recommended reading

Stick and Rudder: An Explanation of the Art of Flying

Wolfgang Langewiesche first soloed in 1934 in Chicago. Early in his flying he was struck by a strange discrepancy: in piloting, the words and the realities did not agree. What pilots claimed to be doing in flying an airplane, was not what they did in practice. Langewiesche set himself the task of describing more accurately and realistically what the pilot really does when he flies. The first result was a series of articles in Air Facts, analyzing various points of piloting technique.

 

Fate Is the Hunter: A Pilot's Memoir

Ernest K. Gann’s classic memoir is an up-close and thrilling account of the treacherous early days of commercial aviation. In his inimitable style, Gann brings you right into the cockpit, recounting both the triumphs and terrors of pilots who flew when flying was anything but routine.

 

Say Again, Please: Guide to Radio Communications

Talking on an aviation radio and understanding air traffic control instructions can be one of the most intimidating aspects of flight training. Bob Gardner's "Say Again, Please" teaches readers what to say, what to expect to hear, and how to interpret and react to clearances and instructions, while detailing the airspace system and explaining how the ATC system works.

 

Radio Mastery for IFR PIlots: Everything You Need to Know to Talk to Air Traffic Control While Flying IFR

Everything you need to know to talk to Air Traffic Control while flying IFR. Slip into the left seat of a variety of aircraft and practice talking to Air Traffic Control. Alongside you sits your instructor, Jeff Kanarish, a pilot with over 35 years of flying experience in military, corporate, commercial, and general aviation aircraft. You'll not only learn all of the standard phraseology and procedures for IFR, you'll also get insider tips and techniques for getting exactly what you want, when you want it from ATC. This is a very personal conversation between you and a pilot who understands your struggle to improve on the radio. It's filled with humor and wit to make the lessons go down smoothly. Each chapter tackles a different phase of IFR flight in all the different classes of airspace.