Starting a career in aviation. Buying your pilot supplies and aviation equipment for training.

Learning to fly is often perceived as a rich man's game; but it doesn't have to be. Learning to fly can be one of the most exciting and rewarding experiences of your life; and becoming a student pilot is the first step on this adventure which also gives you the option of a career in aviation.

With clubs and schools looking to attract student pilots, there are many options for low cost pilot training, and substantial amounts of equipment and pilot supplies designed to help you train effectively, thereby cutting the number of hours you might spend on getting your private pilots licence.

This article explores some of the flight equipment open to you, and provides a guide to choosing this equipment.

The pilot shop, Proviation, provides numerous pilot supplies buyers guides to help you choose in more detail; including the famous Proviation aviation headsets buyers guide and pilot training equipment guide.

Proviation Pilot Shop exists to provide the best pilot equipment, supplied with expert, impartial advice. We are pleased to advise anyone on their individual kit requirements. But here is a good introduction for new pilots.

PPL Kit Requirements: The Books

Your choice of pilot training textbooks may depend on your flying school or instructor. Typically a school will teach to the syllabus outlined in these PPL courses. Air Pilot's Manual Volume 1, for example, sets out the flying training exercises which will be practiced in your lessons, and logged in your logbook. The main PPL course books are AFE books, and Air Pilots Manuals, (often called 'Thom' books after the original author, Trevor Thom) both of which are CAA approved.

We recommend you start with PPL textbooks as they deal with PPL-specific training; however in subjects such as Air Law, Radiotelephony, and Human Factors, you could read at an advanced ATPL level, if this is your eventual goal.

For your first solo- begin with Air Pilot Manual Volume 1- Flying Training (AFE Volume 1- Flying Training), and Air Pilot Manual Volume 2- Air Law and Operational Procedures. These fulfill the first examination requirements, and flight training techniques (Air Pilot Manual Volume 1) which you will need to progress to solo level.

All aviation books from Proviation are delivered for free by first class post (or Airmail).

Full Kits- These are recommended in helping you grasp the full course in one go- it allows you to read ahead, and avoid gaps.

Proviation stock full kits of all the main publishers:

Air Pilot's Manuals- The Full Set £139

AFE PPL Books £99.95

For Exam Preparation:

Buy the AFE Question and Answer Simplifier, or the PPL Perfector. The question-and answer books deal with each subject, and prepare you for your exams by using the correct CAA questions. They are essential!

PPL Kit Requirements: Pilot Equipment

Essential pilot equipment begins with a PPL Logbook, aircraft checklist and Kneeboard. These are essential for beginning training! We also recommend a good quality pilot case. Soft cases are rugged enough for regular use at the school; or consider a smart, hard-side briefcase for progressing to the airlines.

As your flying becomes more advanced, purchase your navigation equipment. Begin with a Flight Computer; the most popular is the Pooleys CRP-1 (next most popular is the AFE ARC-1). If you plan to progress to ATPL-level, buy the more comprehensive Pooleys CRP-5 flight computer.

Consider full pilot starter kits to save money:

These pilot kits could save you up to 20%, not to mention free delivery. These are the perfect way to save money on your training in the long-term, and take care of all your requirements in one go. We highly recommend the Proviation Pilots Starter Kit, with Pooleys equipment. This includes a flight computer and navigation tools, your aviation chart, and all the books you need.

Choosing a Headset

We recommend using the Proviation headset buyers guide. Proviation holds the very widest choice of aviation headsets available to the UK market. So they recognise the huge importance in choosing the right pilot headset for your flying as a student pilot, and beyond. We have a range of headsets to suit all budgets and all ambitions.

For the PPL course, owning your own headset is highly recommended. It means you can get used to it, and therefore become more used to the flight environment, and sound of the engine. The headset should be comfortable, and offer good noise attenuation- luckily all of our headsets meet these criteria.

For PPL training, with short flights, a passive headset (using physical materials to block sound), is suitable. We recommend David Clark H10 13.4 and Sennheiser HME-110 passive headsets. Proviation Pilot Shop stock a range of headsets by Pilot Communications USA. These pilot headsets start at only £99 and are chosen for their comfort and quality.

Looking ahead, consider an ANR headset- these offer Active Noise Reduction- which uses electronics to counter noise and produce a higher level of noise attenuation- ideal for longer flights. The investment is worth it; it will protect your ears! Our best buys are the Lightspeed Zulu II which has won numerous awards and accolades, and the Sennheiser HMEC-250, which is the number one choice for a value ANR headset. Proviation customer service will be able to provide you with more information about ANR headsets.

Sunglasses

Finally, buy a good pair of sunglasses. Good eyewear is ESSENTIAL. You need to be able to protect your eyes from the more harmful UV rays you encounter when airborne; and particularly for picking-out traffic in bright conditions.

Consider Ray Ban sunglasses, and Mile High sunglasses. Both are non-polarised. Polarised lenses are NOT recommended for aviation as distortions can occur.

For specific pilot buyers guides on various categories of pilot supplies, visit this link to pilot buyers guides http://proviationshop.co.uk/page/3

The Proviation Shop website is extremely detailed and well laid-out, but in addition to the useful information in the pilot supplies category, Proviation has a very knowledgeable team on-hand to help should you ever need it. Proviation customer service is among the best you will encounter from a family-run business, which includes active pilots.