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Best Electronic (Sportys vs. Kings) Test Prep (military leaving for awhile)...


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Hey folks,

 

I just received my Private a few months ago, and have been working on my Commercial. I just found out I'm leaving for Iraq in the VERY near future and would like to buy some test-prep / Courses that I can take with me. I'm looking at Commercial, Instrument and may do CFI / II.

 

I would just like your feed back about any software / courses that any of you have used. I did buy the Sporty's Airspace & Weather Format Review, and wasn't that happy with it. I just don't want to spend $500 or so and have it be wasted when something else could have been better.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Corey Perez

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Corey,

 

Check out the ASA website. They have both software and DVD sets. If you needed both, it's $150 total. They also have it for both Mac or PC. It's also aval at some pilot supply stores too, they had it by my school.

 

http://www.asa2fly.com/category1.asp?SID=1&Category_ID=21&

 

Congrats on the PPL!

 

Cheers-

Rob

 

Be safe in Iraq!

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Corey - If you are interested in just a written test prep (i.e., FAA question database and study notes software), I recommend dauntless software's GroundSchool:

www.dauntless-soft.com/PRODUCTS/GroundSchool/commercial.asp

I used the ASA for my PPL(H) and GroundSchool for my CPL(H). GroundSchool is far better and cheaper. You can download the demo version, then pay for an onlock code online if you like it. It's immediate gratification - no waiting on an order. Download the demo and see what you think.

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Corey - If you are interested in just a written test prep (i.e., FAA question database and study notes software), I recommend dauntless software's GroundSchool:

www.dauntless-soft.com/PRODUCTS/GroundSchool/commercial.asp

I used the ASA for my PPL(H) and GroundSchool for my CPL(H). GroundSchool is far better and cheaper. You can download the demo version, then pay for an onlock code online if you like it. It's immediate gratification - no waiting on an order. Download the demo and see what you think.

Corey - I strongly concur with cross-eyed! I have been very satisfied with Dauntless Software's GroundSchool. I have found it better, cheaper, and it has the helicopter specific questions that some others don't, or require you to go online to get. You can see on their site that once you purchase the key to each 'bank' of questions, you have access to the others ("Instrument Rating" includes Airplane, Helicopter, Instrument Ground Instructor and Instrument Flight Instructor Tests, "Flight Instructor" includes Flight Instructor Airplane/Helicopter/Gyroplane and FoI, BGI, AGI, etc.)

 

Good luck!

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I also agree with cross-eyed & justfly on Dauntless software's GroundSchool. Another great advantage is once you purchase the 'Unlock Code', you can take it with you to any computer, download the software from http://www.dauntless-soft.com/PRODUCTS/Gro.../commercial.asp

or

http://www.pilotmall.com/page/1/CTGY/111

and unlock it. Practice @ home, work, your laptop, etc.

 

Good luck,

 

AJA

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Thanks for the replies guys.

 

Time is getting close, so I'm going to have to do something. I'm going to look into this software and see what I think. I'm basically walking a fine line, I don't want to spend 500-700 on a bunch of test prep and ground lessons and just find out that I'm not going anywhere (did that before, was even waiting for the plane to get fixed, and we got sent back home).

 

Thanks, and if anybody else has any other suggestions or recommendations, keep them coming. I haven't looked yet, but I'm going for a all enclusive package, as this will be my ground instruction for the next 4 months.

 

Thanks,

 

Corey

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Hii Guys,

 

one more advantage from dauntless software's test prep --- those of us who write the things actually read the forums here and are open to all sorts of suggestions :)

 

Thanks to all who have said good words about our test prep (dauntless-soft.com). Just to let you know, even though we think ours is the best, we are hard at work at an even better version of our test prep, which will allow for easier updating and have a bunch of other neat features. Fingers crossed this will be released in a month or so, but anyway what we have now is certainly plenty good, I hope, as well.

 

In other news: (drumroll.. please!) Just today we completed our

 

HELICOPTER CHECKRIDE ORAL EXAM PREP SOFTWARE!

 

available at www.dauntless-soft.com/PRODUCTS/RideReady/helicopter.asp

 

With about 1000 questions in each title (though there is some overlap, particulary PP/COM <-> CFI), we hope that you will find this to be useful and cheap in preparing for your checkride oral. Additionally, the private/commercial and CFI versions now have some custom questions for the R22, R44, S300C, and S300 CB/CBi.

 

And, to the guy who mentioned something about 500-600 bucks on test prep.. are you kidding me? even if you bought everything that we sell for helicopter written and oral test prep, private pilot through ATP you'd still be at way less than $200.

 

Now that we're becoming more of a professional and well known company, I can't really speak directly about our 'competition', but let's just say that some of their prices for boring videos that you'll never watch fills us with shock and awe.

 

Still, please do make up your own mind - all of our software is available as a free demo for you to try.

 

Thanks again for the good words.

 

Tailwinds!

 

Adrian

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for the replies guys.

 

Time is getting close, so I'm going to have to do something. I'm going to look into this software and see what I think. I'm basically walking a fine line, I don't want to spend 500-700 on a bunch of test prep and ground lessons and just find out that I'm not going anywhere (did that before, was even waiting for the plane to get fixed, and we got sent back home).

 

Thanks, and if anybody else has any other suggestions or recommendations, keep them coming. I haven't looked yet, but I'm going for a all enclusive package, as this will be my ground instruction for the next 4 months.

 

Thanks,

 

Corey

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I'm snickering at the title of this post - "Sporty's vs. Kings" ... There are several more choices out there.

 

I have used the Dauntless study software for my private fixed wing, instrument, and helicopter commercial tests (although I did buy the King study DVDs for the latter). I scored pretty high on all of them - and I'm not the greatest test taker in the world, at least in my chosen profession (electrical engineering)!. On the helo comm test, I got a 99, and I attribute that to the fact that the question I missed was not only tricky but also not one of the FAA-published questions. (BTW my current CFI missed the same question 8^) . )

 

My experiences with the Dauntless stuff spans over the last five-ish years, and the product has only gotten better (e.g. the interface to the maps and diagrams that are an essential part of the tests has gotten a lot better. That said, I still prefer using the freely available, printed FAA guide in conjunction with PC-based study software.)

 

A cool aspect of the Dauntless products is that you can test drive them for free... Give 'em a shot before purchasing anything.

 

Good luck,

 

Dave Blevins

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I'm snickering at the title of this post - "Sporty's vs. Kings" ... There are several more choices out there.

 

I have used the Dauntless study software for my private fixed wing, instrument, and helicopter commercial tests (although I did buy the King study DVDs for the latter). I scored pretty high on all of them - and I'm not the greatest test taker in the world, at least in my chosen profession (electrical engineering)!. On the helo comm test, I got a 99, and I attribute that to the fact that the question I missed was not only tricky but also not one of the FAA-published questions. (BTW my current CFI missed the same question 8^) . )

 

My experiences with the Dauntless stuff spans over the last five-ish years, and the product has only gotten better (e.g. the interface to the maps and diagrams that are an essential part of the tests has gotten a lot better. That said, I still prefer using the freely available, printed FAA guide in conjunction with PC-based study software.)

 

A cool aspect of the Dauntless products is that you can test drive them for free... Give 'em a shot before purchasing anything.

 

Good luck,

 

Dave Blevins

 

 

Hey Dave,

 

I am now studying for the Comm Heli Written. I'd sincerely appreciate it if you could help me on that question you were referring to.

 

Thanks so much,

 

AJA

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AJA,

 

I did respond to you previously. Please understand this is not the forum for technical support. If you have a question, please contact www.dauntless-soft.com/helpdesk where we can best help you. Thank you for your understanding.

 

Thank you also to you and to the others for their good words!

 

Tailwinds,

 

Adrian

Dauntless Software

MCFII/ATP

 

 

Hey Dave,

 

I am now studying for the Comm Heli Written. I'd sincerely appreciate it if you could help me on that question you were referring to.

 

Thanks so much,

 

AJA

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Folks,

 

Thanks again. I'm about 20 days from departure so time is very short, and I'm going to have to make my decision here very soon. The reason's for the "sporty vs. king" subject line is, while reviewing the options, they seemed to be the most "inclusive" which includes lessons, not just "questions and answers". I don't really want to just know the answers, but the fundamentals behind the answers. Like I had said in the first post, this will be my ground lessons for the next 4-5 months. I'm going to be using these lessons to base my CFI/II off of, and plan to try and put together my lesson plans, or atleast get the fundamentals down for them while deployed.

 

Thanks again for all the suggestions. I know the other guys drown their subjects with videos, but sometimes having somebody explain it to you is easier to learn vs. just memorizing the ultimate answer. Which I am sure we can agree, just knowing the answer will not make you a better pilot, just make you a pilot with the answer, but not the reasons.

 

It is also important for me to add, It sounds like this forthcoming software would be closer towards what I'm really looking for. The problem for me is, I won't be available to down load the updates unless I could install the current version on my laptop I'm taking, and download update to a external hard drive connected to a computer with internet access, and then take the HD to this comptuer doing the update. I've never heard of a software that would really allow this type of transaction. Other complications are numerous. Too bad this new version is a month out...

 

Thanks!

 

Corey

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