The VFR course uses a slide format with animations and graphics throughout to illustrate the various concepts. The layout of the program is logical and clean, and the slides are narrated by Trescott and other Bay Area-based flight instructors specializing in technically advanced aircraft. Topics begin with a system overview and how to use the primary flight display, then move through radio operations, the engine indicating system, the multifunction display, flight planning, and autopilot use. Each section is followed by a short quiz.
One tip from our experience: You may need to set your browser to full-screen mode in order to access all the buttons on the quizzes. Links to Trescott's book and a search function help to answer any additional questions that you have regarding the material.
Trescott also has an IFR course for pilots who intend to use the airplane in instrument flight; it was undergoing an update at press time. Courses can be downloaded through Trescott's Web site.
Price: $59.95 per course. For more information: 800/247-6553; http://www.pilotlearning.com
Sporty's Takeoffs and Landings DVD
Need some help learning takeoffs and landings? Don't feel bad for a moment--most student pilots do--and they are skills that most pilots strive to improve! A DVD recently released by Sporty's Pilot Shop offers a good review of the basics and additional tips for making yours the best they can be.
The in-flight footage in Sporty's Takeoffs and Landings DVD covers normal takeoffs and landings, plus techniques for use in crosswinds, slips, crabs, no-flap landings, emergencies, and recovering from landing mistakes. There's also a section on short- and soft-field takeoffs and landings. Graphics add emphasis for certain topics.
Also, Sporty's has released an update to the Flying the Garmin 396 DVD with information on the new Garmin GPSMap 496, a handheld GPS navigator. New content details the inclusion of AOPA's Airport Directory data into the unit, and the 496's SmartTaxi function, which displays your aircraft position on an airport diagram if you're operating on the ground at one of the more than 650 airports in the SmartTaxi database.
Price: $29.95 for Takeoffs and Landings; $24.95 for Flying the Garmin 396/496. For more information: 800/776-7897; www.sportys.com
Squawk VFR audio CD
Many pilots struggle with "mic fright"--problems either understanding air traffic control transmissions or understanding what is expected of them in communicating with ATC. In either case, practice is normally what solves the problem. Master Certificated Flight Instructor Russ Still has developed an audio CD, Squawk VFR, which takes students through radio communications procedures in various kinds of airspace. Still is based in the Atlanta area, so many examples of actual radio communications recorded at airports around the Atlanta metro area are included on the CD. Still's style is effective and easy to listen to, and this CD makes for a good way to "practice" your radio skills while you're at home, in the car, or on the road. The 80-minute CD comes with a money-back guarantee.
Still has also developed a series of online private pilot ground lessons, available for free on the Gold Seal Flight Web site. The courses feature topics pertinent to the private pilot knowledge exam, and use entertaining examples to illustrate each point. The course structure offers very open navigation--slides are always accessible, so you can pick and choose the topics you wish to cover. Quizzes pepper the course, with periodic tests to cement your understanding. Still's purpose is to make quality learning more accessible to student pilots, which is why he posts these lessons for free. Additional test preparation materials can be ordered from the Web site at a reasonable cost.
Price: $24.95 for Squawk VFR CD. For more information: 678/985-5666; www.goldsealflight.com
Briefly Noted
Wings in Focus is a British company that has launched a series of DVDs featuring in-depth reporting on several popular light general aviation airplane models. Each DVD contains a fully researched history of the airplane, an overview of all the models in the range, and interviews with people who fly them. Aircraft include the Beechcraft Bonanza 36 series (includes the 33 and 35 models), the Cessna 172 (including the 170 and 175 models), the Cessna 182 (including the 180 and 185 models), the Cessna 152 (including the 150), and the Piper PA-28 series. The DVDs also cover tips on buying and flying the aircraft. The DVDs can be ordered from Aircraft Spruce and Specialty (www.aircraftspruce.com or 877/477-7823).
Price: $44.95 each. For more information: www.wingsinfocus.com
If you've thought about what aviation might be like on the other side of the mic, a new book from Aviation Supplies and Academics, Air Traffic Control Career Prep, will give you a better sense of what an air traffic controller's job is like. The book, written by Patrick R. Mattson, outlines air traffic control facilities and the ATC system first, then launches into detailed descriptions of a budding controller's training, first days on the job, and progression into areas of greater responsibility. Then, Mattson describes the testing a potential controller must undergo and gives sample exam questions. The book is an eye-opener for pilots and can grow understanding that may help you as you work through the ATC system with our friends over the airwaves.
Price: $49.95. For more information: 800/426-8338; www.asa2fly.com
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