Many student private pilots don't realise at the start of their course that many hours of study are required on top of the in-class schedule. This book will help those trainee pilots without science backgrounds, or those that need a refresher, to brush up on the necessary theory. It covers subjects that will be encountered many times during the PPL course, such as principles of flight, aircraft general knowledge, flight performance and planning, meteorology, navigation and human factors. The content is organized around two main groups of information, namely core knowledge, concentrating more on the concepts; and a practical toolbox, dedicated to some techniques that will be required during the course. AUTHOR: Luis Burnay studied engineering at the University of Lisbon and earned his Research Masters at the von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics. He has worked in engineering consultancy and management in both Europe and the USA. A keen private pilot, he helps PPL students prepare for their ground school written exams. 170 colour photographs, 10 b/w