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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)

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