Guide to Airport Airplanes: An Illustrated Handbook Allowing Rapid Identification of Airliners Flown Worldwide by Major Airlines [Paperback]

William Berk (Author), Frank Berk (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1993

From the British Aerospace Concorde to the Russian Ilyushin IL-62, through the Netherlands' Fokker F27/F50, this book covers virtually every plane flown by major airlines. Sure to be a hit with those who love to gaze into the "wild blue yonder," Guide to Airport Airplanes allows amateur observers to easily identify these aerodynamic wonders. 125 illustrations and photos.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: Plymouth Pr Ltd; 2nd edition (January 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1882663101
• ISBN-13: 978-1882663101
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,162,656 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for new spotters, January 24, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Guide to Airport Airplanes: An Illustrated Handbook Allowing Rapid Identification of Airliners Flown Worldwide by Major Airlines (Paperback)

This book starts with a taxonomic chart (match what you see and go to that page) and branches off until you find the right plane group/subgroup. After that you have to flip through the pictures/descriptions in the subgroups to find the right plane. If you're sitting at an airport and have a good view with plenty of time to watch individual planes, this book is tops. However, if you're working at a distance with field glasses it won't really help. I agree that the specs are limited if you're a hard-core spotter. I too am still looking for a book with proportional drawings. However, I think this is the best book I've seen so far. IMHO, when compared with _Civil_Airliner_Recognition_, this book has more practical comparison/distinguishing notes, better photos, and better views for distinguishing characteristic identification.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you want to recognize airliners, this is THE book..., February 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Guide to Airport Airplanes: An Illustrated Handbook Allowing Rapid Identification of Airliners Flown Worldwide by Major Airlines (Paperback)

This amazing book does one thing better than any other like it: it allows observers to rapidly identify airliners. Using its unique system that divides airliners into categories based on number and type of engines and wing configurations, it rapidly guides observers to the identity of the airliner they're watching. Attractively designed, it includes full-color photos and 3-view silhouettes of each airliner, as well as essential information such as cruising speed, size, and range. I wouldn't leave home for the airport without it.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just the thing for those long connections, June 2, 2000

By 

R. J. Beilstein (North Syracuse, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Guide to Airport Airplanes: An Illustrated Handbook Allowing Rapid Identification of Airliners Flown Worldwide by Major Airlines (Paperback)

This book is perfect for the frequent traveler with time on his or her hands at the airport! It is designed to make it relatively quick and painless to find the aircraft you're seeing BEFORE it rolls out of sight -- and I've found that this design works for me.

What's more, the book is the perfect size to fit into the upper pocket on a Travelpro Rollaboard® suitcase -- so it's always easy for me to get to, when that unknown aircraft rolls into view.

The book is very much like "A Field Guide to the Airplanes", in the Roger Tory Peterson tradition -- a way to quickly identify common (and sometimes obscure) aircraft quickly and accurately.

If you're looking for detailed descriptions, or the real difference between a 737-300 and a 737-400, then you'll have to look elsewhere. But if you want to quickly know if that airplane out there is an Embraer 120 or a Fairchild Metro, this is the book for you.

I can't wait for the third edition to appear (hint, hint)!