Volume 3 of The Thinking Pilot's Flight Manual carries on the pragmatic and often unconventional approach to matters of vital significance to pilots begun in the widely praised Volumes 1 and 2. In fact, FLYING Magazine identified Volume 1 as one of its "10 best aviation books every pilot should read." As a sample, Volume 3 exposes aviation superstitions, gives an instructor's perspective on getting checked out in a new aircraft, talks frankly about buzz jobs, explains how to buy and insure an airplane, and digs into how pilots put themselves in jeopardy by worrying about the wrong things.

"Volume 2 of The Thinking Pilot's Flight Manual carries on the widely praise, penetrating, and clear-headed approach of Volume I, addressing matters of importance to pilots that ordinary flight training manuals never tough. It delves into everything from the realities of making the go/no-go decision during the takeoff roll, nailing spot landings, which emergencies to practice, and how to take babies and kids flying. It explores how we scare our passengers without realizing it, IFR training in IMC, and takes a hard look at spin training."--Back cover of volume 2

Volume 2 of The Thinking Pilot's Flight Manual carries on the widely praise, penetrating, and clear-headed approach of Volume I, addressing matters of importance to pilots that ordinary flight training manuals never tough. It delves into everything from the realities of making the go/no-go decision during the takeoff roll, nailing spot landings, which emergencies to practice, and how to take babies and kids flying. It explores how we scare our passengers without realizing it, IFR training in IMC, and takes a hard look at spin training. Rick Durden is one of three 2015 recipients of the Endeavor Award, honoring volunteer pilots who have made significant contributions to flying to serve the public. For 25 years he has made flights in remote areas of the U.S. and Central America in support of conservation. He is an Airline Transport-rated pilot with experience in over 200 types of airplanes, a practicing aviation attorney who has been involved in hundreds of aircraft accident cases, writer, aviation magazine editor, safety counselor, and flight instructor.

This is my storythe story of a pilot who flew airplanes for some thirty-seven years: ten years in the United States Air Force, primarily in jet fighters, and then twenty-seven years flying commercial jet airliners. I was inspired to write this story after reading the autobiography, a few years ago, of Gen. Chuck Yeagerhe being the world-renowned test pilot, World War II fighter ace, and first man to break the sound barrier in the Bell X-1. My story is the story of an average pilot, an average guy who survived several close calls, had many interesting experiences along the way, and often wondered, Am I still here because I was especially good or because I was especially lucky? I think the answer is definitely a combination of the two, just as Yeager says or implies in his book. With him, it may have been a larger contribution of skill, but as he said, The secret of my success is that I always managed to live to fly another day. I have to echo that comment. While flying around the country with American Airlines, during hours of complete boredom (as we say), we pilots often traded our war stories of our flying (and other) experiences. I often thought that I had many tales that were similar to some of Yeagers and that I should put my experiences down on paper, even if it would only be my family who might read it. So this, then, is my story, my life, primarily, as it revolved around my aviating experiences over some thirty-seven years, from the viewpoint of a pilot who has no particular claim to fame but who has survived to fly another day. One of the best descriptions of a flying career says: You start out with a big bag of luck and an empty bag of experience; you want to fill the bag of experience before you empty the bag of luck! I guess I have done that.

A selection of short stories containing the accrued wisdom of a career spent flying aeroplanes for a living. These stories express in graphic detail the challenges facing modern airline crews today. They deal with Technical, Environmental and Human Factors with explanations of the more obscure industry terminology. The stories tell the tale of the Human side of commercial aviation and allow the reader to join the crew on the line, in the Flightdeck and the Cabin as they face each difficult decision or challenging scenario. Capt James McBride is a Senior Airline Training Captain and Check Airman, with approval to train and check pilots in the Simulator aswell as in the Aircraft. He has had the advantage of flying many different aircraft types within Military and Civil arenas. He flew Air Display aircraft for 7 years and has operated Air Experience Flights for RAF Air Cadets also. In his own words, he has made many errors and mistakes and learned lessons from each and every one - many of those valuable lessons are now revealed here for the benefit of the current and future generations of pilots.

A layperson's explanation of how commercial airplanes function addresses common questions and concerns about a plane's practical mechanics and safety, covering such topics as maintenance, weather effects, and safety statistics. Reprint.