Innovative Software for General Aviation Pilots – FROM Powerful learning, inc.

Powerful Learning, Inc., longtime a supplier of study materials for commercial aircraft pilots, has introduced three new software products for General Aviation pilots; the Private Pilot Study System, the Instrument Pilot Study System and the VFR Pilot Review System. These software packages are built around an entirely new concept that enables a student to learn more in less time. An integrated Aviation Library makes it easier for a student or previously rated pilot to continue learning and understand concepts more thoroughly.

Software Overview
The Private Pilot Study System and the Instrument Pilot Study System are specifically designed to aid the student working towards a certificate or rating. These products will help students prepare for both the FAA knowledge test and the flight test, and should be used from the first day of training. The VFR Pilot Review System is designed for the pilot who already has his or her Private Pilot Certificate and needs to continue the learning process and/ or prepare for a flight review.

All of the software designed by Powerful Learning incorporates three components:

Testing and Review Software
A Comprehensive Aviation Reference Library
Seamless Integration

The first component, Testing and Review Software, provides all of the functions and tools needed for a student to customize his or her learning experience. That includes, but is not limited to, random question generation, choosing question categories, marking questions for further review, having the ability to display the correct answer and concise explanations, and a comprehensive end-oftest report to help identify areas that need further study. Powerful Learning software contains some unique tools that enhance the learning experience. Among them are:

Additional, custom designed question and answer databanks that cover areas that are either not covered in the FAA knowledge test, or covered lightly (ex. interpreting METARs and TAFs).
An electronic Flashcard Mode
Integration with relevant, online courses

It is in this first component, the testing and review software, that the major differences between the products will be found.

The second component, an Aviation Reference Library, is also unique. Powerful Learning is the only software company on the market that provides this valuable reference source bundled with learning and testing software. The library is tailored to each software package and is very comprehensive. It includes books, Advisory Circulars and additional tools and guides. The ease of navigation makes it very easy for a student to cross-reference information on a single topic from multiple sources, thereby gaining different perspectives and better understanding. The library is installed on the user’s hard drive during product installation, making it available all of the time (i.e. no internet connection required).

Every document in the library can be kept up to date with one click from the main launch page of the software. When a user clicks the ‘Update Software’ button, the software communicates with the servers at Powerful Learning and determines if any documents in the library need to be updated. If needed, an update is downloaded and installed in a few seconds. Powerful Learning also offers an update notification service whereby users will be notified whenever there is a software update available for their product.

The third component, seamless integration, is at the heart of what makes this software so powerful. Because the reference library is ‘wrapped’ inside the software, the student has the ability to instantly access the information that is relevant to any question while working inside the learning environment. No matter what question a student is viewing, with one click, the appropriate book is retrieved from the library and opened to the correct chapter, page, and paragraph for that particular question. Not only that, but the relevant information is highlighted for instant recognition. Instead of spending their time searching for information, students can spend their time learning the material. Students will learn more in less time, understand the required material better, and become safer pilots!

A great tool for instructors, students and flight schools
The Aviation Library is a great standalone reference source for GA pilots, flight school owners, students, CFIs, corporate operators and examiners alike.

Flight instructors will find the Aviation Library to be comprehensive, with a navigation system that is quick and easy to use. Whether they are planning lessons, looking something up to show a student, or using it for their own education, the information they need is at their fingertips. Navigating between different books is a snap and makes it easier to cover a single topic from the various perspectives offered from different documents. The easy-to-navigate reference library is a great tool for verifying information (with an FAR/ AIM that is always current) crossreferencing information between many sources, developing questions, and checking candidates.

Either for flight schools that have a single computer or an entire learning center for student use, Powerful Learning offers site license arrangements and special pricing on their software. Contact them for more information.

Product Specifics - Private Pilot and Instrument Pilot software
The form and function of the Private Pilot Study System and the Instrument Pilot Study System are identical. The differences lie in the question and answer databanks and the material included in the Aviation Library. Each software package contains the appropriate FAA knowledge test databank plus additional databanks designed by Powerful Learning. The books and other materials found in the library are appropriate to the rating or certificate being sought.

Each software package has three Modes that questions and answers can be delivered in: a Learning Mode, a Test Mode and a Flashcard Mode.

When using the software, the first step is to choose which test database you would like to use. The Private Pilot Study System includes the FAA knowledge test plus 13 additional tests grouped by subject area. The Instrument Pilot Study System includes the FAA knowledge test plus nine additional tests to choose from.

In the Learning Mode, the question and answer databanks are highly customizable. Once a user chooses a test, he or she can further specify the category of questions delivered. For example, in the Private Pilot Study System, users can choose the ‘Lighting and Visual Aids’ test which consists of 52 questions. They can then choose from seven subcategories such as runway lighting, pilot controlled lighting, runway markings, etc. The Learning Mode includes a number of different tools to promote learning, with all of the buttons to access these learning tools arranged around the question and answer window. The result is an uncluttered screen that makes it easy to focus on what’s important; the question and answer.

The buttons arranged around the screen are as follows: Mark Question - allows a user to mark a question for later review; Show Answer - the correct answer is checked or filled in for the user; Explanation – a concise explanation is displayed for that question; LEARN – one of the most important buttons in this software. The LEARN button will retrieve the book from the library that is appropriate for that particular question. The book will be opened to the correct page and the section that contains relevant information for that question will be highlighted in yellow. The software is not simply displaying a section of the book, it is actually taking the user inside the library. This means that a user can not only read the immediate section that is displayed, but can navigate the entire library from this point, including reading information on the topic at hand from other documents in the library. The ability to easily cross-reference information from multiple documents on a single topic means that the student will gain a better understanding of the material. When the library window is closed, the student will be returned to the question and answer window.

In addition, there are Print, Help, and Users Manual buttons located on top of the question window. When a test is completed in the Learning Mode, a comprehensive end-of-test report is automatically generated. This report includes overall grade and grades by category, and displays all of the questions that were answered incorrectly along with the correct answer, and an explanation. Of course, this report can be printed.

The Test Mode is designed to emulate the testing environment the student will experience when taking the FAA knowledge test. When the knowledge test is loaded in the Test Mode, 60 random questions are selected from the FAA databank, loaded into the test window, and a 2-½ hour timer is started. At the end of the allotted time, the test is automatically ended and graded. All question and answer databanks can be launched in the Test Mode. When delivered in the Test Mode, all of the “help” buttons are disabled (i.e. the Show Answer button, Explanation button, Learn button, etc.). The student can truly test his or her knowledge using any of the test databanks!

The Flashcard Mode uses an entirely different method of question delivery and learning style. This mode emulates the time-tested method of studying using flashcards. In effect, questions are loaded onto an electronic flashcard at the top of the screen. This means that the question is displayed, but no answer choices are visible. When the user flips the card over (i.e. clicks the lower card), the answer and an explanation are revealed. There are a number of advantages to this method of study. When preparing to take the FAA knowledge test, the Flashcard Mode can be used to review questions and associate the correct answer with those questions – a great tool during the final stages of preparing for the knowledge test! The Flashcard mode is also more challenging than the multiple choice style. Displaying a question with no multiple choice answers removes the ‘guessing’ factor. This learning method will really test a student’s understanding of the required material.

Product Specifics – VFR Pilot Review System software
The VFR Pilot Review System package functions much differently than the Private Pilot and Instrument Pilot packages. This software is specifically designed for the already certificated pilot who needs to prepare for flight reviews and who also wants to continue learning. The software contains 12 question and answer databanks. Each databank deals with a different subject area (aerodynamics, performance, weather, etc.) and each subject area is broken down into subtopics. This allows an incredible amount of customization for the user.

Because the software was developed with the ‘flight review’ in mind, a heavy emphasis has been placed on questions being delivered in an open-ended style, much like the oral portion of a flight review. When questions are delivered in the openended style, the main window displays the question but no answer choices. When the Show Answer button is clicked, a window opens underneath the question displaying the answer, an explanation, and a library reference. Of course, just as with the Private Pilot Study System and the Instrument Pilot Study System, the LEARN button is available which will retrieve and open the appropriate book for the question being viewed; and highlight the section that applies to that question.

An additional benefit with the VFR Pilot Review System is the use of online courses. With many questions, when the Show Answer button is clicked and the answer and explanation window open, there will also be a link to an online course that is relevant to the question at hand. This, in effect, brings the power and depth of online courses to the user, exactly when it will benefit him or her the most. The user can skip the online course, take the course in part, or take the entire course. When the online course is closed, the student will be brought back to the place in the test from where they left off. Questions can also be delivered in the multiple choice style, allowing flexibility and variety for different learning styles.

Free Software for CFIs
Powerful Learning offers software to CFIs, free of charge. Requests for a free download can be made through their distributor, EDMO Distributors, Inc.

Additional Information
Please visit Powerful Learning online for more detailed information on each software package. Software can be purchased both in CD form and as a download from their web site. In addition, free demos are available in case you would like to ‘try it before you buy it’. Software can also be purchased on the wholesale level through their distributor, EDMO Distributors, Inc.