Glider Flying Handbook (Paperback)

~ Federal Aviation Administration (Editor) "Welcome to the world of soaring..." (more)
Key Phrases: glide calculator, minimum sink airspeed, high tow position, United States, Airspeed Knots, National Weather Service (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

For certified glider pilots and students preparing for certification in the glider category, this book—prepared by the Federal Aviation Administration—is a resource without equal. Covering components and systems, flight instruments, performance limitations, preflight and ground operations, launch and recovery procedures, flight maneuvers, traffic patterns, soaring weather, radio navigation, and much more, it lays out in authoritative detail the science, mechanics, and regulations that every pilot needs to know. Plus, it contains a glossary of essential terms and crystal-clear color illustrations. No one should learn to fly, or fly a glider, without this information close at hand.

About the Author

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), established in 1958, strives to provide the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the world. It authors the Aviation Instructor's Handbook, Airplane Flying Handbook, the Federal Aviation Regulations/Aeronautical Information Manual (FAR/AIM) and the Pilot s Encyclopedia of Aeronautical Knowledge.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing; Reprint edition (July 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1602390614
• ISBN-13: 978-1602390614
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #82,909 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Pretty, but written by bureaucrats, September 19, 2008

By	Robert M. Pratt "gliderguider" (Northwestern NJ) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The book hits the right topics and has lots of illustrations, but the writing is soulless. This makes some of the explanations hard to understand. The section on basic flight physics, for instance, is incomprehensible. On the other hand, the sections on variometers and total energy systems are quite clear. It's as though the book were a slightly expanded checklist written by several different aparatchiks all of whom lean heavily on government-speak. This is a good study guide for the written exam, but I wouldn't take it in isolation. It needs accompanying books (by Piggot, Stewart, or Langewiesche etc.) to make it complete.

5.0 out of 5 stars Glider Flying Handbook, June 17, 2009

By	C. J. Flynn III "Mike Flynn" (New Jersey) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is an excellent reference book for glider flying. It thoroughly covers all aspects of information required for the student as well as the advanced glider pilots. The graphics are excellent and go a long way in helping to understand the material. Minor editing errors throughout are anoying. The FAA has published an errata sheet that fixes some but not all of the errors found. That errata sheet was not included with the text. At $16.95 this is a great price but at $28.00 it is too much

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, but Insufficient, April 8, 2009

By	William Corsair "Will" (Leavenworth County, KS USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

Like most of the FAA pubs (this is a Skyhorse reprint), this one is good but it's not complete. There is much more information in glider books from Derek Piggot. And "Stick and Rudder" by Wolfgang Langewiesche is timeless, even if it was written 70 years ago.

The Skyhorse reprint is first-quality, however: coated stock, excellent photos and illustrations. The previous ASA version was almost twice the price for the same book.