So many changes have taken place in the last ten years, necessitating legislative updates and the consequential implementation into practice throughout the flight training industry, that it has been necessary to produce several new editions. This edition again updates both the Aviation Law and Meteorology sections and takes account of the widespread availability of briefing materials for pilots via the internet. Additionally changes introduced by EASA have been included. The EASA Aircrew Regulation came into force on 8th April 2012 and these requirements have been included in this edition. As before, unique in PPL training manuals, you will find throughout the text comprehensive references to the source documents and relative section numbers. This will enable you to carry out further research should you wish to delve deeper than the PPL syllabus.

Volume 2 – Air Law & Meteorology

• Aviation Law, Flight Rules and Procedures
• The Private Pilot’s Licence
• Meteorology
• Practice Questions.

– A Condensed History of the Air Pilot Manuals –

For over 30 years the Air Pilot Manuals have led the academic training of pilots in the United Kingdom and in many countries around the world.

I first met Trevor Thom, a professional pilot and natural teacher, in Melbourne during a visit to Australia in January 1985. He already had his series of PPL Manuals for the Australian market and I asked him to produce a series for the New Zealand market where we had a small aviation business. Having completed this task, Trevor immediately began writing the first of the Air Pilot Manuals for the United Kingdom market and this project began in earnest on 5th December 1985.

Both Trevor Thom and Robert Johnson commenced the task in my office at Felden. By the end of the following year, all four volumes were complete and were published in February 1987. By the end of that year, we estimated that 95% of all the UK Flying Schools were using our manuals. Volumes 5, 6 and 7 followed, so completing the full series.

Unfortunately, Trevor Thom had a serious accident at home which prevented him from continuing with the editing of the manuals. His rights were eventually sold to David Robson, another experienced pilot and natural teacher, who progressively improved the drawings and brought colour into the manuals for the first time.

Over the years there have been many assistant editors, in particular Peter Godwin, whose help I first asked for in the very early days with Trevor Thom and which continued until quite recently. The rights in the Air Pilot Manuals are now vested with the Pooley family and they continue to be edited and published from our offices and the Flying Instructor School at Shoreham Airport.

The Air Pilot Manuals have an outstanding reputation for accuracy and are continuously updated. They are recommended CAA reading material and are referred to extensively in the CAA examination answer booklet.

Robert Pooley MBE CStJ FRIN FRAeS