Aviation books - Any recommendations?

[Stifler's Mom]

Petey's book can't be all that great if he needed a vanity press to publish it.

For those who don't know, a vanity press is when you pay a publisher to print your book, unlike a reputable book publisher such as Doubleday or McGraw-Hill which accepts your manuscript, prints it, edits it, and markets it.

Hey, wait a minute, that sounds like...yup, it is....

PFP (Pay For Publishing) AHHHHHHHHHHH


Sorry Vlad, I know I probably stole your joke.

 

[JediNein]

Everything Explained for the Pro Pilot

While it seems like a good book:
Chapter 1 has one glaring inaccuracy where court precedent has held that the VFR pilot must hear the words "cleared into the class B [or Bravo]" before entering, even if assigned a heading and altitude that will penetrate the airspace.

Think we can come up with an errata list for the author to correct his next printing?

Fly SAFE!
Jedi Nein

 

[LJDRVR]

As you are starting your professional career, I STRONGLY recommend al three of Tony Kern's books:

Redefining Airmanship
Flight Discipline
Darker Shades of Blue

If you have to chose one, get Redefining Airmanship. Tony is the first and only person I've encountered who thoroughtly addresses the question of professional airmanship. In other word, once you've learned all the basics and the checkrides every six months are no longer a challenge, what about the rest of the "stuff"? Dr. Kern is an experienced aviator, teacher, historian and researcher who has looked at historical examples of great piots and not so great pilots. His exhaustive research culminated with a model of airmanship that you can use for the rest of your career. If I could have only one aviation book on my shelf, it would be Redefining Airmanship.

On the fun side, you've got lots of good suggestions. Anything by Ernie Gann is fantastic. Bonnie! is good, I first read it when I was 16. North Star over My Shoulder by Bob Buck is an excellent read. A Gift of Wings and Stranger to the Ground are my favorite Dick Bach books. Also Thud Ridge and Going Downtown by Jack Broughton, a truly great leader.

Have Fun!

 

[Traumahawk]

Thanks.

I recall that someone posted a book on here in the past, and the response that I got from the posts was "This is a MUST READ for anyone in or going into the aviation career." Still can't locate nor find the name of the book they were making that comment about

"Fusco's story is the story of all pilots who ever chanced the long odds against making a living flying airplanes and lived to laugh about it"

---Moondog's Academy of the Air and Other Disasters


I would certainly agree with the quote you are asking about and believe it fits perfectly to this book. Best book I have ever read period.

T-hawk

 

[sky37d]

fiction non fiction

I have been reading some books by Richard Hough, recently. He's not the same as those above.

However, his tales are based on the pre-war, early war years of WWII. His major character flies Hurricanes. The jacket cover, back, has a picture of him, and the following:
"Richard Hough after lone combat with Messerschmitt 109s on his twenty-first birthday. He shot down one and probably a second"

What a way to turn 21.

 

[350DRIVER]

If you are looking for some good books then I would highly suggest the books written by Barry Schiff. The books are Flying Wisdom " The Proficient Pilot". They are published by ASA. Barry spent many many years at TWA and flew just about everything TWA had over the years, he touches on his personal experiences from the flight deck as well as others in his books which are quite interesting to read. Topics range from Deep stalls, CRM, Ham-fisted pilots, using checklists, hazardous airports, the sterile cockpit, skill versus experience, and everything in between. If you enjoy the airlines then you surely will enjoy the writings by Barry.

I think I own every book that he has written thus far.

3 5 0

> I found it interesting to read that his last flight (retirement flight) on the 757 (STL to LAX) was with his son as his first officer and to put the icing on the cake it was Fathers Day.. I could not imagine being able to give your father a better Fathers Day.

 

[T-Gates]

I just finished reading Flying the Line Vol. I and II.....

A must read for all airline pilots......

 

[bobbysamd]

Tony Kern

If you have to chose one, get Redefining Airmanship. Tony [Kern] is the first and only person I've encountered who thoroughtly addresses the question of professional airmanship. In other word, once you've learned all the basics and the checkrides every six months are no longer a challenge, what about the rest of the "stuff"? Dr. Kern is an experienced aviator, teacher, historian and researcher who has looked at historical examples of great piots and not so great pilots. His exhaustive research culminated with a model of airmanship that you can use for the rest of your career. If I could have only one aviation book on my shelf, it would be Redefining Airmanship.

Seconded. Excellent book. It talks about establishing airmanship from the beginning as an attitude and a mindset and not strictly in terms of being a good stick-and-rudder man/woman.