Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site mss.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!houxm!whuxl!whuxlm!akgua!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!trwrb!scgvaxd!mss!jpj From: jpj@mss.UUCP (J. P. Jenal) Newsgroups: net.aviation Subject: Re: Weekend ground schools Message-ID: <262@mss.UUCP> Date: Thu, 7-Mar-85 01:38:20 EST Article-I.D.: mss.262 Posted: Thu Mar 7 01:38:20 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 10-Mar-85 05:28:54 EST References: <198@sdcc12.UUCP> Reply-To: jpj@mss.UUCP (J. P. Jenal) Organization: Mayfield Senior School, Pasadena, Ca Lines: 58 Summary: I have been meaning to write about this for sometime so here goes. A couple of months ago I took the ATE/American Flyers Private Ground School. This course was a *three* day course - Friday, Saturday and Sunday from (roughly) 8:00 - 4:00. For this pleasure I paid $175. My overall reaction is mixed. The first two days our instructor was reasonably good - he would often stress topics by saying to "...write it down, it would be on the test." By and large, this information was true. We worked a large number of problems during the class but for me, the time spent teaching people how to use a E-6B was pretty much wasted and I was often quite bored. It was clear to me that some of the people in the class new nothing before walking in the door - I certainly wouldn't advise that course of action to anyone - things went by too quickly if you didn't know anything but far too slowly if you did know much (most?) of the material. On Sunday things got worse. We had a change of instructor and this fellow was apparently unfamiliar with the material - he is a CFI but teaches mostly Instrument work and was often confused about some of the details in the Private course. (As a teacher, I find that unforgivable - we were paying good money for this school to provide us with information - I wasn't really looking to correct the teacher's errors.) The material that was scheduled for Sunday included meteorology and the F.A.R.s. As this was the material that I was weakest on I was hoping for some inspired teaching. Alas, the teacher went so slowly through the basics of weather that we only spent an hour or so on the F.A.R.s - which left me somewhat concerned. On the more positive side, the note book that we received was good - like reading the Jepsen manual but obviously geared toward the Exam. At the end of each chapter (Aerodynamics, W&B, Engine & Airplane Systems, Aircraft Instruments, Nav Charts, Flight Planning, Radio Nav, Weather Theory, Weather Services, Regs & Medical Facts) there was a list of the questions from the Exam book (also included - if you don't already have one) that pertained to that chapter - a real win when cramming for the test. Overall, I would say that the course was worthwhile if only because it forced me to spend the time with the material and actually do the studying I needed to do. If you have been putting off the process of preparing for a written - it is *always* possible to find something better to do (like maybe go flying!?!) - the thought of having spent that money may be sufficient motivation to make you indulge in the ultimate power cram. How did I do? Oh, well, I have no complaints on that score - 98%! Hope this helps someone else - if you have any questions feel free to ask. Cheers... Jim Jenal (aka ...!scgvaxd!mss!jpj) Mayfield Senior School ( " ...!ihnp4!mss!jpj) ------- 31 and still looking!