers everything needed to understand about how to fly a plane, so it’s also ideal for those who are just interested in understanding fixed wing flying, and especially for those starting out with computer flight simulators.

Quite simply, this is an excellent reference book that is required study material to get the most out of every flying lesson. It should be a reference on every pilot’s bookshelf. The bottom line is – if you are learning to fly – this is the reference that you need.

The books may be obtained from all good pilot supply stores – or order online from: https://www.pooleys.com/shop/category/ppl-training-material-starter-kits/ppl-exam-preparation-books/ 

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Pooley’s Air Pilot’s Manuals

In 2022 the world-class Pooley’s Air Pilot Manual series launched the first of their Southern African Series. They have now expanded the African series to include four more titles.

Pooleys is a world-renowned reference for both the student pilot and instructor. The publications aim to standardise the quality of flying training, teaching and learning equipment for flight schools and their instructors.

Users have the comfort of knowing that all the aviation training publications Pooleys produce have been closely checked by the UKCAA as well as the leading flight schools and instructors. Their textbooks are constantly updated, edited and revised.

The key volumes published for Southern Africa so far are:

Volume 1: Flying Training

Volume 2: Human Performance and Meteorology

Volume 3: Navigation

Volume 4: The Aeroplane: Principles of Flight and Aircraft General

Volume 5: Air Law and Flight Planning.

Pooley’s does not only produce books, they also have a strong online digital product range. Students can download a free PPL e-Exam Learning Objectives Guide which cross-references the Learning Objectives from the exam feedback to the relevant chapters in the Air Pilot’s Manuals. Visit https://www.pooleys.com/shop/category/books-ebooks-manuals-resources/air-pilots-manuals-for-southern-africa/

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