I am a fairly new CFI with only about 200-300 hours of dual given and have realized that all the training I have had (college degree in aviation flight ops) still didn't fully prepare me to answer some of the baffling questions students ask me. Often these questions are so simple that I have to go look up a good way to answer them with an equally simple answer. I found with my advanced training left me with a vocabulary that would leave even many advanced pilots with a glazed over look when I try to explain how certain things work.
Upon realizing this I went to amazon and started to purchase some books and over the last month or so have been reading a book a week taking notes to help answer questions that I come across while teaching. I believe this single act alone has drastically increased my knowledge as a CFI and surprisingly as a pilot as well realizing things I hadn't realized before. It has once again made flying an active mental process for me because while the flights are still boring and routine, I go up there with many times 50-100 pages of recently read information that I actively think about during those flights.
That being said I created this post to allow people to leave the name and author of books they recommend along with a brief explanation of what the book covers. I encourage anyone who hasn't; hether you are a CFI, primary student, or an ATP with 10 million hours to sit down and read some of these basic books. Through our training we tend to forget all the sheer basics of flying an airplane.
Here is my list so far:
Title: Emergency Maneuver Training
Author: Rich Stowell
about: The first half of this book covers all the basics of flight and how aerodynamics are involved. Now I saw a bunch of you cringe when I mentioned aerodynamics so I should point out he does this with absolutely no math. The beginning of this book in my opinion is another must read for any pilot as it will drastically increase their understanding of the flight controls. The second half covers much of the advanced emergencies and while it is useful for all may be difficult to follow for the starting student. Did you know when an aircraft is certified it is tested to be crushable at 40 mph with minor injuries? Maybe we don't need to worry so much about saving our aircraft in an engine failure just land in control and chances are you will walk away unscaved. This and many other good tips can be found here.
Title: Weather Flying
Author: Robert Buck
about: Robert Buck is probably one of the most experienced aviators when it comes to flying and understanding adverse weather that ever lived. This book covers everything from frontal storms to how air blowing over near by hangers/trees can effect your landings. In my opinion it is a must read for every pilot especially those who find themselves confused when weird things happen near the ground on landing. If you can't describe it, Mr Buck I am sure will give you insight that will set off light bulbs in your head. When you on short final you pass over a swamp area then just in front of that is a building with a dark roof but you experience excessive lift while over the swamp, why? Mr. Buck would have told you to look at the wind sock and remember thermals drift just like our airplane does.
Title: Takeoffs & Landings
Author: Leighton Collins
about: This may be a better alternative for the beginning pilot than the Emergency Maneuver Training book listed above. In this book the author spends a descent amount of time explaining the crude basics of flying in terms even the non pilot can grasp. Much emphasis is placed on the dangers of low turns and the common confusion between elevator and power for altitude and airspeed. Introduced is altitude as an engine which I found to be one of the better examples of why pitch is for airspeed. The author also spends time discussing the use of our senses to develop a better understanding of what the airplane is doing.
Title: Stick and Rudder
Author: Wolfgang Langewiesche
about: Like the Takeoffs & Landings book the author spends extensive time explaining how our other senses are of great worth to us as pilots, reminding us that back when flying started pilots were taught for instance to listen to the sound of the cables on his biplane for stall warning. This is also one of the only books I read that spends nearly all of its time explaining thoroughly and throughout the entire book how important angle of attack is. Going as far as labeling the elevator as the angle of attack controller of the aircraft. While I believe this book drags on and for the beginning student if you find yourself getting caught up just skip/skim the sections you don't understand and get to the stuff that makes sense. Many difficulties with primary flying are explained away in this book and I highly recommend it to any beginning flier (with a caution that much of the terminology is so dumbed down that if you mention certain words to your flight instructor he is bound to be lost, solve this by explaining what that word is and he/she will give you the currently used word).
That is it for my books and I leave everyone on one final note, knowledge is power and in this industry it can save your life.
Upon realizing this I went to amazon and started to purchase some books and over the last month or so have been reading a book a week taking notes to help answer questions that I come across while teaching. I believe this single act alone has drastically increased my knowledge as a CFI and surprisingly as a pilot as well realizing things I hadn't realized before. It has once again made flying an active mental process for me because while the flights are still boring and routine, I go up there with many times 50-100 pages of recently read information that I actively think about during those flights.
That being said I created this post to allow people to leave the name and author of books they recommend along with a brief explanation of what the book covers. I encourage anyone who hasn't; hether you are a CFI, primary student, or an ATP with 10 million hours to sit down and read some of these basic books. Through our training we tend to forget all the sheer basics of flying an airplane.
Here is my list so far:
Title: Emergency Maneuver Training
Author: Rich Stowell
about: The first half of this book covers all the basics of flight and how aerodynamics are involved. Now I saw a bunch of you cringe when I mentioned aerodynamics so I should point out he does this with absolutely no math. The beginning of this book in my opinion is another must read for any pilot as it will drastically increase their understanding of the flight controls. The second half covers much of the advanced emergencies and while it is useful for all may be difficult to follow for the starting student. Did you know when an aircraft is certified it is tested to be crushable at 40 mph with minor injuries? Maybe we don't need to worry so much about saving our aircraft in an engine failure just land in control and chances are you will walk away unscaved. This and many other good tips can be found here.
Title: Weather Flying
Author: Robert Buck
about: Robert Buck is probably one of the most experienced aviators when it comes to flying and understanding adverse weather that ever lived. This book covers everything from frontal storms to how air blowing over near by hangers/trees can effect your landings. In my opinion it is a must read for every pilot especially those who find themselves confused when weird things happen near the ground on landing. If you can't describe it, Mr Buck I am sure will give you insight that will set off light bulbs in your head. When you on short final you pass over a swamp area then just in front of that is a building with a dark roof but you experience excessive lift while over the swamp, why? Mr. Buck would have told you to look at the wind sock and remember thermals drift just like our airplane does.
Title: Takeoffs & Landings
Author: Leighton Collins
about: This may be a better alternative for the beginning pilot than the Emergency Maneuver Training book listed above. In this book the author spends a descent amount of time explaining the crude basics of flying in terms even the non pilot can grasp. Much emphasis is placed on the dangers of low turns and the common confusion between elevator and power for altitude and airspeed. Introduced is altitude as an engine which I found to be one of the better examples of why pitch is for airspeed. The author also spends time discussing the use of our senses to develop a better understanding of what the airplane is doing.
Title: Stick and Rudder
Author: Wolfgang Langewiesche
about: Like the Takeoffs & Landings book the author spends extensive time explaining how our other senses are of great worth to us as pilots, reminding us that back when flying started pilots were taught for instance to listen to the sound of the cables on his biplane for stall warning. This is also one of the only books I read that spends nearly all of its time explaining thoroughly and throughout the entire book how important angle of attack is. Going as far as labeling the elevator as the angle of attack controller of the aircraft. While I believe this book drags on and for the beginning student if you find yourself getting caught up just skip/skim the sections you don't understand and get to the stuff that makes sense. Many difficulties with primary flying are explained away in this book and I highly recommend it to any beginning flier (with a caution that much of the terminology is so dumbed down that if you mention certain words to your flight instructor he is bound to be lost, solve this by explaining what that word is and he/she will give you the currently used word).
That is it for my books and I leave everyone on one final note, knowledge is power and in this industry it can save your life.
