Which CPL (H) theory books to buy?

[torque]

Hi all,

I am currently at the stage where I am set to begin my CPL (H) theory study. However, with so many options out there, I am a bit overwhelmed as to which theory books to buy.
I have considered Ron Newman's OAT course- however, I would prefer to study from hard-copy material as opposed to reading off a screen.

I understand that Bob Tait writes quite comprehensive and easy-to-understand books. However, I have heard that they are mainly geared towards fixed-wing pilots. Is this a problem (particularly when studying AGK or Ops)? Are there any other books that you think are better?

I would appreciate you sharing your past experiences and perhaps advise me on any materials you found useful when preparing for your exams.

Thank you!

[Pepi]

Hello Torque,

There is quite a bit on here about theory courses which ones people prefer etc.

Personally for me Ron Newman was my way to go. Bob Tait is great for fixed wing pilots, having studies his books for fixed wing also, however they are not geared toward helicopter theory especially when it comes of Performance and Planning (no good learning the runway length required to land a Cessna 182 when you fly a helicopter).

The good thing about Ron newman is that is can and is updated by Ron regularly when things change, and therefore is kept more relevant than books that will date especially when it comes to air law. Also if you want to do you ATPL down the track you can simply upgrade your package, so it is useful down the track. Disadvantage is that you need to sit in front of a computer to do it... and there are a lot out there that find that a pain... myself included.

Check them all out and see what works for you...
Cheers,
Pepi

[torque]

Hi Pepi,

Thank you for your reply.

I can see the pros of studying using OAT (Ron Newman's course), however I'm not satisfied with the fact that I would spend my time reading off a screen. It makes my eyes tired and I'd prefer to be able to mark/highlight my material.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the Bob Tait books. However, I'm still thinking of using a few of his books for subjects such as Human Factors, Navigation and Meteorology.

Torque

[Hutcho86]

Gidday Torque,

I personally used the AFT distance package to study for my CPLH, which is bob tait stuff, yes some stuff is more relevant to fixed wing but my books were very relevant to helicopters where it mattered, eg perf/planning,(my best subject actually 98%) aerodynamics, AGK etc, and the stuff that was directed at fixed wing, the principles remained the same for both,you just had to look at a silly picture of a plane instead, I passed all of them, and my flight test, so thats saying something haha and besides, why would they sell it as a helicopter study package if it wasnt relevant???

Good luck, happy studies!

[FerrariFlyer]

Advanced Flight Theory is your best bet for CPL and ATPL theory and is likely the most used series of aviation texts in Oz, with the Bob Tait series a close second (for fixed wing flyers it is quite popular anyway).

Aside from the excellent content and way in which the AFTmaterial is presented, the best thing about their courses is that you can sign up for distance education for all or any of your subjects and if you struggle with a particular subject you can simply pay a nominal fee and attend a full time course at their location on the Sunshine Coast.

[torque]

Hi Hutcho and FerrariFlyer,

Sounds like the AFT course worked very well for you. I've heard it was good but after doing a bit more research- it sounds like what I am searching for.

Thank you both for your input!

Torque

[athee1]

Hi
I used AFT notes for all my CPL(H) subjects, the AFT notes are the Bob Tait notes (for the subjects that are shared between cpl(h) & cpl(a).) I found AFT to be very good, I self studied my subjects and knocked it all over in 5 months with a pass on the first time of each examination sitting. However, you get back what you put in. Also, I forgot to mention.. AFT offer a practice cyber exam package when you buy books from them directly, which are a great help.
Best of luck

[torque]

Hi Athee,

So far nearly everyone has said that AFT is the way to go. The cyber exam sounds like a great way to test knowledge and clarify any concerns before an exam.

Thanks for your advice!
Torque

[Ryan-126]

Hi mate, AFT is definitely the way to go... I passed all subjects the first time and it wasn't overly hard... I'm currently selling my AFT books which I bought for $2000 for $1000... Please let me know if your interested in purchasing them....

[widewindsidewinder]

G'day guys,

As above, AFT is definitely the way to go if you want to be looking at hard-copy notes, but also in terms of managing your own time.
I will also recommend Ron Newman's book "Helicopters Will Take You Anywhere", which is beautifully sized companion to study, and offers an extra degree of insight and theoretical sounding. If you're in metro Melbourne, you can get it from the pilot shop (Skylines) at YMMB, but if you ring PHS I'm sure they will work something out to send it to you. It's excellent spare time reading, too. (if you're on a train or in a park etc.)

The other thing with AFT is that they include a few extra texts as well, but they also provide you with "Principles of Helicopter Flight", the BOMs "Aviation Meteorology" book, and the FAA "Rotorcraft Flying Handbook". It's a combination of Bob Tait's notes, AFTs own notes, then extra texts. You will often find yourself having at least two or three texts to draw information from, and on top of that, there's the theory instructor whom you can call/email if you have any dramas!

It's probably not a bad thing that there is some fixed wing stuff in there, because as much as we may not like it sometimes, we share the air with planes, so it helps to get a bit of an understanding from their perspective, especially in terms of Air Law, as that is a cross over subject.

If you can afford it, I recommend getting the set of CARs, CASRs from them as well as having hard copies to refer to in front of you is a massive help.
Good luck with it all, mate, it is a very rewarding feeling when you start a subject with little or no knowledge and then come out with a pass and a wealth of knowledge!

[Banjo-Kazooie]

AFT for everything except HUF, for which I cannot strongly enough recommend Bob Tait.

[Longrass]

I've just ordered the CPL (H) AGK distance learning pack from AFT...

Will be interesting to see how long it takes to bowl the subject over!!!

[Ryan-126]

Got the entire CPL (H) Distance Learning Course for sale mate... $850 including postage to anywhere in Australia.. PM me if interested....