Good Aviation Books

[illtake2]

I was told the name of a book the other day, and i can't remember the title. It was written by an Alaskan Airline pilot I think he had some military background. I heard it was the book to get. If people just shoot titles I might be able to remember it. Thanks

 

[Skyward]

It's not one of these, but they are good books.

1. Fate is the Hunter
2. Hard Landing
3. The destruction of Eastern Airlines
4. Killing Pablo (not an aviation book, but still good)

 

[Beergut]

If you like aviaton fiction anything by John J. Nance is good.

 

[donkeykong]

Skunk Works by Ben Rich. It's the history of the Lockheed spy planes. Couldn't put it down.

 

[V1cutsrfun]

Skunk Works by Ben Rich. It's the history of the Lockheed spy planes. Couldn't put it down.

I'll second that...read it 3 times over the years.....

V1

Ernie Gann writes some great books as well....

 

[FmrFreightDog]

It's not one of these, but they are good books.

1. Fate is the Hunter
2. Hard Landing
3. The destruction of Eastern Airlines
4. Killing Pablo (not an aviation book, but still good)

I especially liked the part in Killing Pablo where Bowden talked about Escobar's pilots making $2 Million per run flying coke-laden 727s from Colombia to the U.S. Oh how I miss the 1980s............

 

[scar1900]

ALPA should hand out Hard Landing to all new hires. THE book about what the airline industry is all about.

 

[Huck]

The High and the Mighty is Gann's best - and a dam good John Wayne movie too....

 

[geardown]

I think this may be the book you are talking about. I heard it's great but haven't read it yet. Moondog's Academy of the Air and Other Disasters

 

[BoilerUP]

While Hard Landing gives an important perspective on the management side of aviation, Flying the Line Vol. II is much more pertinent to today in that it chronicles the not-too-long-ago battles fought and won and lost by ALPA & other pilots. It should be required reading for all new airline pilots.

I hope Vol. 3 comes out sooner rather than later...

 

[pilotyip]

"Fate is the Hunter" should be mandatory reading for all pilots, another old one is "The Left Seat" by H. Sterling.

 

[Guitar Guy]

I'm only part way through it, but Robert Buck's "Weather Flying" has a lot of good stuff in it and is written in an informal manner, making it easy for us pilot types to understand.

I'll also agree with the other responders about recommending Ernie Gann's books. Great writer and it's amazing that even how old those books are, they still ring true today.

 

[Mysteryofflight]

"Aviation Weather Services Explained" a real page turner.. couldn't put it down.. Sarcasm aside, I think the book is called "Nuts" about SWA pilots. It's alot of company kool-aid but if you're into Southwest it's a good read.

 

[pilotdiscretion]

There are three books by Tony Kern worth reading: Flight Discipline / Redifining Airmanship and Controlling Pilot Error: Culture, Environment and CRM.

 

[av8orboy]

Air America. It's out of print but you can find it in ebay or amazon sometimes.

 

[ex j-41]

Bush pilot with a briefcase!

or

Flight of Passage.

 

[PA31Driver]

"Flying the Alaska Wild" is an excellent book as well.

 

[rtmcfi]

West with the night, by Beryl Markham