How to Land a Plane

by Mark Vanhoenacker

Hello! Welcome! Wow, you look surprisingly relaxed. That's great to see. Have a seat on the left side of the cockpit - that's the captain's seat. Yes, you're now the captain. And yes, that's the runway down there. So fasten your seat belt, order yourself a cup of tea, and let's get cracking.

Imagine the pilot of the plane you're on is suddenly ill. Only you can take over. What do you do? Mark Vanhoenacker, the airline pilot who makes poetry out of the science of flight technology, turns the nerve-wracking reality of hitting the runway into a practical but also meaningful experience, in this fascinating guide to the magical art of flying.

Flight shows us a new immensity, but also reminds us where we come from. And even as it puts us in our proper relationship to the infinite, even as it makes us feel so tiny, it uplifts us.

But flying also comes with a whole lot of rather tedious manuals. In this short, humorous and spiritual guide, the bestselling author of SKYFARING makes these manuals more accessible and fun as he describes one of the most important and liminal phases of flight: the transition from air to ground.

You'll understand the difference between 'controls' and 'instruments', you'll know what 'roll', 'pitch' and 'yaw' signify, and you'll also learn to notice the breathtaking beauty of amazing cloudscapes and stunning sunsets. You just needed someone to show you how.

Genres: Nonfiction, Aviation, Travel, Reference, Science

64 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 21, 2017

Reviews

[Elijah! (He is risen) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very interesting, and great book! I would very much recommend it to all to-be Pilots! Mark Vanhoenacker is a really experienced pilot, and I trust all his views, and points. I definitely hope this helps me as the years to come! Simply and easy examples!

[Mohammad Hesam Sadeghian · Rating 5 out of 5]

اطلاعات فنی جالب و تازه‌ای درمورد پرواز داشت و حتی برای بنده که چندین سالی هست مطالعات هوافضا دارم جالب بود فقط تنها نقدی که وارد است به نسخه فارسی این کتاب بود که حتی دست به ترجمه و استفاده از لغات فرهنگستان به جای لغات فنی جهانی بود

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another of the teeny tiny little books I snagged from the Small Books display at the library. This one, a succinct guide to landing a large aircraft. You know, if you're the only one who doesn't get the fish.

The book itself is an easy read, and Vanhoenacker is a genial and wry guide through the basic mechanics of not just sitting there screaming until the plane hits the ground. I'm not sure, having attempted landings in flight simulator programs with a remarkably consistent record of failure, if this book would actually help me. I'm also not sure I'd remember anything I'd read. But it made for a brief, entertaining read.

It'd be fun to have flight attendants pass out a couple hundred copies of this book mid-flight as an April Fools joke...but then again, we're a litigious, humorless society, so I suppose that'll remain a fantasy.

A three point seven five.

[Biblio Files (takingadayoff) · Rating 4 out of 5]

After enjoying Vanhoenacker's Skyfaring, I was looking forward to more. How to Land a Plane is a short (about 60 pages) book that describes in detail how to land a plane. He goes into the aerodynamics, the flight controls, the things that should happen, and the things that might go wrong. He does this in a clear, easy to understand way, occasionally with humor. It's a good book for anyne who is curious about the mechanics of flying, but who isn't going to be going to flight school right away. Who doesn't like to find out how things work and how people do their jobs? A nice book for all ages. (Thanks to The Experiment and NetGalley for a digital review copy.)

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Educational and very stressful! I hope I never have to land a plane! So much respect for pilots!

[Tim Lawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent little book on literally how to land a plane. Great to have with you on holiday flights in case the pilot feels a little unwell!

[Gabri · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fine read if you want to understand the basics of flying. Especially the first two chapters are very educative and explain well how the main flying instruments work.
After that, I felt like the author hadn't made up his mind about the purpose of his book. Should readers gain a minimum passive knowledge of the basics, be able to land a plane in case of an emergency, or just have a light read because the odds of that are highly unlikely? The mixture of these three goals made it a somewhat confusing read, as the author is serious in explaining how to fly but joking around about cleaning up the cockpit and making your own decisions because you're the captain, after all.
(I know the jokes are intentional, but I think it only works if you set the right tone throughout the book.)

Also, for the Dutchies: I wouldn't recommend the Dutch translation. Seems to have gone straight through Google Translate with some additional editing mistakes.
A few gems:
- "En als terzijde in koele terminologie:" ("And as an aside in cool terminology:")
- "voor de laatste 100 voet of zo van de vlucht" ("for the last 100 feet or so of flight")
- "Schakel alle landingslichten in de schakelaars bevinden zich waarschijnlijk op het overheadpaneel" ("Turn on all landing lights the switches are probably located on the overhead panel")
Plus, since in aviation everything is in English, I'd prefer to always get the English translation of common terms, such as flaps, rudders, etc.

[Mikko Saari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ihan justiinsa sitä, mitä lupaakin: kirja on peruskurssi siihen, miten matkustajalentokoneella laskeudutaan. Tyyli on leppoisa ja hauska, tämä on enemmän viihdekirja kuin tosikkomainen opas.

Sen verran pienikin tämä kirja on, etten ihan näillä opeilla lähtisi vapaaehtoiseksi laskeutumaan koneella. Sellainen fiilis kuitenkin jäi, että simulaattorissa tehtävää voisi ollakin mielenkiintoista kokeilla. Lentokoneen lentämisestä saa tästä sellaisen kuvan, ettei se nyt niin vaikeaa ole – ja samalla sellaisen, että kyllä siinä aika paljon sittenkin on taitoa mukana.

Hauska pikkuvälipala, ei sen ihmeempää.

[Yedhu · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is exactly what the title says. I'm a fan of Mark Vanhoenacker and his other book, Skyfaring: A Journey with a Pilot, which is a poetic narration of his experience of flying. While Skyfaring gives an overall idea about flying industry, aircrafts, airports, passengers and crew, this one focuses just on the airplane. If you are interested in the technical details of how a plane flies and how it lands, this book is for you. It's wonderful and short, and you can finish it in an hour.

[Mark Snyder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and easy read. Mr. Vanhoenacker explains many basic principals of piloting and landing an aircraft; however, this is not an offering of flight instruction. Though I am not a pilot, I am a powered flight enthusiast and know a fair amount about airplanes in general, but even so, I did learn a thing or two. If anything, I found myself wishing there were more breath and depth overall, but that would likely defeat the purpose of this book. That said, for someone who may be curious as to what the basic principals of flight are, there is a fair amount of enlightenment to be gleaned from this little publication. The same could be said for the white-knuckle flier, knowledge being power and all that. The principals are explained in lay terminology and nicely illustrated. It would also be ideal for a young person about to take their first ride on an airplane. Lastly, Mr. Vanhoenacker injects a bit of humor throughout, but seeing how the occasionally referenced movie, "Airplane!" is over 40 years old, the gags may be lost on some younger readers. Then again, it's a good excuse to stream and share that classic flick with your kids.

[Theediscerning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, I nailed it. You know the feeling when you approach a book thinking what it will be like – and getting it exactly correct? I thought this would be a finely balanced mixture of sincere and light-hearted; an appreciation that you will never need to land a Boeing 747, but at the same time a book that gives you an appreciation for those that do, and some inkling as to what it might be like. I was expecting a book that proves the adult non-fiction market really doesn't have to limit itself to the 600pp doorstopper, as brief things like this (the audio book would barely have needed a second CD) can be just as appealing, engaging the average reader with a distinctly non-average subject.

But forget all that about me nailing it. The author and colleagues here have nailed it too – it's one thing for me to assume beforehand I have the book I intend to read in front of me; it's far harder actually producing it. But they get it right on every front. So if you intend to read a book that delivers what I expected, then rest assured it delivered just that.

[Taija · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yllättävän hauska ja yleistajuinen. Melkein tuli kirjan lopussa sellainen olo, että eikun vaan lentokoneen ohjaimiin, nyt osaan laskeutua.

Kirja on pieni humoristinen opas siihen, miten saat lentokoneen laskeutumaan, jos jostain yllättävästä syystä joudut sellaiseen tilanteeseen. Mies hankki viime vuonna lentolupakirjan, ja aikoo viedä minuakin pienlentokonelennoille. Miksiköhän hankki minulle tämän kirjan...?

Vaikka tuskin tämän kirjan avulla oikeasti saisin lentokonetta ehjänä kiitoradalle, se ainakin auttoi ymmärtämään tiettyjä lentämiseen liittyviä seikkoja. Tieto lisää epävarmuutta ja pelkoa. Ehkä seuraavalla lennollani ymmärrän paremmin mitä ympärillä tapahtuu.

Humoristinen ote ei ollut pahitteeksi.

[Heli · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Useimmat pilotit ovat yhtä mieltä siitä, että laskeutuminen on haastavampaa kuin lentoonlähtö."

Tämä kiva pikku opaskirja neuvoo, kuinka lentokoneella (esim. Cessna 152) pääsee laskeutumaan sitten, kun sillä oletettavasti on ensin päässyt ilmaan. Kirja toki kannattaa kuitenkin lukea kokonaan ennen lentoonlähtöä, koska se on yhtenäistä tekstiä eikä juuri sovi selailtavaksi tai silmäiltäväksi.

Kuvitus on havainnollistavaa ja melko selkeää. Kirjoittajan tyyli on tarkoitukseen sopivan pedagoginen ja miellyttävä: kyllä tuollaista lennonopettajaa kuuntelisi mieluusti. Opin näin tiiviistä kirjasta hurjan paljon.

[Barry Avis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite the follow up to his first book but as a quick and interesting read it is a good book. I read this on a short holiday so paid a little more interest to what our plane was doing as we approached Stansted airport on the way home.
Not sure I would recommend for anyone unless you have read his first book.

[- · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting read

While I am not a pilot and barely have knowledge of how a plane works, this book is surprisingly easy to read. There are also graphics in the book to facilitate understanding of basic plane instruments, the PAPI system, etc. I enjoyed reading it and will recommend anyone who is keen to find out what’s happening in the cockpit during their flight.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick (and humbling and somewhat overwhelming) read on how to land a plane. While well and entertainingly written, I now further believe I could never save a planeful of people in an emergency situation! MEGA thanks to all the pilots out there who ferry millions of people safely through the skies. A cute and informative read. :)

[Ben L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unfortunately, it is too long to read on a plane which is in dire need of a pilot. But once we made it down, I realised that the information in the book would have greatly helped me. It is a very well written, informative and humorous book which was a pleasure to read. I’m certain the information will come in handy the next time they need an emergency pilot.

[John Kaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sent me back to my flight simulator! A nice short read, nothing exciting, but I'm due a few short reads after hitting my target! Doesn't have the lyricism of Skyfaring, though.

One of two more short reads to come.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick and breezy read on the basics of airplane flying for the layman. As other reviewers have mentioned, this book lacks the poetic nature of his first outing, but that's not really his goal here. Mark Vanhoenacker is the Ernest K. Gann of our generation.

[Joel · Rating 4 out of 5]

good short book on, as he said, how to land a plane. I read Skyfaring and really liked the mix of technical/scientific inormation on flight and the "poetry" of flying. This book is not poetic but it does answer questions I had about what.....how to land a plane. Fun.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Useful and interesting little book. I'm reading several similar technical books right now, though skimming most of them so not logging them here, to help me learn how to "fly" in Microsoft Flight Simulator.

[Jacquie Mix · Rating 4 out of 5]

informative

Helpful review of the landing process. Interesting and full of humor too.

As a student pilot who has not practiced landings yet I felt it was good preparation. The graohics are helpful too.

[T Olsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A small book with a light tone and very easy to understand technical descriptions. I'm going to download it to my smartphone (just in case).

[Em Raymond · Rating 5 out of 5]

informative and humorous, I loved reading this book.

[Ricardo A. Baila · Rating 4 out of 5]

A British humoured description on the basics of how to land a plane

[Desirae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Instructional and humorous, I loved it. Can’t wait to see what the author will write next!

[Espen Nilsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny and interesting read

[Carol Buchter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Exactly as the title promises.
His previous book Skyfaring was a much more compelling read.

[Francis Tapon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short book lives up to its promise.
I hope I never have to test my knowledge, but this is a must-read for those who fly small planes.

[Martin Barry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pros:
- sharply written, easy read
- thorough explanation of flight and landing

Cons:
- likely nothing new for most aviation geeks
- left wanting more