OAT GROUND TRAINING SERIES PPL BOOK SET
Source: Today's Pilot Magazine - February 2008 - Page 85 (www.todayspilot.co.uk)
Produced & Published by Oxford Aviation Training.
Hardback, Colour. Books sold and priced individually or as a set for £169.50.
Available from Oxford Aviation Training. 01865 844290. www.oatmedia.com
For as long as most of us can remember, two names have dominated the market for student PPL study books - Jeremy Pratt and Trevor Thom. But now there is another contender for trainee pilots' hard-earned cash. Oxford Aviation Training (OAT) has produced a seven-volume set of training manuals which is, quite simply, superb. I don't use that word lightly either. The books are designed for those training for a JAR/EASA PPL or NPPL. There is a volume dedicated to each of the core subjects - Air Law, Human Performance, Navigation, Meteorology, Principles of Flight, Aeroplanes and Radiotelephony. The books are a little under A4 in size and are bound with hardback covers. The number of pages depends on the particular subject but, for example, Air Law has 490 pages whilst Human Performance has 210. Each book covers the subject in precise detail and nearly every photograph and diagram is printed in full colour.
Looking at the pile of books on my desk brought back to me just how much information has to be absorbed to get that expensive CAA-endorsed piece of paper. But OAT has come up with a clever system to help the student pilot remember the important bits - or 'key points' as it prefers to call them. Down the edge of each page, are small coloured boxes marked by a key symbol, each containing what OAT considers to be the key point on that page. There are also other boxes in a contrasting colour, marked with a wings symbol, which denote points of good airmanship. However, don't be fooled into thinking that you can just learn the key points and pass all the CAA exams - there are no short cuts to fully understanding your subject. A training CD is supplied with the Navigation book explaining how to use a 'whiz wheel' flight computer, which makes understanding it much easier than using the books alone.
If I had to be really picky, I would say that the books are written in a very 'matter-of-fact' way and that occasionally a more light-hearted approach might have made them harder to put down. But these books are for study and reference, not for entertainment - an easy point to overlook.
The OAT books are more expensive that their rival publications, but basically you get what you pay for. They ooze class and are worth every penny. That said, pilots have managed quite well for over 20 years with the cheaper books, so whether they will be prepared to pay that little bit extra for this quality remains to be seen.
SH
Oxford Aviation Ground Training Series
Pilot Magazine Review - January 2008 - Page 60.
Oxford Aviation Training has been a leading supplier of interactive media training aids for flying students for some time, but apparently the company has been asked again and again for books. Believing, sensibly, that the customer is always right, OAT has produced a very handsome seven-volume set of bound hardbacks.
Interactive media is all very well, but the old-fashioned book still has a lot going for it. OAT has found it possible to go more deeply into the subjects covered, and these books are desirable objects to own that would grace any aviator's shelf. They are beautifully bound and printed.
These books are big (A4 size) and quite heavy. Inside they are lavishly illustrated and the large pages make the material more accessible and less intimidating. It took three years to develop them. I wish I'd had them when I was learning to fly.
The full set of seven costs £169.50, which doesn't make them the cheapest option on the market. You pay an extra £9.80 for delivery by courier. To order telephone 01865 844290 or email info@oatmedia.com for more information.
This impressive set of 7 full-color, hardback textbooks are the finest, most professional ones we have seen. Although specifically developed for the European JAA/EASA PPL and the United Kingdom National Private Pilot’s Licence (UK NPPL), we have found their content to be extremely useful to pilots in any country, at any stage in their flight training.
They offer detailed lessons on every important topic, and are filled with hundreds of full-color graphics to reinforce key concepts. Includes JAA-style review questions. Approx. 300-500 pages per volume; 2592 pages in all.
From Sporty's Pilot Shop - USA
