"Falky foo" wrote in message
...
I don't know why you say that
"all the home study stuff is very coy"...I've found the ones that provide
for a completion certificate allowing you to take the written are right
up
front about it, and not coy at all. After all, it's a marketing point
for
them.

I'd love it if you could point to specific language. If I were their
marketing guy, I'd be far more explicit, saying something like, "This
certificate satisfies FAA regulation XX.XX(x) and allows you to take the
written exam without other CFI signoff."

Honestly, I'm not sure someone with so little motivation as to be able to
find this sort information on your own really belongs in the cockpit. As I
said, it's a marketing point and usually prominently stated. For example,
from the King School's web page for their Private Pilot course:

"Your Private Pilot Exam DVD Course includes:
1.. Every single FAA question, with thorough step-by-step explanations
2.. 3 Practice Exams (to help boost your confidence before the test)
3.. FAR/AIM CD-ROM
4.. King Coursebook with detailed notes
5.. Sign-off for your FAA Exam"
Pay particular mind to #5. Isn't that explicit enough for you?

Of course, keep in mind the 24-month limit for the exam. That is, once you
pass the exam, you have 24 months only before you take the practical exam
(oral and flight).

Your reluctance to get involved with an actual flight instructor is pretty
bizarre, IMHO. And whether you asked for advice on that issue or not, it's
pretty silly to go off rushing into the written exam before you've done any
flight training at all.

Pete