The Complete Private Pilot

Now in its thirteenth edition!


This textbook is for anyone interested in pursuing and obtaining a Private Pilot, Sport Pilot or Recreational Pilot certificate. The author, a long-admired member of the aviation community, explains in a friendly, readable style and comprehensively covers all the details involved in the adventure of becoming a pilot and learning to fly.


An FAA Knowledge Exam is required to earn a Private Pilot certificate. Using the FAA exam as the premise for learning, Bob Gardner applies practical information so readers are not only prepared for the test, but also for the cockpit. He augments the required aeronautical knowledge by giving specific tips and techniques, checklists and mnemonic devices, and sound advice from personal experience. A full-color example of a sectional chart is provided inside for use with the many interactive exercises throughout the text. Each chapter concludes with review questions similar to the type found on the FAA test. A comprehensive glossary and index are included. This practical application of the FAA Knowledge Exam is not available in any other book!