I’m a 65 year old student solo pilot. Just learning all the material necessary to pass the written test is a daunting task. I have my dad’s old manual from 1948. It is a 1/2 sheet pamphlet that he carried in his shirt pocket to study. My study materials fill up a bookshelf. Flying ‘bug smashers’ is not for the fainthearted. The number of antenna towers alone is amazing. Caressing the yoke is the easy part.