General Interest Aviation Books

By Stanley N. Roscoe

Aviation psychology emerged as a scientific discipline during World War II, with substantial contributions made over the next quarter century. This book presents a large body of research in consise, well-documented writing - an important contribution to a young science. Drawing mainly on research conducted at the Aviation Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois, this trail-blazing text deals with human behavior in the operation of aviation systems. Stanley N. Roscoe and eighteen other contributors share their pioneering work in aviation psychology. Roscoe, the principal author, divides the field into two main areas. The first deals with the behavioral engineering of airplanes to make them easier and safer to fly. The conceptual foundation was laid by the late Alexander C. Williams, Jr., the "father of aviation psychology", who is among the contributors. Following chapters deal with flight control and diplay principles and applications. The researchers probe perceptual phenomena, including visual illusions, that contribute to both good and bad performances by pilots and other operators in the air and on the ground. The second major area encompasses the selection, training, and evaluation of pilots and the technology that supports these activities. Operator aptitudes, abilities, and performances are examined. Flight instructors will find Part V on training of special interest. Roscoe takes a careful look at the effectiveness of current pilot training programs and the safety and potential cost savings from the use of inexpensive flight simulators. Roscoe emphasizes the universal need for practical, safe, objective, reliable, and valid performance measurements. Each activity comprising aviation psycology depends on such measurements. This includes behavioral engineering of equipment and procedures; selection, training, and assignment of individuals and crews; and the overall assessment of the operationaland cost effectiveness of aviation systems and programs. Of particular interest to aviation rule makers, accident investigators, and attorneys is Roscoe's critical analysis of cockpit workload, residual attention, and pilot error. The book concludes with an experimental strategy for developing and evaluating operational systems and a look at the research situation, especially the problems of controlled experimentation in the real world of animate pilots.

By Donald H. Walter

If there’s anything more exciting than flying an airplane, it’s building your own and then flying it! Building Your Own Airplane describes the complete process, from selecting an aircraft design to flight testing your creation. This overview consolidates information previously unavailable or scattered throughout aviation literature. It also features facts and advice gleaned from real-life experience of the author; a section on the history and background of homebuilt aircraft; clear descriptions and directions for getting started, including advice on the skills and tools needed for the various types of construction and criteria for picking the right project; ninety-seven photographs and drawings; and appendixes of sources for materials, parts, supplies, and tools as well as United States and Canadian regulations and rules regarding homebuilt aircraft.

The technical aspects of actual construction are not covered. The psychological aspects of bringing the project to a successful conclusion, however, are described in detail, since this area causes most builders considerable difficulty. Walter also explains the documentation and testing required to complete the process.

Readers of this book will possess the basic knowledge of what the whole amateur-built process entails. They will understand the costs in terms of time and money and the rewards in terms of satisfaction with the finished product.

By James E. Ellis

Expanded and completely updated, the second edition of this popular handbook provides complete facts and step-by-step directions for selecting, purchasing, and maintaining an airplane for personal use.

Second edition features include: material on recommended first aircraft; additional aircraft references for first-time owners; additional material on ultralights and homebuilt/kit-built aircraft; leaseback information reflecting tax law changes; information on the use of autogas in airplanes; and a new chapter on high performance single-engine aircraft.

By Earl E. Rogers

Follow an aviation career from first flight instruction in a Cessna 150 through advanced flight training and on to pilot in command of a Boeing 727.

Experience an inside view to the world of flying.

For the student pilot, aspiring airline pilot and general reader alike. Fiction based on many actual events.

By Wilbur Howard Morrison

In 1920, 28-year-old Donald Douglas (1892-1981), with four years experience as an aeronautical engineer, started the Douglas Aircraft Company. Over the next 47 years, this quiet, self-effacing, talented engineer and entrepreneur built the firm into a multimillion-dollar corporation and front-runner in world aviation and outer space exploration.

Douglas's dream was to unite the world through aviation, and the first symbol of his company and his dream--based on his family's Scottish coat-of-arms--was a heart with wings.

Here, for the first time, the complete story of Douglas's life and dream, both successes and failures, is told--from his early years and founding of the Douglas Aircraft Company to the turbulent 1967 merger of the firm into the huge McDonnell-Douglas corporation.

By Richard O. Reinhart

Over 70 percent of aviation accidents and incidents are in some way related to human factors--those hard-to-define but perilous-to-overlook effects of hypoxia, fatigue, self-medication, sleep debt, disorientation, dehydration, ear blocks, airsickness--the list goes on and on. A safe aircrew, pilot and flight attendant, is not only skilled but self-aware, conscious of how their bodies and minds might work--or might not--at any given moment in flight. This book tells pilots and other crew members what they need to know to be fit for flight: How flying and different atmospheres affect the body; how the mind and body react to certain stresses; how trip length and crossing time zones causes fatigue; and how to read the warning signs of incapacitation, however subtle.

Reinhart introduces his readers to the essentials of flight physiology and human factors: how different organs function and what can be done to protect these functions before and during flight. Hypoxia, dehydration, fatigue, vibration, visual illusions, noise, disorientation, jet lag, self-medication, alcohol, smoking, and extremes of heat and cold are among the topics Fit for Flight covers. A handy, easy-to-read manual and an invaluable reference, the book equips pilots and crew members for that most basic requirement for a safe flight: an airworthy crew.

By Vaughan Askue

Now that it's built, how well will it fly? Flight Testing Homebuilt Aircraft tells how to test such aircraft systematically and safely, with professional results. It defines flight testing as a four-phase step-by-step process of learning the limitations of an aircraft; defining and eliminating aircraft problems; and determining aircraft capability and optimum flying techniques--all with minimum risk to pilot and machine.

With straightforward description and more than 80 illustrations, the book teaches builders to use this process to design thorough, safe flight tests customized to specific aircraft in specific testing environments. It concentrates on envelope expansion and solution of structural problems. It also teaches the value of the process for maximizing familiarity with the aircraft and improving overall piloting skills.

By David O'Hare, Stanley N. Roscoe

Flightdeck Performance examines the abilities and limitations of human beings when performing the complex task of flying single pilot and multicrew aircraft, and ways in which possibility for error might be eliminated or reduced.

The book serves courses in aviation psychology, behavioral engineering, ergonomics, and aviation training and operations management. It is also a reference for researchers, pilots, air traffic controllers, government regulators, flight training and operations managers, and consumers interested in aviation safety.

Facts cited, controversial issues considered, and conclusions drawn are supported by data on technological innovations, results of research studies, and examples from air mishaps.

By James L. Webb

Flying an airplane can be considered a form of human expression. A pilot's skill, the manner in which the flight is planned and executed, and regard for safety are revealing personality traits. Those skills and ability to executer are not easily acquired.

Fly the Wing discusses the basics and fundamentals that pilots must learn. It then describes how to polish and refine skills as you go on more difficult maneuvers and advanced phases of flight.

By Greg Brown

Journey life's skies with Greg Brown as he matures from fledgling to seasoned aviator, encountering aerial adventure and colorful characters along the way. Sweat with him through harrowing flights, learn by his triumphs and mistakes, and join his young family growing up aloft. This book goes beyond the physical act of flying - it's about conquering the nagging fears that consume every new pilot when mastering this most revered and challenging of human endeavors. Most of all, it's about the joy and boundless freedom of being a pilot, pursuing like our aerial ancestors the inescapable lure of the map.

256 Pages, Hardback

Publication Date: February 2003

By R. B. Underdown, Tony Palmer

One of the series of essential texts for trainee commercial pilots, this volume covers general navigation. It has been completely rewritten to cover the new European syllabus, the joint Airworthiness Requirements.

By R. B. Underdown, David Cockburn

The first in a series of training manuals for students taking commercial pilot and air transport pilot license examinations, this book covers the subject of radio aids: basic principles, radio and radar, ground aids and airborne. It has been completely revised to take account of the recent Joint Aviation Authorities Europe syllabus for flight crew licensing. Coverage has been expanded on displays and satellite communications and navigation systems, as well as warning systems for terrain, collision avoidance, and altitude monitoring.

By R. B. Underdown, David Cockburn

The first in a series of training manuals for students taking commercial pilot and air transport pilot license examinations, this book covers the subject of radio aids: basic principles, radio and radar, ground aids and airborne. It has been completely revised to take account of the recent Joint Aviation Authorities Europe syllabus for flight crew licensing. Coverage has been expanded on displays and satellite communications and navigation systems, as well as warning systems for terrain, collision avoidance, and altitude monitoring.

By William K. Kershner

A light-hearted look at some of aviation expert William Kershner's most memorable experiences. They're covered here in Logging Flight Time, Kershner's first collection of flying anecdotes. Starting with his first airplane ride, he details some of the more humorous, humiliating, and even helpful things he has seen in over fifty years of flying. Pilots are sure to find these stories amusing, entertaining, and in some cases, all too familiar!

Lyrical Aviators: Traveling America's Airways in a Small Plane.

By Ronald Fowler

Fast-reading, practical, step-by-step descriptions of how to land small airplanes safely and with confidence in a variety of situations form the basis of this compact manual pilots will want to keep in their cockpits for both preflight and in-flight use.

Making Perfect Landings in Light Airplanes addresses the most difficult and dangerous aspect of flying as a series of steps requiring total awareness of situation, airplane, and self. It encourages applied reasoning as it teaches pilots to identify and asses circumstances and conditions, then implement appropriate procedures to ensure safe, comfortable landings.

By Ronald Fowler

Making Perfect Takeoffs--in the style of its companion, Making Perfect Landings--addresses departure as a series of steps requiring total awareness of situation, airplane, and self. In both books, applied reasoning is encouraged, and pilots are taught to identify and assess circumstances and conditions, then implement appropriate procedures.

Both are compact manuals that store easily in the cockpit. Chapters conclude with "Preflight Reminders" and "In-Flight Aids" summaries that present critical data at a glance, for quick reference on the ground and in the air.

By Brian Kendal

Provides a comprehensive account of the principles and operation of the electronic systems and navigation aids used in civil aviation today. The third edition features important new developments in several fields such as satellite navigation systems, satellite communications, Decca Navigator equipment, and digital audio and radar recording.

By Wayne Rothgeb

The 1979 telephone call shot Wayne Rothgeb back 34 years. A Lockheed P-38F Lightening fighter plane had been found in a New Guinea swamp. Rothgeb was the last to pilot it. What had happened? How did it get there? What did Rothgeb remember? What could he tell the curator of the National Museum and Art Gallery in Port Moresby, New Guinea, where the airplane was on display?

Initially reluctant to rouse old memories, Rothgeb examined his long-stored WW II diary and flight log for answers. What he found became the basis of New Guinea Skies--an absorbing account of his war-time experiences as a U.S. Air Corps fighter pilot, from flight academy training to dogfights over the South Pacific.

Vivid descriptions of people, places, events, and experiences pull readers into the story and bring WW II to life.

By Fred G. DeLacerda

Competition or 'sport' aerobatics is one of the most physically demanding sports, requiring acute situational awareness, split second timing, and the control of a machine in three dimensions. However, obtaining peak performance demands dedication and discipline of both body and mind. Too often, books on aerobatic competition overlook the importance of human factors. Pilots who possess competitive focus and presence of mind have a competitive edge. Written by a human performance expert with years of practical experience as an aerobatic pilot, this much-needed book systematically applies the principles of sport psychology to aerobatic competition, training and flying. The psychological principles presented in this book are applicable to all levels of competition.

By Ralph E. Piper

Piper's career spans modern aviation history, from propeller airplanes of the 1930s to jet aircraft of the 1960s. This pioneering aviator's autobiography records his love of flying and his experiences with the monumental advancements of flight, both military and civilian.

Point of No Return is an educational, frequently amusing memoir that begins with the young Piper, then a teacher and coach, learning to fly under tutelage of the legendary Livingston brothers of Waterloo, Iowa. The title--an aviation expression of commitment to a mission--reflects the point at which Piper realized that his life was forever changed.

From Cessnas and Stinsons to C-87s, twin Beechcrafts, DC-3s, Convairs, Gulfstream I's, and Sabreliner jets, Point of No Return is an inside look at flying before and after invention of the electronic cockpit. It is also testament to the economic, social, and technological contributions of aviation to America and the modern world.

By John Lowery

This book contains the flying techniques, facts, and previously unwritten rules of thumb that can turn the standard pilot into an outstanding aviator. Safety is Professional Pilot's number one concern, with chapters that cover such important safety issues as: Rejected Take Off, When Your Engine Coughs, and Those Neglected Tires. This book is organized like a manual but is easy to read, with down-to-earth language and airborne examples.

A book for anyone considering purchasing or selling airplanes.

By Fred DeLacerda

Spins are one of the most complex phenomena of aviation and a constant danger to pilots. But until recently, little scientific information on the mechanics of spins was available to general aviators.

Surviving Spins offers pilots, student pilots, and flight instructors documented information on the normal upright spin of light general aviation airplanes. It consolidates and clarifies NASA research that was heretofore not readily accessible or easily understood.

Information is enhanced with anecdotes and more than 40 illustrations. Emphasis is given to the Cessna 150 trainer. Material on human response to a spinning airplane is included.

By William K. Kershner

The Advanced Pilot's Flight Manual has long been a standard reference for veteran pilots preparing for the commercial written and flight tests. Explanations bridge the gap between theory and practical application, covering the fundamentals of airplane Lift, Weight, Drag, and Thrust, as well as the effects of variable factors such as altitude and temperature on the operation of the aircraft.

In this completely updated sixth edition, Kershner has added the 651 multiple-choice questions on airplanes from the FAA Commercial Pilot Written Test Book, with answers and explanations.

By Shawn Coyle

The Art and Science of Flying Helicopters covers the fundamentals of helicopter theory, performance, flying, and more advanced aspects of the helicopter itself. Turbine engines, ancillary systems such as hydraulics, and peculiarities of the helicopter are explained in detail with diagrams to aid in comprehension.

This manual takes a structured approach to helicopter flying in the areas of aerodynamics, performance, flight techniques, and engine failures, and has both beginners and advanced sections in each of these areas.

By William K. Kershner

Explains and illustrates 26 aerobatic maneuvers in a six-lesson supplement to introductory aerobatics instruction. Emphasizes the Cessna Aerobat, but is easily modified for other types of aerobatic planes.

By Robert N. Buck

Have modern aviation technology and regulations become so complex that they actually hinder, rather than help pilots fly aircraft well? Do they deprive pilots of the time and liberty to apply innate instincts and skills necessary to safe, well-performed flight? Are pilots becoming victims of advancement intended to aid them? Are they becoming scapegoats for accidents ever more frequently cited as "pilot error"?

Changes in piloting throughout modern aviation and answers to these questions are explained in The Pilot’s Burden. Drawing on extensive firsthand experience, Buck traces the evolution of the required skills and increased responsibilities of pilots, from the early days of the open cockpit biplanes flying in uncontrolled skies, to the latest computerized aircraft flying in the jam-packed, controlled skies of today. He recounts aviation history to show how increasing technology has affected pilots.

By Stephen M. Casner

The Pilot’s Guide to the Modern Airline Cockpit introduces you to the exciting world of cockpit automation the cockpit displays and computers that have replaced the conventional flight instruments and navigation systems found in older-generation airplanes. Pilots transitioning to the airlines seldom realize that they will have to put their instrument flying skills to work using modern cockpit technology. This book gives you a head start on learning this exciting new aspect of airline flying.

Unlike conventional flight training manuals, The Pilot’s Guide places you in the captain’s seat and takes you step-by-step through a challenging line flight. After programming your flight route using the flight management computer, learn how to use the airplane’s autoflight system to help automatically guide you along the route you have built. Discover how to deal with realistic en route scenarios: vectors, holds, diversions, intercepts, traffic, surrounding terrain, and many others. Along the way, learn how cockpit automation can potentially help or hinder you while you and your crewmate work as a team to decide the best way to fly the airplane.

The Pilot’s Guide to the Modern Airline Cockpit is essential reading material for anyone who has aspirations to fly for an airline.

By Ross Telfer, John Biggs

The Psychology of Flight Training clearly and concisely applies the psychologies of learning and instruction to the process of teaching people to fly, showing how both teaching and learning can be made more efficient and effective. The book promotes application of its principles to development of teaching methods best suited to each instructor's own personality, students, and flight situations.

By Gregory N. Brown, Mark J. Holt

Highly illustrated and clearly written, this manual is a must have for pilots. It offers a complete description of turbine aircraft engines and systems including turboprops and jets. Additional chapters on high-speed aerodynamics, multipilot crew coordination, wake turbulence, and high altitude weather are discussed at length. The book is perfect for not only those involved in pure jet operations; but for those involved in turboprop, multipilot operations, and transition training. It is a key tool for a successful turbine aviation career.

By Tom Morrison

To Fly Through the Air is an informative, totally enjoyable account of a young mining engineer becoming a pilot and experiencing the delights of flying.

The passion for aviation that Morrison brings to his book permeates his description of the work:

What is it like learning to fly? What is it really like? Behind all the technicalities, how does it feel to take command of an aircraft and pilot it by day and by night, through fair weather and foul?. . . To take control of an aircraft in flight is to cross the threshold of a new life. Nothing will ever be the same again.

By Jim Curran

Trends in Advanced Avionics explores the hallmarks of next-generation avionics--human-centered automation, integrated modular systems, and improved overall performance. Curran examines the major trends in avionics capability in the areas of communication, navigation, flight control, and other integrated avionics subsystems. He also covers the supporting technological advances, as well as the limitations imposed by real-world business, economic, political, and human factors.

By John Cutler

This book explains aircraft structures so as to provide a basic understanding of the subject and the terminology used, as well as illustrating some of the problems. It provides a brief historical background, and covers parts of the airplane, loads, structural form, materials, processes, detail design, quality control, stressing, and the documentation associated with modification and repairs.

By Henry W. Cole

Aimed primarily at radar users, this book gives them a better understanding and insight into how radars work, their problems, and the solutions provided by radar engineering. This revised edition includes substantial extra material on new developments. These include, among other topics, tracing by radar, alternative modern radar techniques such as synthetic aperture arrays, and update on Mode “S” secondary surveillance radar, and over-the-horizon radars.