Customer Reviews

Takeoffs and Landings: The Crucial Maneuvers & Everything in Between

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Without exception, every pilot should read Langewiesche's Stick and Rudder. This book should be the next one to read after that. Langewiesche and Collins were friends, and Collins wrote this long after Stick and Rudder had become a classic. He produced an excellent follow-on work that both reinforces the lessons of Stick and Rudder and expands them. This book covers real-world flying and how to do it safely, avoiding common errors that lead to accidents.

The writing is lively, and at many points, you'll feel as if you're sitting next to Collins in the cockpit, getting a demonstration with explanations. The book is such an easy read that you learn almost without realizing you're learning.

If you've already read Stick and Rudder, read this book immediately. If you haven't read Langewiesche's book, get both his and Collins' books together. They make a great team and their insights will make you a better pilot. Humans aren't born with wings; our brains enabled us to fly. Langewiesche and Collins have produced a pair of books that will put your brain in the right gear to understand flying and keep you alive.

It is a very great book that helped me to better understand what I'm doing in my LSA and which misconceptions I had.

This author writes from a very basic perspective describing his experiences with wind, speed, lift, weather and how airfoils respond accordingly. The prose is easy to follow and pilots will relate to his examples. I found a lot of tips that I can apply in my own flying.

Does a good job of covering the factors that affect the phases of flight where the most accidents happen: landings and takeoffs.

Covers aircraft characteristics that affect these phases, such as:
nose wheel swivel steering,
hydraulic steering,
kinds of linkages between rudder and pedals,
kinds of linkages sometimes found between rudder and ailerons,
and so on - and how they affect taxiing, takeoff, and landing.

Provides insight and advice on handling for atmospheric effects such as wind shear and turbulence.
Discusses pilot characteristics and how one might overcome some of the less desirable responses.

I found it to be written in an engaging and interesting style. As the other positive reviewers have noted, this book picks up where Langewiesche's "Stick and Rudder" leaves off. I suspect it would be best appreciated after one has tried a few landings and takeoffs.

This book is a good read, but unless you are flying tail dragger bi-planes there is very little useful information in this book!