The Thinking Pilot's Flight Manual: Or, How to Survive Flying Little Airplanes and Have a Ball Doing It

by Rick Durden, Cory Emberson (Editor), Patty Wagstaff (Foreword)

In a provocative and sometimes controversial style, this guide starts where standard-issue flight training manuals leave off. The Thinking Pilot guides you deeply into topics that weren't taught in flight training-everything from how to really do a preflight, through keeping your passengers happy, scud running, precautionary landings, and how to survive a crash. It includes a detailed introduction to flying floats, skis, aerobatics, and classic airplanes; probes some of aviation's dirty little secrets, explodes myths, and presents the best, most succinct guide to flying tailwheel airplanes ever written. Rick Durden was once described as aviation's Renaissance Man. He is an Airline Transport-rated pilot with experience in some 200 types of airplanes, a practicing aviation attorney who has been involved in hundreds of aircraft accident cases, writer, aviation magazine editor, safety counselor, flight instructor, volunteer pilot in remote areas of the U.S. and Central America, and has been the executive director of a nonprofit conservation organization making use of aircraft and volunteer pilots throughout much of North America.

Genres: Aviation, Nonfiction

388 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 20, 2012

Reviews

[Brian Page · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m temped to say that The Thinking Pilot’s Flight Manual: or, How to Survive Flying Little Airplanes and Have a Ball Doing It, by Rick Durden, provides immortal advice to pilots as almost a pun since most of the advice involves how to stay alive, even if not exactly immortal. The book is inspiring – inspiring to not just stay alive but to up your game regardless of your level of experience. I especially appreciated the chapter, “Getting the Rust Off Without Declaring Bankruptcy.” It’s about polishing technique and that chapter alone inspired me to note a half-dozen maneuvers that would be well worth practicing. Another chapter of note touches on a rather dark subject – pilots who have killed themselves in airplanes. That chapter is, “An Instructor’s Obligation.” If I am ever unsafe, I hope to have a CFI to tell me so and the humility to accept that professional judgement.

[Kiri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book that goes well beyond the basics you need to know for your checkride and talks about key topics/guidance for getting out and using your certificate! And throughout, the author's tone is humble and accessible - an enjoyable read. The book also DOES cover some basics that serve as great reminders for all pilots. Next, the book discusses some of the other areas of aviation you might explore as you grow as a pilot: towing gliders, flying on skis, flying a seaplane, and (of course) flying tailwheel airplanes. Beyond that, there are some excellent chapters on "crashworthiness" (great term!), forced landings, and other judgment calls - I know I'll want to return and review these periodically. Thank you for writing this book, Rick Durden!

[Frank Minich · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seems to be a collection of old articles from some publication; I found them individually OK, but a bit ‘full of self’ when taken together.
The description of the process of learning to handle a tail-dragger has scared me with the complexity, so that I think I’ll stick with tricycle-gear. Similarly, I think I’ll stay off the water. This is probably not the author’s intent.
The author bases his aversion to scud-running on the existence of un-documented towers, but doesn’t provide any evidence of this as a real concern. Foreflight’s synthetic view would help in this regard - unless there actually are “unknown” towers. I thought tower depiction was a major incentive for using up-to-date charts. As to ‘unlighted’, I don’t care, because I don’t fly single-engine after dark.

[Malkan78 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful, engaging, noteworthy, and to the point. As a GA private pilot I found the topics to be very relatable, relevant, and educational. I took notes that I will use in my practice sessions, discussions with my instructors, and flights in general. The author is passionate about respecting aviation and appreciating the privilege we have to be aviators which I share.

[Jason · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn't finish. Pretty much sucked.

[Stephen Morley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book, full with many pages of solidly terrific advice. Every pilot should own and read this and it makes a great gift...