(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best transportation books

Good books, with some notes:

Dierking's Building Outrigger Sailing Canoes Excellent reference for building any plywood boat, but you should be careful. This book will seduce you. Gary's an expert on making a single outrigger boat that works, is pretty, and is fast and easy to build. You'll buy the book to read and end up the next weekend heading off to Lowes to buy plywook, and ordering an epoxy kit from Raka. These boats are faster and more capable than anything but quite a big monohull, are simple to build, you can sail them yourself, on most of them you can take someone out with you, it's hard to see why anyone would build a ever build 15' dinghy instead of an Ulua or a Wa'apa, honestly, unless there was a racing class they wanted to get into. Highly recommended.

Payson's Go Build Your Own Boat Very good, very readable, some stuff that I still wonder about. Edge nailing into 1/4" ply, for example. How was that supposed to work? But the basic ideas of get it done fast and go sailing still apply.

Stambaugh's Good Skiffs Good, readable, interesting introduction to traditional heavy skiff construction as well as stitch and glue. The traditional methods are usually ignored, but if I were going to build a skiff I wanted to keep in the water I might pick that. The heavy skiffs sail really well, are enormously strong, are self-righting, they have a lot of advantages.

Andrew C. Marshall's Composite Basics Good intro to composite work. Technical but readable. Good reference.

Gougeon Bro's On Boat Construction Classic, necessary. Very good coverage of all kinds of stuff, really good.

Russell Brown's Epoxy Basics: Working with Epoxy Cleanly & Efficiently Expert level epoxy tricks. This is the stuff that will amaze people at the next messabout. Read the Gougeon Bro.'s book first, then read this.

Michalak's Boatbuilding for Beginners and Beyond Good. Kind of basic stuff, but if you need a book on figuring out centers of effort and basic rudders and boards and stuff it's fine. The boats are plain and kind of simplistic, but they sail fine. For the most part they don't go to windward in any kind of impressive way, but really who wants to be bashing to windward all the time anyway? They're not racing boats, and for dinking around they're great. Don't build his proa; no one ever has, and there's probably a reason for that. The rest of the boats range from fine to quite good (the Laguna is probably the best of his designs).

Bolger's Boats With An Open Mind Classic, great. A must-read. Even if you never build one you'll learn a huge amount from this.

Other Bolger books: 30-Odd Boats, Folding Schooner: And Other Adventures in Boat Design. Anything he wrote is worth reading. I mean, not the novel, but any of his boat books.

Parker's The Sharpie Book Very good intro to sharpies of all sizes.

Little known classics:

A 30', $6,000 Cruising Catamaran : Built, Sailed and Written About Hardcover – 1987 by Roy F. Chandler
I mean, don't pay $48 for it, but if you see a copy in a used bookstore it's worth a few bucks. Some of his 'tricks' for saving money don't translate very well ("My friend gave me this huge bucket of stainless hardware", hey, good idea! I'll try that), but it's a good general outline of turning a worn out racing cat into a small cruising cat on not much money.

Finally, for a lost classic: Chapman 's The Plywood Boatbuilder Vol 41 Excellent and readable look back at what early plywood designs and construction looked like forty years ago. I wouldn't build any of these, there are better designs around now, but it's fascinating to see how the thing developed. Designs for prams and dinghys, sailboats, outboard, runabouts, 47 designs, sailboats from 13 ft to 24 ft.

But really, a great and cheap way to read a lot about boatbuilding is to get hold of old copies of Wooden Boat or some of the other boating publications. You can often pick up a stack cheap or free. In depth articles, lots of pictures, I learned a lot from stacks of ten year old mags people gave me. In fact, I have a big stack of Wooden Boat and some other stuff I need to get rid of right now. Anyone want them? Free to good home, paypal me back the shipping when you get them. Send me a PM if you're interested.

I think X-Plane is great. I have tons of fun flying in it. It is definitely a hardcore simulator and does not contain any game-like modes.

There is FSEconomy which can work with X-Plane to add an economy metagame but I have never tried it.

There is Smart Copilot which lets two people fly the same aircraft at once which is pretty cool for some of the really complex aircraft like the FlyJSim 737-200 in that video.

There is PilotEdge and Vatsim for online flying with real live person ATC and traffic.

Pretty sure it has built in multiplayer too but I have never tried it.

You want to go here to download all sorts of free addons and planes. If you have a fast computer you can get even higher resolution scenery here.

I love using xplane for learning about real world general aviation flying. A copy of The Private Pilot Handbook plus Skyvector can teach you a lot!

There are a couple of things that are annoying about xplane however.

• The default ATC sucks, so many people use pilotedge and vatsim but if you don't want to (or aren't confident in your skills to) talk to real controllers then you are kinda stuck without much ATC. I have heard good things about Pilot2ATC for offline ATC but have not tried it myself.
  
• Cloud / weather rendering isn't very good. Overcast looks OK but nice puffy cumulus look like someone took a can of cheap spraypaint to the sky.
  
• Most airports don't have any buildings at them yet and are just runways/taxiways. They are adding a system to allow for user submission of airport layouts so that problem should start to go away soon. There are also a lot of free airport scenery downloads for popular airports.
  
• AI traffic is pretty useless. 747s will try to land and take off at remote grass strips in Alaska.
  
• You need a beast of a computer to have it look really nice. I run an i7 2600k@4.2ghz and a GTX770 4GB and get acceptable performance at medium-high settings. That being said turn on HDR lighting, turn up the cars, and fly over a city at night -- it will blow your mind how good the lighting engine is.
  
  
  

Yep it's pretty thick haha, but for your practical purposes you don't need to concern yourself too much with the complex math and calcs. I have no idea how versed you are in Naval architecture or engineering so skip what you already know and forgive me if some of this is obvious to you, but start with making sure you understand the definitions of everything in section one and then section two is what you're looking for. Simple stability. Make sure you understand the equilibrium conditions and the forces and moments that govern them, and the concept of metacentric height. For what you're doing that will be more than enough to make a simple model to roughly ensure you'll be stable. Take the hull you're wanting to build and make a general representative shape to make the calculations easier, i.e. A typical v-hull fishing boat could be simply modeled as a box on top of a triangular prism for simplicity. Down at pages 121 and on there are some simple examples that will illustrate what you'll want to do if you are going to calculate stability. You could also of course just understand the principles and "eyeball" it for s small boat like you want to build. If you are though interested in serious naval architecture I suggest applied naval architecture by zubaly. It's a very practical and straight to the point text that's presented in a logical order and understandable way in my opinion, although there are a few other texts that are considered the bibles of NA as well. Good luck and hope the dinghy turns out great!

https://www.amazon.com/Applied-Naval-Architecture-Robert-Zubaly/dp/0870334751

I live in Florida, but quite a few people migrate yearly and stay in good weather. Right now I haven't moved much with the boat because I have a land based job and spent the last 2 years getting out of debt and am now putting funds into the boat itself(solar panels and things like that).

The boat does need upkeep, but it's pretty minor. Varnishing, bottom cleaning($50 every couple months) and the big expense is every couple years it's around 1k for a bottom paint job. It's paint that keeps sea growth off the boat. Eventually you do need bigger "house type" expenses, a new set of sails would set me back 3-4k(every 8-14 years maybe), I have a 1994 engine that I may need to replace 10 years from now(7k to do that). But those are easy to manage since you can usually plan well ahead for them.

In Florida my slip + electric costs around 520 a month. Other states can be cheaper than that. My slip fee includes free wifi but I have a 3G setup for internet as well($80 a month). That'd handle my internet while cruising as long as I stay coastal.

Satellite internet is way too expensive, so everyone uses long range wifi(like home wifi, only 5 miles of range) and 3G/4G.

You can find out more information here http://www.livingaboard.com/forum/

And this book is pretty good: http://www.amazon.com/The-Essentials-Living-Aboard-Boat/dp/0939837668/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334777701&sr=8-1

I bought this book and it was really helpful. Super super thorough. It was probably just as difficult if not a little more difficult than the test. I also bought this book. It was extremely easy, and I would not recommend it for preparation.

I first did the Peterson's practice test to find out what I needed to study and improve on. Then I studied out of the books. A week before the test I bought one practice tested from AFOQTguide.com. I also signed up for the news letter which got me a second (outdated) practice test for free.

I did pretty well. My scores were P94/N89/AA87/V89/Q68. I'm just a pretty average dude when it comes to academics so I think my studying is what really helped me.

Buy this book immediately: http://www.amazon.com/Pilots-Handbook-Aeronautical-Knowledge-FAA-H-8083-25A/dp/1619540207/ref=pd_sim_b_7. It pretty much has everything you want to know about all aspects of flight. Great continuous, repeated read.

After you're flying for a bit, right around when you're at solo status (either pre or post XC), you'll want to get this book: http://www.amazon.com/Visualized-Flight-Maneuvers-Handbook-Handbooks/dp/1560275219/ref=pd_sim_b_48. For your PPL license you'll need to demonstrate a number of maneuvers with proficency, and this is a great reference for all of them.

When you're studying for your PPL written, grab this book:http://www.amazon.com/Private-Pilot-Test-Prep-2014/dp/1560279788/ref=pd_sim_b_23. Helped me a ton.

When you're getting ready for your checkride, get this book: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1560279494/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1.

Also, get an iPad and Foreflight. While you'll hear a ton from pilots about getting started too early with electronics during your training, the main thing to steer clear of is using it for in-flight navigation and relying on it for GPS. You have to learn dead reckoning, pilotage and old(er) school navigation like VORs. It's great for flight planning and the digital charts are incredible but I still plan out my flights using a paper flight plan. Also, it has a documents section that's just fantastic for downloading good FAA reads like the FAR/AIM, your aircraft's POH and a ton of other downloadable documents.

Love to hear some other suggestions.

In terms of rotary aerodynamics, there is a factor called the Disk Loading (literally Thrust per unit Disk Area). It's not quite as easy to see from basic physics (which is why I like your explanation better), but it's usually the real non-starter for lots of VTOL aircraft whether you're talking ducted fans or open-blade rotorcraft.

It turns out that the efficiency of your thrust production runs inverse to the disk loading. So if you have a very high disk loading (a very small rotor for instance) then it takes a lot more shaft power to produce the same amount of thrust. When you have a turbine spinning the shaft you've got some wiggle-room. When it's a person with a much worse energy density it becomes perilously tight.

You're absolutely right -- everything you do is to make gains in efficiency. Every Watt of power you can take in from the pilot/engine and not waste is more thrust. And using a smaller rotor -- regardless of how fast you can spin in -- will always require more power. Ducting it can increase efficiency, but in this case I'm sure was not worth the additional weight.

It then becomes an issue of what the optimum rotor and structural weight is. You're looking for that global maximum power-to-weight ratio where increasing the rotor area might generate more thrust, but not enough to counter the additional weight.

If anyone's interested in the deeper theory, Principles of Helicopter Aerodynamics by Leishman is excellent and is my go-to reference.

Yeah every examiner is different, but the majority of my questions were variations of questions from these books. Some were multiple choice questions asked as an open-ended question, and some were the exact wording of the oral questions in the back. The books do a great job of covering all the bases.

Other than these, the other questions were just general knowledge or things that you just KNOW. The practical is pretty easy, they changed up the standards for it I guess. You get randomly assigned projects sent from the FAA, so its a lottery almost. One of mine was to drill out rivets in a round inspection panel/patch plate. Re-fabricate based on the old dimensions and rivet it back in, using the existing holes. That was my longest project, and it was too easy. I'm not they best riveter, but in the end he asked me to identify my deficiencies and he said that was good enough.

I had one where I had to remove and service a wheel bearing in a landing gear. Grab the manual, follow instructions, and you cant screw up! Another project was writing a maintenance entry for a log book with the proper level of detail. Another project was looking up all the ADs on an aircraft specified by the examiner (literally copy/pasted FAA.gov search results to a new word doc, formatted it, and presented it to the examiner. They could go one step further and make you confirm that all ADs are complied with based on maintenance logs they give you.

I hope this helps. I was sweating for about the first 10 minutes of the oral portion, but my confidence grew with every correct answer. I think I missed 4 of around 50ish verbal questions I was asked. As long as they keep asking them, you're still in the game! If they cut it short you know you messed up, haha.'


PS: this is a nice reference too. You can even buy it used for a discount. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1560278986/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Click Here and Here for a whole bunch of useful stuff from FAA.

Worthy of specific note-

Airplane Flying Handbook (AFH) and Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (PHAK, pronounced P-Hack). The PHAK and AFH will give you pretty much all the basics of how airplanes work, how airspace works, where you're allowed to fly, etc etc etc.

Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) basically tells you how you can legally fly an airplane, but without much of the shall-be-not-less-than style legalese. Officially the FAR (Federal Aviation Regulations) is the real legal base which it stands on, but the AIM says the same thing and can be read by a human much more easily. In the AIM you will VERY often see references to "14 CFR xx.xxx", Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (aka US national law) covers the FAA. This can be just as easily written (and frequently is) as FAR xx.xxx. The first part is the 'part', which covers a particular type of regulation- for example FAR Part 61 covers the certification of pilots and instructors, Part 91 covers general operating and flight rules (part 61 helps you get your license, part 91 helps you lose it). Often a particular business will be referred to by the FAR Part which governs it, for example most airlines are FAR 121 Scheduled Air Carriers. Some flight schools are Part 61 flight schools (anyone with a CFI (certified flight instructor) certification can provide flight instruction under Part 61), while some flight schools are Part 141 which covers more structured training programs with an FAA-approved curriculum, regular FAA audits, etc.

Note that if you don't mind a GIANT dead tree book, the complete AIM and several relevant parts of the FAR are available as one book for only $10

However if you just want to learn how shit works, download or buy the PHAK and AFH. They are free of legalese, are fun to read, and have lots of color illustrations so you understand what's going on. Go here and scroll down to 'frequently bought together' to get the PHAK, AFH and FAR/AIM all together for just under $40.

You're essentially asking the difference between a infinite wing and finite wing.

In order to study the flow around a section, i.e. 2D flow; it is customary for the model to completely
span the test section (Infinite wing), be it from wall to wall or ceiling to ceiling. Although this is most commonly applied to aerofoil sections, the same theory goes for other models such as cylinders. The reason being; that any three dimensional flow components are eliminated in the spanwise axis.

If you choose to model 3d flow, i.e. a finite wing, it has been recommended that the span of any model for three dimensional flow visualisation purposes does not exceed 80% of the wind tunnel section in order to negate any wall effects. This is IMPORTANT!! I'd probably recommend somewhere closer to 70% just to make sure.

Advantages of 3d over 2d are that you can see the effects of having a finite wing, which are most notably wing tip vortices. For certain applications this is unnecessary, and even counter productive, for example boundary layer studies.

If you have any more questions, I'd be happy to answer them. I completed a 105 page dissertation on flow visualisation last year, implementing surface oil, smoke injection, surface tufts and tuft grid methods with really exciting results.

If you are looking to do some wind tunnel studies, there are a lot of factors you need to take into consideration. I found this book extremely helpful:

Low-speed wind tunnel testing (Third edition) by J. Barlow et al (Book, 1999)

As someone who is currently in my 4th year in an NA/ME undergrad program I can only offer my perspective on your decision and hope that it helps. Having witnessed a friend or two go through the Mech program my university offers I can tell you that overall the concepts that distinguish NA/ME from general Mech are few - though those few can be quite important. For the most part the classes I have taken mirror the classes my Mech friends have taken to the point where our first Static Structures class was the same, our Intro to Dynamics class was the same, and I even took the Mech version of Fluid Dynamics I because I couldn't take the NA/ME version. For the most part the classes are interchangeable - which sits well with your plan. The differences arise in the fact that Mech will give you none of the basics for Marine design: stability calculations, propeller/engine shaft design, that sort of thing. To compensate, I would recommend this book: Applied Naval Architecture. It's what I use at my university and I find I come back to it quite frequently as it contains a little bit of everything.

Beyond that, my main concern for you lies in the Area of Fluid Dynamics. Right now I'm enrolled in both the Mech and NA/ME version of Fluids II and they are very different. Mech is dedicated to learning CFD in FLUENT and the NA/ME is dedicated to describing scaling parameters between testing models and actual ships. The NA/ME class leads heavy into what my Senior design course will be next year and our Senior Lab, while the Mech class, while useful to know, doesn't help much at all. I wish I could offer you a good source to read on, but as my NA/ME class doesn't use an official book (just course pack) I really don't know of an equivalent that would meet your needs.

So basically, I would say you would be mostly on par with anyone else entering a Masters program straight out of undergrad for NA/ME with just a few exceptions. Hope this helped!

• Federal Aviation Regulations / Aeronautical Information Manual
  
• Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge
  
• Airplane Flying Handbook
  
• Private Pilot Airplane Airmen Certification Standards
  
• Private Pilot Oral Exam Guide
  
  Keep in mind all the information you need to pass is available for free from the FAA. But I like having the books and in the grand scheme of things they're really cheap. The FARs are the regulations you need to know, mostly parts 61 and 91. The AIM has a ton of good information in it as well. All stuff that could show up on your written exam. The PHAK is going to be where a lot of your written material comes from. If you know the information in there forwards and backwards you'll do great.
  
  The ACS is the practical standards to which you'll be judged on the check ride. How close do you need to hold altitude? How close do you need to hold that 45 degree bank angle? All found in the ACS.
  
  The Oral Exam Guide's usefulness will vary based on who gives you your checkride. My DPE literally flipped through his copy of one and picked a few questions out of each section to ask me. If I messed up he stayed in that section longer. If I answered a handful near perfectly that section was done.

Check out a couple of books by Nigel Calder. I recommend starting with Nigel Calder's Cruising Handbook as it's a pretty good general overview of everything you need to know for cruising, then try Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual as a guide to all of the stuff that you will spend all of your free time fixing and maintaining. I also have Marine Diesel Engines. He does a great job of explaining everything you need to know in an accessible way. He manages to get to some pretty advanced skills without assuming very much previous knowledge.

If you like to sail in windy and rough conditions you should really think about a multihull, IMO. In addition to the cats and tris above, you might give Gary Dierking's book a look:

http://www.amazon.com/Building-Outrigger-Sailing-Canoes-Construction/dp/0071487913

Fast, capable, pretty, and not complex to build. Anything in that book would sail circles around a Scamp or the CLC Pocketship. And if you want to camp out you have a tramp or platform to sleep on, that's actually really comfortable.

Good luck!

Glad someone found this subreddit!

Sure thing amigo, here you go:

Aviation Mechanic Hanbook - Sixth Edition

A&P Technician GENERAL TEXTBOOK

Aircraft Inspection, Repair & Alterations

A&P Technician POWERPLANT TEXTBOOK

A&P Technician Airframe Textbook

Aviation Maintenance Technician Handbook - Powerplant

There are 2 more books, they are the study guides for the A&P books. Not required, but optional books.

Good luck! happy reads!

Hey friend. Pilot/Sailor here. There are parallels between aviation and sailing..absolutely, but my advice would be to approach sailing with the same independence with which you approached flying, initially.

There is an ENORMOUS body of information for potential "cruisers" available on line, luckily. I recommend that you hit the forums on Sailnet.com, for starters.

Boat-length isn't really the driving force behind your decision, so much as stability and ease of handling. Ease into the information you read through, and disseminate thusly which sort of cruiser you aspire to be. There are TONS of options.

Bluewaterboats.org
& this (basically a rod machado's take on sailing.)

I did a Canadian version of these, called CAN-BIKE. Every one of the 8 the class were in a similar situation to you, wanting to ride more but feeling unsafe and unsure.

Every one of them came away saying they were so glad they'd taken the class, and felt much more confident mixing with car traffic.

I also found the book The Art of Urban Cycling helpful. It gave some great, specific advice about some of the hazards to expect in the city and how to mitigate them.

This book is an awesome collection of what you need to know for your checkride. You honestly could probably just use this book and be completely fine. I’ve recommended it to everyone in my club who is nearing their checkride and they all love it.

Private Pilot Checkride Preparation and Study Guide https://www.amazon.com/dp/152028795X/

Remember 7-11 twists per inch, I think that's IAW AC-43 or this handy book that should be in your toolbox. http://www.amazon.com/Aviation-Mechanic-Handbook-The-Standard/dp/1560278986

Also your middle bolt is "neutral" and is NOT being assisted by the lock/safety wire.

It should look like this: http://image.customclassictrucks.com/f/28178941/1003cct_13_o+how_to_safety_wire+screwheads_double_twist_method.jpg So you have an "S" shape at each bolt. This is so it's always being pulled tight incase a fastener is loosened.

Other people are also right, in that you should be doing the twists counter clockwise at each interval such as: http://firetrucksandequipment.tpub.com/TM-9-254/img/TM-9-254_202_1.jpg The second picture from the top. This pushes the wire into the work so that it doesn't come up over the top of the head of the fastener.

I was also taught not to twist the wire by hand at a 180 degree angle as it might nick it causing stress raiser but as usual YMMV.

Oh yeah, before I forget, bend your tails so you don't cut the next person sticking their hand in doesn't get cut (run your finger over just to make sure). I saw it the other day, on a Cessna Conquest in the engine compartment, it wasn't nice, the guy got cut pretty bad.

Happy to help. This is my 4" block I did at trade school. https://i.imgur.com/GvV19aV.jpg All done by hand...

practice, practice, practice :)

do you need groundschool?

1. watch these at your convenience, and TAKE NOTES https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0EbtWieMNGzdtQ6fAfAQMiNvxG8F-gX7
   
   
2. Buy this ($13 ain't bad, but you COULD just download off FAA, though I find the hardcopy easier to use): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1619545365/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1
   
   
3. Buy this (yeah yeah I know don't learn the test, learn the materials, but this is still a good resource and you get 5 free practice tests): https://www.amazon.com/Test-Prep-2018-Private-Pilot/dp/B0748MJ4M8/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1505318469&sr=8-2-fkmr2&keywords=ppl+knowledge+test+asa

The acceptance rate for street to seat is 90-100% currently. Those who are already enlisted are having a harder time getting selected. I went through WOCS with two nineteen year olds. Your odds are excellent right now so give it a shot!

​

Here is what I provided to a friend currently applying. These resources helped me tremendously. Note I was no stellar candidate. I had a very average SIFT score. I did have to do a board which you no longer have to do (that's a huge plus). Check it out.

​

EDIT: The civilian rates are much lower than when I was applying a year and a half a go (around 30%).

​

Here are a few things to make things easier while you are putting together your packet. Some things to focus on are:

• Study/Schedule SIFT (give yourself 1-2 months to study)
  
• Scheduling physical at MEPS
  
• Schedule flight physical
  
• Letters of recommendation
  
• PT Score
  
  ​
  
  
• "Why I want to we an Army Aviator" Essay
  
  Watch these:
  
  Starting Strong -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jDe-oU_QW4&t=104sWOFT Application Process - 
  
  Part 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtV_U_weBk8Part 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTAkJpnEttk
  
  SIFT Overiew/Tips - 
  
  Part 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmFHSqsTDvsPart 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkR2ZbGlvaIVertical Reference Forum:http://helicopterforum.verticalreference.com/forum/32-general-military-helicopter-discussions/**SIFT Study Material:**SIFT Study Guide (amazon) -https://www.amazon.com/SIFT-Study-Guide-Questions-Instrument/dp/1628454318/ref=pd_sbs_14_1/132-0035256-5917327?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1628454318&pd_rd_r=f5448d08-91fb-11e9-861b-61bc490b1f71&pd_rd_w=ZQNTs&pd_rd_wg=046qd&pf_rd_p=588939de-d3f8-42f1-a3d8-d556eae5797d&pf_rd_r=2ZFPP2TZGFGACXV9SYGP&psc=1&refRID=2ZFPP2TZGFGACXV9SYGP**I bought a different one and it was not accurate. This one seems to be a good choice, but feel free to look through or purchase others.FAA Helicopter Handbook -https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/helicopter_flying_handbook/Army Fundamentals of Flight - https://fas.org/irp/doddir/army/fm3-04-203.pdfPractice Tests** - http://www.nelnetsolutions.com/dod/DODHubPage.aspx?sponsor=12894&HubPage=15149**I made several accounts so I could take the test several times. I just used different email addresses each time**Math Resource (Khan Academy)** - https://www.khanacademy.org/math/algebra**Focus on Algebra 1

Yeah definitely... I mainly used the AFOQT book listed below and once I learned what my weaknesses were or what my strengths needed to be (pilot had to be strong), I focused primarily on those with any online practice tests I could find. The book I linked will have information on the test sections.. X questions in Y minutes. Practice doing those with a bubble answer sheet so you get the full experience. GRE Vocab was a big help as well for the word knowledge section.


After studying a bit, you should know your weaknesses. But, IF you're not trying to be a pilot, don't worry too much about the aviation section even if you are weak.


Thanks and good luck!

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AFOQT BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/AFOQT-Study-Guide-2018-2019-Questions/dp/1628455314/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=afoqt&qid=1556280745&s=gateway&sr=8-4

One great book to learn about jet engines specifically, which I find incredibly interesting, is "The Jet Engine", which is written by the engineers at Rolls-Royce. It's also pretty easy to understand and isn't too expensive, especially if you get an older edition.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1119065992/

If you're interested in books, I bought this[1] one. It's a pretty good starter. I also bought an older used copy of Chapman Piloting for general boat knowledge.

I personally haven't decided for or against doing it (the possibility is still a few years off), but at least it didn't scare me off entirely. I recently bought a house and the amount of maintenance makes me want to go as far as possible away from maintenance (e.g. getting a super solid tiny house, metal roof, etc) which is not a good point for a boat.

As far learning how to sail, there are "accredited" courses which include time on the water. You can also go outside that and probably get training cheaper. Look up local yacht clubs and see what they have (we have one even in landlocked Austin). I haven't gone farther than research yet so that's as much as I can say.

[1] https://www.amazon.com/Essentials-Living-Aboard-Revised-Updated/dp/0939837668/

TC Seaplane Instructors Guide is good for learning the basics required for the rating.

Notes of a Seaplane Instructor is a great resource. This was my go to resource.

Seaplane Operations is great if you want to get technical.

Source- Taught float ratings in BC for 5 years

Your local power squadrons are a great idea if you're planning on larger cruising boats. But they do mostly course work classes for people who own their own boats or are planning on buying their own cruising boats.

Dinghy sailing just drop by your local dinghy sailing centre and ask them what their lessons start for.

The best book that I've ever found for learning how to sail is the following: http://www.amazon.com/Royces-Sailing-Illustrated-Patrick-Royce/dp/0894716964/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374379136&sr=8-1&keywords=royce%27s+sailing+illustrated

The best way to learn is to get out on the water though. Whatever avenue you take it should involve actually getting out there.

I enjoyed reading this https://www.amazon.ca/Notes-Seaplane-Instructor-Instructional-Flying/dp/1560275588/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492097199&sr=8-1&keywords=notes+of+a+seaplane From what I saw on the internets, it was a popular choice, and I can see why.

I'm only part way through the training. It was a good introduction. However, nothing compared to some good lessons with a former bush pilot.

Every pilot needs to own the Pilots Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge and The Airplane Flying Handbook.

This may be beyond the scope what you're looking for, but the best aviation book I have ever seen is Everything Explained for the Professional Pilot. I highly recommend it.

I bought a SIFT study guide off Amazon when I was looking at flight school. I switched career paths but couldnt return it on Amazon because I took too long. PM me your info and I can save you like $30. I think it has practice tests if you want.

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it was this book:

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https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1628454318/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Find an instructor that has instructed more than 4-5 primary students. The instructor should be planning on staying with the FBO for at least the next year so you can finish the certificate with them. I would also suggest an instructor that is around your own age. This will keep you both on the same page and help build trust. Your instructor has to trust you enough to let you learn and you have to trust your instructor not to do anything reckless.

That said you should study on your own, The airplane flying handbook is your bible of practical knowledge. Also buy a copy of the Pilot's Information Manual for your aircraft (Make sure it is for your exact model of aircraft).

The Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge is another good resource produced by the FAA.

Private Pilot and Recreational Pilot FAA Knowledge Test 2010 gives you all the questions and answers for the ground school test. You can practice on the Sporty's Web Site for free which helps a lot.

The easiest way to save money is to study on your own, the more you study the less time your instructor has to spend with you on the ground. I wouldn't bother with flight simulators on your home computer, they are nice for learning how to scan instruments but at the beginning of your flight training they will only mess you up. That said if you decide to get an instrument rating flight sim is invaluable.

I used the Apex book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1628455314/ref=sspa_dk_detail_0?psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFUUkswTVc4UzdPMjUmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA2OTg2OTdDSkQ4SUdJTTVNNE0mZW5jcnlwdGVkQWRJZD1BMDcxNDQ1MTJUSFBKVk1CNVQ2RVMmd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWwmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl

Excellent book. Covered everything it needed to cover and gave practice questions so that I could time myself. I got a 95 on the pilot section which is what I wanted to mainly study for.

I showed up for my AFOQT late the first go around so I had another month to prepare. Decided to go to the bookstore and see what they had. Found a book for all services and just went over the flight portion for each. Also a good book to study as well. https://www.amazon.com/Barrons-Military-Flight-Aptitude-Tests/dp/1438011040/ref=pd_sbs_14_8?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1438011040&pd_rd_r=3f8d5c00-bb3f-42df-995b-812a54f9b9ff&pd_rd_w=qEg81&pd_rd_wg=hRnUg&pf_rd_p=1c11b7ff-9ffb-4ba6-8036-be1b0afa79bb&pf_rd_r=BZCVESZEZ2WYHFN18VJZ&psc=1&refRID=BZCVESZEZ2WYHFN18VJZ

I can't recall any good references, but I can mainly think of benefits for supersonic tests. One benefit to an open test section is that it can allow you to reduce the transient startup loads on your model as the starting shock progresses through the test section. It can also allow for a start with a lower pressure ratio since you reduce the blockage ratio. Tests dependent on things like heating rates could be performed such that the flow is fully established before injected the model into the test section, making for a more manageable transient, possibly making it easier to compared to computational results.

Edit: Now that I think about it, good references to start with would be Pope's books on low and high speed wind tunnel testing. I can't remember if the high speed one discusses open jet test sections or not, but afaik those are the de facto starting point for learning about wind tunnel design and testing.

Low Speed: http://www.amazon.com/Low-Speed-Tunnel-Testing-Jewel-Barlow/dp/0471557749
High Speed: http://www.amazon.com/High-Speed-Wind-Tunnel-Testing-Alan/dp/088275727X

Awesome! I'll probably get those to suppliment. Just to confirm, you're referring to these, right?
https://www.amazon.com/Pilots-Handbook-Aeronautical-Knowledge-FAA-H-8083-25B/dp/1619544733/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499377298&sr=8-1&keywords=Pilots+Handbook+of+Aeronautical+Knowledge

and

https://www.amazon.com/Student-Pilots-Flight-Manual-Certificate/dp/156027719X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499377340&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Student+Pilots+Flight+Manual

Thanks!

Oh wow, I have not read that one - I'll have to get a copy.

I've gotten much enjoyment out of reading Royce's Sailing Illustrated, Capable Cruiser by Lin & Larry Pardey [along with everything else by them], and the Annapolis Book of Seamanship, among others.

Haha! Around really hard core racers I feel that way all the time still. I just shut my mouth and nod sometimes. Being immersed in a new language helps some.

I found this book to be particularly helpful.

I used this one. I took the SIFT towards the end of last month and got a 63. Few discrepancies in the book, but appreciated how thorough it was. If I had spent more time studying this book I would have been more than adequately prepared if that makes any sense.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1628454318/ref=sspa_mw_detail_0?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Rolls Royce's The Jet Engine. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jet-Engine-Rolls-Royce/dp/1119065992 Always fascinated me when I was younger, great diagrams and explanations.

I'd say just build it, but The Illustrated Guide to Aerodynamics is awesome if you want to do a fixed wing design. It's a staple textbook for an intro to...aerodynamics

Illustrated Guide to Aerodynamics https://www.amazon.com/dp/0830639012/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_igPGDbBT34ZK8

I'd also recommend Skip Smith's Illustrated Guide to Aerodynamics.

Easy to read, understand, and won't put you to sleep like Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators.

Get the ASA Oral exam guide for Private Pilot. They will over prepare you if you know it cover to cover. Congrats on passing the written, it's a good feeling getting those over with.

http://www.amazon.com/Private-Oral-Exam-Guide-comprehensive/dp/1560279494/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1458476616&sr=8-1&keywords=asa+oral+exam+guide+private

Great advice in this thread already. I recommend picking up this book about dealing with traffic on your bike. Helped me lots.

The Art of Urban Cycling: Lessons from the Street https://www.amazon.com/dp/0762727837/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_Pf1WzbM9K98A9

Yeah...so according to the book, as far as safe cycling is concerned... Well, let's say that I recommend you read it. Maybe they have it at the library?

EDIT: Here are some reviews of the book. (The title was changed.)

Low Speed Wind Tunnel Testing


Aerodynamics is a math heavy subject. You're not going to escape it.

There are books geared toward the pilot/hobbyist audience you might find interesting as well like Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators.

I have enjoyed these:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0756689694/
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0071350993/

Edit 1 to add: Also, for entertaining reading, Joshua Slocum's book and Voyage for Madmen

I'm totally biased, but I think you'd love the designs in this book

I can second GPA. I've met a couple of their instructors. It's good training at a good price.

http://www.flygpa.com/

Edit:
If you want to get your feet wet, this book will be indispensable during flight school.

Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge: FAA-H-8083-25B (FAA Handbooks series) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1619544733/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_McvKybXBS5QKB

A good book on the basics of helicopters and how they work:
http://www.amazon.com/Principles-Helicopter-Flight-W-Wagtendonk/dp/1560276495

A good textbook directed at engineers studying helicopters:
http://www.amazon.com/Principles-Helicopter-Aerodynamics-Cambridge-Aerospace/dp/0521858607/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372342685&sr=8-1&keywords=leishman

I like Principles of Helicopter Aerodynamics by Leishman. Starts out very understandable, and then gets as complicated as you care to learn. Also includes a lot of history.

I recommend this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Essentials-Living-Aboard-Revised-Updated/dp/0939837668

Re learning: get something you can hope to dock.

This was a great resource for my wife and I (boston, 42' trawler): https://www.amazon.com/Essentials-Living-Aboard-Boat/dp/0939837668.

This book
is absolutely perfect for what you described. Used it recently in an aerodynamics course and it's not too technical.

I'm a fan of Rod Machado's book. I feel like the FAA resources are a bit dry for a newbie:
https://www.amazon.com/Rod-Machados-Private-Pilot-Handbook/dp/0963122991/

I've been taking two sportys practice tests a day, one in the morning, and one at night.

Also using this.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/152028795X/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

If you get that book in printed form you can get it on Kindle for free. That book is pretty damn legit.

Found this to be a pretty good resource as well for $9. The book is small, but packed with quick references.

Private Pilot Checkride Prep

Don't feel down, just train and do it again!

There are a couple of resources that I found especially useful for the PPL oral: Rod Machado's book and the ASA Oral. You should have these cheat sheets memorized.

Though I did my PPL Part 61, I went to a Part 141 school that did three stage checks you had to pass (with an oral for each) so you could track your progress. If you can, I would have a CFI who routinely does stage checks for a Part 141 school do a mock oral with you before you go in front of the DPE again.

Start with the classic, "Sailing Alone around the World", by Joshua Slocum. I would also recommend some other older accounts, such as Cruising under Sail, by Eric and Susan Hiscock.

Get to know Lin and Larry Pardey and their books.

For specific advice on boat systems, see Nigel Calder's books Nigel is a very clear and detailed writer.

The weather section of this book pretty much covered it. Aside from that, I don't remember any serious "gotch-ya's".

I read this book before starting, Notes of a seaplane instructor, to brush up on some topics I may have forgot or didn't quite understand. It's an easy read.

This is the book I used while getting my pilots license:

https://www.amazon.com/Rod-Machados-Private-Pilot-Handbook/dp/0963122991

There's a couple chapters all about charts and VFR navigation. I highly recommend it

The only other one I can really think of is Zubaly's Applied Naval Architecture, I was told during my sophomore year that this book would be my Bible for life, and although I only just graduated recently, it has been quite useful, primarily in school so far though. I know they're not really related topics, but that's all I got.

I agree with the others but these are also a MUST in your collection! Don’t let the titles fool you, tons of good info in both. These are the first books you’ll buy if you study aeronautical engineering (source: I’m an aeronautical engineer)

Low-Speed Wind Tunnel Testing

Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators

The Jet Engine is a book by Rolls Royce

It’s been recommended to me by fellow aerospace guys. I just never bought it because it’s ~$60.

The Jet Engine https://www.amazon.com/dp/1119065992/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_yoQPCbGK1DBRM

> line is a bear for me. I can't sit in one place for awhile, so even at home, reading on a laptop that gets hot is killer. I'll spend the money for the print.

ASA publishes the print versions, here's the lazy-link: PHAK, AFH, and the FAR/AIM but it looks like the Gleim kit already has that one.

http://helicopterforum.verticalreference.com/topic/20154-just-took-the-sift/

https://www.amazon.com/SIFT-Study-Guide-Questions-Instrument/dp/1628454318/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1539567546&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=sift+study+guide&dpPl=1&dpID=51-iB8lVLJL&ref=plSrch

Buy this and read it cover to cover.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-Urban-Cycling-Lessons/dp/0762727837

This:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1619544733/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_gWyACbBY0R1E4

The Jet Engine published by Rolls Royce who have some experience in the field;) - used to be (maybe still is) the de facto reading primer prior to embarking on licence courses in the UK.

Older versions are somewhat cheaper and still very relevant if you're after an intro level publication. This is the one I had as it happens.

Without knowing much more, I would say read this:

http://www.amazon.com/Art-Urban-Cycling-Lessons-Street/dp/0762727837

great resource. Check your library for a copy.

Could be worse; you could read what I read. I'm a bit of a nerd, so I read things like the Illustrated Guide to Aerodynamics. I would argue that any reading is better than no reading, though. So since you recently graduated and I see that you seem to post to /r/teachers, is it safe to assume you'll be getting much busier in the fall?

I bike to and from work each day in SF. I have not been hit yet, but I know it's coming. I spend most of my time trying to look for telltale signs of people about to throw open a car door, or randomly turn.

I found this book on The Art of Urban Cycling to be really helpful. Lots of nice tips on pavement conditions to look out for, locking up tips, and what to look for in cars that might be trying to kill you.

Honestly though, I'm probably going to die while gawking at some hottie on the sidewalk as I ride into a giant MUNI bus or something.