Pilot Products

Learning to navigate the maze of taxiways and runways at a towered airport - not to mention your local skypark - can take nearly as much work as learning to navigate the airways. And with runway incursions still a significant problem, it pays to know how to operate safely and professionally on the ground. Aviation Tutorials has developed Getting Around on the Ground, a CD-ROM that takes you through airport markings and signage, procedures, and case studies that help you to become a better airplane driver.

Much of the program's utility derives from its attention to detail. First, graphics emphasize a pilot's point of view rather than an overhead view such as that shown on taxiway diagrams and airport charts. The result is a direct transfer of what you see on the screen to what you see from the left seat. Throughout, specifics are used along with tips you won't find in the Aeronautical Information Manual, such as not to exit one runway onto another runway unless specifically instructed by the controller. FAA and NASA programs are also mentioned, complete with links and sources of additional information.

The program takes about an hour to complete, including the quizzes at the end of each section. Getting Around on the Ground scores better than most multimedia tutorials because these quizzes raise the level of feedback required from students from regurgitation to filling in answers, making the program more interactive than others. Getting Around on the Ground retails for $29. For more information, contact Aviation Tutorials, 8555 Apple Creek Drive, Oak Creek, Wisconsin 53134; telephone 414/761-9331; fax 414/761-7697; or visit the Web site ( www.avtutorials.com ).

VFR And IFR Communications On DVD

Sporty's Pilot Shop has released two communications programs on DVD, both hosted by general aviation expert Richard Collins. features a flight made by Collins to various airports in Ohio, highlighting the different radio procedures used with air traffic control, flight service, and nontowered airports. IFR Communications shows a flight into what is now Washington Reagan National Airport, and the tape covers IFR reservation procedures and work with center, approach, tower, and ground control.

If you're just starting the cross-country phase of either your private or instrument training, you can gain a lot of insight from following along on these flights. Aside from abbreviating his own call sign in a unique way, for a student looking for tips on how to handle common as well as unusual radio situations, Collins provides well-tested advice and a good overview of how radio communication comes together in the cockpit.

Each DVD retails separately for $24.95. For more information, contact Sporty's Pilot Shop, Clermont County Airport, Batavia, Ohio 45103-9747; telephone 800/543-8633 or 513/735-9000; fax 513/735-9200; or visit the Web site ( www.sportys.com ).

Test Pilot: 1,001 Things You Thought You Knew About Aviation

Barry Schiff debuted his monthly "Test Pilot" column in the March 1994 issue of AOPA Pilot. Since then, the noted aviation expert has compiled a vast store of information, both lighthearted and serious, about aviators, aircraft, and the history of flight.

This knowledge comes together in the form of Schiff's new book, Test Pilot: 1,001 Things You Thought You Knew About Aviation, recently published by Aviation Supplies and Academics (ASA). The 388-page paperback offers questions and answers on topics ranging from navigation to weather. For example, do you know the approximate number of thunderstorms that occur daily over the Earth's surface? Would you believe 50,000? And do you know the difference between pontoons and floats (on seaplanes)? There is none, though the word pontoon is considered obsolete. Throughout, Schiff's experience and humor show in his treatment of each question, making for a fun and informative journey best taken in the company of friends on a rainy, hangar-flying day.

Test Pilot: 1,001 Things You Thought You Knew About Aviation retails for $19.95. For more information, contact Aviation Supplies and Academics, 7005 132nd Place Southeast, Newcastle, Washington 98059-3153; telephone 800/426-8338 or 425/235-1500; fax 425/235-0128; or visit the Web site ( www.asa2fly.com ).

F.A.S.T. Flashcards

The best way to prepare for an exam is to mimic the exam conditions as closely as possible. So it would follow that, while you may want to go online or pop in a CD-ROM to study for an FAA knowledge test, a question-and-answer session in which you have to explain concepts orally would be the best way to study for the examiner's barrage during the practical test.

Above It All Aviation distributes a line of flashcards that help you to do just that. Boxed sets including every conceivable question that may be asked of you on the oral are currently available for instrument, multiengine, the Beechcraft Duchess, and VFR/IFR regulations, with a private pilot kit coming soon. We used the cards while reviewing multiengine procedures preceding a currency flight in a Cessna 310, and we found them to be thorough, with typically clear, sound answers. The cards are easily customized to fit your aircraft make and model, and the box makes them fairly portable as well, conducive to a late-night cram session at the Village Inn. The instrument and multi-engine flashcards are also suitable for use by instructors adding those ratings.

The instrument boxed set retails for $26.95, the Duchess set for $24.95, and the multiengine and regulations sets for $19.95 each. For more information, contact Above It All Aviation, Post Office Box 771025, Wichita, Kansas 67277; telephone 316/729-9160; or visit the Web site (http://aboveitall.home.att.net).

Aero Training Products Offers Free Stuff Online

When you're trying to sift through all the information out there online, it's nice to find a Web site that provides a number of often-used training tools in one place. Aero Training Products offers some free information that, while specifically geared toward Canadian student pilots, can be of use to those studying for the private pilot exam in the United States and Europe. Free online FARs, JARs, and CARs are provided on its site, along with a VOR/ADF simulator and online exams that follow Canadian knowledge tests for private and commercial pilots. Though the company strives to give student pilots more than just answers, be aware that its "help" feature points students to the products that will give them the background for an answer.

Even so, if you need to brush up for the Canadian tests, this is a good resource, and as a pilot in the United States, it's interesting to see how those students on the other side of the border fare when facing their version of the FAA.

For more information, visit the Web site ( www.aerotraining.com ).