atc_and_weather-mastering_the_systems

by richard-l-collins

"There are always two systems out there -- air traffic control and weather -- and the responsibility and the challenge come from fitting the airplane into both of them as smoothly as possible." In this book, Richard Collins highlights and stresses the importance of negotiating the systems of air traffic control and weather services to maximum advantage. The emphasis is on pilot judgment. Yes, a flight is affected by winds, and storms are always a risk. Visibility is an area where the regulations desert us; a blanket rule that sets the VFR minimums in miles does not take into account differences in speed. A regulation's legality does not guarantee pilot and passenger safety. Yet Richard Collins demystifies the art of aviation, and dexterously guides the pilot through common misconceptions with solid advice and accurate examples for improvement. From flight planning on through to arrival, approach, and landing, Collins encourages all pilots to be a critic of their own performance, with an example of his own flight self-analysis. A basic weather course is provided, which serves as the backbone for learning how to read the signs. In this newly revised Second Edition of his book, Collins teaches you how to use ATC to your benefit, whether flying VFR or IFR. The factors you need to consider when making these decisions are outlined, supplemented with examples from personal experience and accident reports. He explains the most frequent decisions pilots made when they were caught in weather, laying all the factors on the table so you have enough information to develop pilot and airplane limitations that make sense for you -- so you know exactly what you can and should ask of ATC for help out of there. But regardless of weather factors or services available en route, Collins is confident in his craft. He never lets his more than 40 years of flying relax his judgment. It is with this drive toward excellence that you can learn from his experiences.

Paperback

First published December 1, 2001

Reviews

[Lucas McNicoll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apart from the references to FAA regulations and flights across the USA (being a UK pilot), this book had some very important points about universal principles within the world of aviation.

The stories of the authors flights across the US weren't a major problem though. If anything it forced me to scrub up on some geography and pull a map out to get a better idea of the picture he was trying to paint.