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This is a review of the Learn the Mad Dog training DVD by Jessica Bannister-Pearce.
Books are old school man! I mean, like, who wants to read all those pages. And, like, think of the rain forests. Surely there’s, like, a better way.
Happily, there is.
We all know that flying the big iron is hard work. I literally have shelves that bow in the middle from sheer weight of flight manuals. Just the thought of having to sit and study these massive files can strike fear into the hardiest pilot. But as I said, these days there is another way.
Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid…..
All Hail The DVD
In recent years, DVD’s have become a familiar sight around the home. The great thing about DVD’s is that they’re cheap to make, easy to duplicate and take up little room on the shelf. So knowing this, it wasn’t long before the flight sim community began to take notice. First to come out was Angle of Attack productions for Level D’s 767-300. This proved the benchmark by which all others should be measured. So with this in mind, how does the “Learn the Mad Dog” stack up?
Ground school was never this easy
What’s A Mad Dog?
I’m ashamed to say, that until recently, I hadn’t heard of a ‘Mad Dog’. In fact it wasn’t until I reviewed Flight 1‘s Super MD-80 that I knew much about the aircraft itself at all. Since then however the ‘Mad Dog’ has gone on to be a fleet favourite with me, so when Larry Foltran offered me the chance to review His ‘Mad Dog’ Training DVD, I jumped at the chance. Larry is know as the Chief MD-88/90 Test pilot at Delta Virtual Airlines, and has worked hard to bring us this DVD. The first thing to point out is that this DVD is based on Leonardo’s ‘Fly the Mad Dog 2006′. So to get the best from this DVD, you’ll need this version, but if you fly flight 1′s Super MD-80, you’ll find a lot of crossover information. So don’t restrict yourself.
Follow the onscreen instructions to the path of knowledge
Knowledge is power, and power comes from…
Like AoA 767 DVD is split into two parts. Part one covers each system and switch onboard the aircraft. Whist part to takes us through the pre-flight all the way to shutdown. And Like AoA’s DVD, Do not sit and watch this in one go. At over 3 hours you’re brain will melt. (Trust me, mine did, but I am Blonde.)
The amount of information contained in this DVD is simply astounding, but perhaps its best feature isn’t the information, but the production values. Each section is presented in turn by two professional voiceover artists, one male, one female. This is a great feature as, if you want to watch more than one section at a time (You brave Person), you’ll find the change of voice helps to wake the mind back up, so you can learn. But it doesn’t stop there, the pointers on screen are clear and concise and the information is never delivered dryly.
The Study guide will help you cement what you’ve learned
But wait, there’s MORE
Had that simply been it, then the ‘Learn the Mad Dog’ DVD would have been a great buy. It successfully raised the bar set down by AoA productions. But as the title above suggest, there is more. Larry Foltran seems to be a man on a mission. To that end, He’s produced a study guide to accompany the DVD. At nearly 50 pages it’s a great addition to you’re learning and it includes 75 (Yes 75!) study questions to help with your knowledge. Also included in the guide is a full section on the weather radar onboard the MD-80, a section that had to be cut from the DVD. At $23.99 it can seem expensive. But if you’re buying both together then it’s a steal at $38 (Compared to $32 for just the DVD).
You will become a better pilot. Honest.
Conclusion
So how do I rate this DVD? Well, this has taken the bar and raised it not just a little high, but into a whole new category. The information is delivered without ever feeling heavy, though it is best to watch in bite size pieces. And the optional study guide really is a must if you really want to get to grips with the MD-80 (Or if you really want to show off you’re knowledge to other pilots). DVD’s really are the way to learn our favourite aircraft systems. But perhaps the best news of all is that Larry is going to be working With Chris Palmer at AoA on an upcoming project. So imagine what that DVD will be like. Either way you look at it ‘Learning to fly the Mad Dog’ is now much easier. So why wait?
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