Customer Reviews

Glider Flying Handbook: #FAA-H-8083-13 (FAA Handbooks)

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Finally! The FAA itself has released just last month (as of this writing) the instruction book that will likely become the standard recommended volume for glider-pilot prep among Americans preparing for licensing. This book covers virtually all aspects of knowledge necessary for VFR and IFR (visual and instrument) flight rules related to soaring.

Though there are quite a few interesting and informative books on glider soaring, the others lack the official stamp and aura of the Federal Aeronautics Administration itself. If you're preparing to solo and/or obtain your "ticket," you might as well read the most official treatise, since it is bound to be the most dependable path to the kind of education you need for all aspects of motorless flight in today's amazing sailplanes.

In addition to its authoritative quality, as above, this book is also impressively complete, straightforward and easy to follow.

This is THE AUTHORITATIVE manual for testing as a Glider Pilot. However, the printed version here is only if you need to carry the book around. And many of the new/used people selling here are selling a CD version [...].

The entire book, and addendum, are available from the FAA in PDF format, FREE. This is a government handbook, paid for with public funds. Take advantage of what you've already paid for.

[...]

As of 2006, the Soaring Society of America no longer offers the Soaring Flight Manual for sale because it has been replaced by the Glider Flying Handbook. This was not un-anticipated but still, IMHO, unfortunate.

The Glider Flying Handbook, while generally good, has some serious flaws. For instance, the topics of pattern planning and hypoxia (to name just two) get a most cursory treatment. And, all drawings depicting ground launches show the wire being attached to a nose hood instead of a center of gravity hook - I mean, come on!

Still, on the whole, I recommend this book. It does have much to offer and, quite likely, FAA test questions will come from this book. But, do look for and buy the Soaring Flight Manual - still available at Amazon.... for now.

Tony V. Certified Flight Instructor, Glider

Of the training tools for Glider students, this is by far the best as it covers all the topics with a levels of detail. The detail is structured so that a quick read can be done, with excellent schematic illustrations of the principals and examples to get primary understanding fast. Then there is further detail to make this a great reference book for ongoing study. As for taking the FAA tests this book is set into chapters that will best prepare one for taking the tests (private glider and even commercial, as I had done).

Been a professional aviator for 30 years none of which involved soaring and gliding. This book is perfect for the novice to intermediate glider pilot. It will take you from the basics of flight, why and how an aircraft flys and lead you into the more advanced concept of flight. It must be remembered that this is flight , for the most part ,without an engine.
The method of powered flight and unpowered flight have many similiarities but there are also significant differences. If you wish to learn about powered flight this is really is not the book for you.
As a new glider pilot with many thousands of hours of flight experience with piston and jet aircraft I still found this book to be off great benefit.

This is a very good book. However I must warn you about it's paper cover pages. They are as I said Paper. I would prefer Hard cover.

This is a very good book. A standard for learning to fly gliders. Well organized, comprehensive and with many good illustrations. The quality of the print from this source was fair. The SSA reprint is a better quality print and certainly more durable.

This book, an ASA reprint of an FAA pub, is available from Amazon as a Skyhorse Publishing reprint. Book is printed on coated stock, and the photos and illustrations are first rate.

Excellent introduction to gliding and flying in general. Price was $10 less than everywhere else. Excellent value.

It's a good book and a necessary addition to one's library; it's a good reference. There are, two extremely minor points I would offer: it has that governmental agency flavor to it and it was printed in Canada. (huh?) But it is a wealth of information, the graphics are terrific, and there is a surprising section on what it takes to be a competent glider pilot (which I am not, yet) both mentally and physically.