Flight For Safety is an aviation thriller where fiction mirrors truth and each flight is a game of Russian roulette. Aircraft are crashing after computer failures, incidents are occurring worldwide, coming close to hull losses, with mismanagement of aircraft navigation systems, and airline training programs are being cancelled. Aerodynamic skills are failing and the new generation pilots never learned them. But when Darby Bradshaw learns what is happening at her airline, she steps into a far-reaching conspiracy where she has become the target.

"Notes of a Seaplane Instructor" is a distillation of all the tips, techniques and procedures of a veteran flyer and teacher, in an accessible and informative format. Author Burke Mees has an affinity for the "feel of the floats on the water" and how to communicate it in writing, as well as a sensible, professional approach which lends a truly "one-on-one" aspect to reading his book.
All the seaplane maneuvers are covered, starting with preflight, proceeding through taxiing, takeoff, landing, and postflight procedures; also operating in various water conditions, stability of the aircraft on the water, step-taxi and -turn, and much more. Many illustrations, taken from and inspired by the author's own original flight instruction notebook sketches, help to further explain the concepts. In this new second edition, Burke provides even more notes on technique and performance particular to the world of floatplanes, with a special emphasis on safety and the best kind of pilot decision-making processes that keep seaplanes flying. The Second Edition also features an added chapter on multi-engine seaplane flying, and an appendix with notes on "pumping the floats" and "ropes and splicing."
What is it like to fly single-engine float planes? How do pilots develop and then hone their water-flying skills? What techniques apply to both landplanes and seaplanes, and which ones belong in only one realm? The answers to these questions comprise a unique approach to seaplane flying, in a book that reveals what floatplane mastery is really all about. Notes of a Seaplane Instructor offers insights to all pilots, from already-rated seaplane pilots to those looking to experience the benefits and pleasures of seaplane flying for the first time.

An engaging coverage of Air France 447, the Airbus A330 that crashed in the ocean north of Brazil on June 1, 2009, killing all 228 persons on board. Written by A330 Captain, Bill Palmer, this book opens to understanding the actions of the crew, how they failed to understand and control the problem, and how the airplane works and the part it played. All in easy to understand terms. Addressed are the many contributing aspects of weather, human factors, and airplane system operation and design that the crew could not recover from. How each contributed is covered in detail along with what has been done, and needs to be done in the future to prevent this from happening again.

This book is about the flying adventures of Matthew Nelson. A private pilot, Matt has flown his own Stinson 108 Voyager, several floatplanes, the Russian An-2, and flew around South Africa in a Cessna-182, and also had a flight in a Tiger Moth. He was also in the Army in the 1960s, and flew in the back of a Navy EA-3B as a crew member.

In a provocative and sometimes controversial style, this guide starts where standard-issue flight training manuals leave off. The Thinking Pilot guides you deeply into topics that weren't taught in flight training-everything from how to really do a preflight, through keeping your passengers happy, scud running, precautionary landings, and how to survive a crash. It includes a detailed introduction to flying floats, skis, aerobatics, and classic airplanes; probes some of aviation's dirty little secrets, explodes myths, and presents the best, most succinct guide to flying tailwheel airplanes ever written. Rick Durden was once described as aviation's Renaissance Man. He is an Airline Transport-rated pilot with experience in some 200 types of airplanes, a practicing aviation attorney who has been involved in hundreds of aircraft accident cases, writer, aviation magazine editor, safety counselor, flight instructor, volunteer pilot in remote areas of the U.S. and Central America, and has been the executive director of a nonprofit conservation organization making use of aircraft and volunteer pilots throughout much of North America.

Captivating reading for anyone fascinated by aviation, and an unparalleled primer for those thinking of learning to fly or concerned with aviation and safety. Not only does it cover today's world, but also adds an important historical perspective. Explains basic procedures such as takeoff and landing, noting the V-speeds required for safety at the various stages. Hidden among the more technical entries are many with fascinating if not invaluable information for passengers. Also, for the benefit of younger readers and the curious, some non-aviation entries are included. The technical entries are easy to read as they were initially composed as the glossary and appendix to Air Crashes and Miracle Landings, where the aim was to explain the aviation terms simply but properly.

The legendary Hercules flying boat was designed and built by the Hughes Aircraft Company. Intended to defeat the German U-boat threat, the plane was intended to be a super transport that could ferry 750 troops from the USA to Europe, and serve as an aerial ambulance on the return flight. Owing to wartime restrictions on the use of aluminum, the prototype Hercules was built using laminated birch wood. Although company CEO Howard Hughes hated it, the name "Spruce Goose" was coined for the plane and it stuck. The HK-1 (later designated H-4) would be the largest flying boat ever built, and one of history's largest and most expensive planes. Many questioned the practicality of the aircraft, and after the war ended the project was roundly criticized as a boondoggle. Howard Hughes decided to prove the plane could fly. On November 2, 1947 he and a crew of 21 conducted a series of taxi tests with the plane. On the last test, the plane became airborne for a brief time and flew just under two miles at an altitude of roughly 70 feet. It would never fly again, but Hughes had silenced his critics. This Hughes Flying Boat Manual was originally prepared for the U.S. Government's War Department by the Hughes Tool Co., and made available through the Freedom of Information Act. It provides an overview of this massive plane's design and operation for the pilot and flight crew, and puts you right in the cockpit of one of history's great planes. Please note: because this document originated from an archival copy, legibility can vary and some images may be substandard.

Known as the "Beau," Bristol's Beaufighter was based on the design of the Beaufort torpedo bomber. Heavy and slow by fighter standards, it nevertheless had a long career as a fighter, fighter bomber and eventually replaced the Beaufort as a torpedo bomber. Equipped with radar in its nose, it flew over the skies of the United Kingdom in 1941 as a night-fighter and proved a strong counter to the Luftwaffe. Beginning in 1942, the Beau flew in the Mediterranean where it proved very effective against shipping, aircraft and ground targets. The torpedo-carrying variant "Torbeau," TF Mk. X, made its first successful attacks in April of 1943, sinking two merchant ships off Norway. The North Coates Strike Wing of Coastal Command used Torbeaus and Beaus in concert and accounted for over 117 enemy vessels, nearly half of all enemy shipping sunk by strike wings in 1942-45. The Beau also flew in the Pacific and CBI Theaters, attacking Japanese supply lines and shipping. Royal Australian Air Forces units flew an Australian-produced variant, most notably in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea where they sank twelve enemy ships. Originally printed by the Minister of Air Production and Bristol, this pilot's flight operating instruction manual taught pilot's everything they needed to know before entering the cockpit. Includes instructions for both the Beaufighter II and TF X models.

Field manual (FM) 3-04.300 is designed to serve as a doctrinal guide focusing on the primary aspects of airfield procedures in full spectrum operations. While it contains guidelines for aviation unit commanders and aviators, the manual is intended primarily for use by airfield operations battalions (AOBs) and installation flight operations personnel. It is applicable to division, corps, Theater Aviation Command (TAC), Theater and Area Sustainment Commands, and the Army aviation community, including members of allied, coalition, and civilsupport forces. This manual outlines the organization and services of the theater airfield operations groups (TAOGs), AOBs, aviation unit plans and operations staff, and installation airfield management operations. It explains personnel qualifications, duties, and responsibilities; it provides information on airfield design and security and support requirements when planning and operating an airfield within a theater of operations (TO) or during homelandsecurity operations. Installation airfield management structure, responsibilities, services, safety, and National Airspace System (NAS) requirements are presented in part III of this manual. Appendix A details the numerous checklists necessary for adequate airfield assessment and the duties required for airfield opening. Appendix B discusses the characteristics of military aircraft. Appendix C addresses Army and Air Force airfield planning.Appendix D discusses letters and facility memorandums. Appendix E discusses emergency plans and procedures.

This is the current official army U.S. Army Field Manual, unchanged since this edition completed 7th May 2007. Field manual (FM) 3-04.203 presents information to plan and conduct common aviation tasks for fixed- and rotary-wing flight. However, it has become more inclusive and its scope broadened to reduce the number of manuals used by Army crewmembers for reference. One of the underlying premises of Army aviation is if crewmembers understand 'why' they will be better prepared to 'do' when confronted with the unexpected. FM 3-04.203 endeavors to ensure that crewmembers understand the basic physics of flight, and the dynamics associated with fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft. A comprehensive understanding of these principles will better prepare a crew member for flight, transition training, and tactical flight operations.

Created by Lockheed's brilliant designer Kelly Johnson, the SR-71 Blackbird is one of the most legendary aircraft to emerge from the famous "Skunk Works." Capable of Mach 3 flight, the SR-71 could survey 100,000 miles of the earth's surface from an altitude of 80,000 feet. The SR-71 holds a coast-to-coast speed record of 64 minutes flown at over 2100 m.p.h. The SR-71 flew from 1964-1998 for the USAF (with a brief retirement from 1989- 1995), and completed over 17,000 sorties and over 11,500 hours at Mach 3. During that time 12 of the 32 aircraft produced were lost in accidents, although with only one fatality. The Blackbird also flew as a NASA research aircraft from 1992-99. Originally created for the elite group of pilots who drove "the sled," this Flight Operating Handbook provides a revealing look into the cockpit of one of history's great planes. Just recently de-classified, this book contains all the basic instructions for the SR-71A and twin-cockpit SR-71B training model. Please note, this book was created from a classified original made available through the Freedom of Information Act. As a result some pages may have substandard print quality. A limited number of pages are unavailable or still classified and have been omitted. Care has been taken to preserve the integrity of the text.

The Consolidated B-24 Liberator first saw combat in June of 1942, making a daring raid into Nazi-occupied Romania to bomb the oil fields at Ploesti. Nearly 18,500 Liberators were built during World War II, making it by far the most-produced American combat aircraft. It served in many roles beyond heavy bomber, transport, and anti-submarine patrol, and flew in Africa, Europe, India, the Atlantic, India and the Pacific Theatre. Originally printed by the United States Army Air Force in 1942, the B-24 Liberator pilot's flight manual taught pilots everything they needed to know before entering the cockpit. Originally "Restricted," the manual was declassified long ago and is here reprinted in book form. This affordable facsimile has been reformatted, and color images appear as black and white. Care has been taken however to preserve the integrity of the text.

For a mother to teach her son to drive is perhaps not so unusual, but for her to teach him to fly? Given that the year was 1911, that was most likely a first. But Hilda B. Hewlett had already achieved a first in the world of aviation. Three months earlier she had become the first English woman to gain a pilot's licence. How was it that the middle-aged wife of a well-known author came to be counted among the early aviation pioneers? A daughter of the vicar of an impoverished parish in South London, Hilda Beatrice Herbert was born in 1864 and married Maurice Hewlett, a barrister in Antiquarian Law, in 1888. He aspired to be a writer and Billy, as Hilda was affectionately known, encouraged him. When, ten years later, he published his best seller, a romantic historical novel, The Forest Lovers, the Hewletts began to enjoy unimaginable prosperity and Maurice was on his way to becoming a full-time writer and a member of the literary London scene. Billy, meanwhile, was acquiring a reputation for unconventionality. She already drove and maintained her own car, but it was whilst watching a new-fangled contraption of an aircraft rise and fly above a muddy field that Billy was fired with an all-consuming desire. To own and fly just such a machine she was prepared to endure cold and hunger, boredom and poverty. It was a venture that was to take her into aircraft manufacture throughout WWI and to settle her, eventually, as Old Bird - her grandchildren only ever knew her as Old Bird - in New Zealand.

Please note: this is volume two of a two volume set. You must purchase both books to have a complete manual. The U.S. Navy's front line, land-based maritime patrol aircraft, the Lockheed P-3 Orion is a highly capable anti-submarine warfare platform. Conceived as a replacement for the P-2 Neptune and P-5 Marlin, the P-3 first flew in 1961. It was loosely based on the design of the L-188 Electra passenger aircraft. Equipped with four Allison T56 turbo-prop engines, the P-3 has the speed of a fast propeller-powered fighter and a range of nearly 2,400 nautical miles. It can remain on station at 1500 feet for three hours with a range of 1,300 nm. The aircraft typically carries three pilots and a crew of eight. Armament capacity is up to 20,000 pounds and can include the AGM-84 Harpoon, AGM-84E SLAM, AGM-84H/K and AGM-65F Maverick. The P-3 has provided reliable service to the U.S. and its allies. In addition to Cold War submarine tracking, its missions have included enforcing the blockade of Cuba during the 1962 crisis, coastal patrols in the Vietnam War, and targeting of Iraqi naval elements during the Gulf War. Over the decades the P-3 has received several major up-dates, and more than forty variants have been developed. It is expected to remain in service for the U.S. Navy until at least 2013 when the P-8 Poseidon begins deployment. This pilot's manual was originally created by Lockheed and the U.S. Navy. It has been declassified and is here made available in book form.

Jean Batten was born in Rotorua, New Zealand and developped a love for aviation from an early age. Her father did not approve of her love of flying and she and her mother moved to London in order to pursue her dream of becoming a pilot. Jean received her license at the London Aeroplane Club at Stag Lane and began planning for a flight from England to Australia to surpass the Amy Johnson's record. After two failed attempts, she succeeded in 1934, flying a Gipsy Moth and became a great hero in Australia, New Zealand and England. In 1935 she broke James Mollison's records for England to Brazil and Dakar to Natal and became the first woman to fly solo across the South Atlantic. She also shared a Harmon Trophy with Amelia Earhart in 1935. In 1937 she set another record for an Australia to England flight both ways. During World War II Jean Batten gave up flying and eventually became a recluse, living with her mother in Majorca, Spain and appearing in public only for a few events. She died in obscurity in Majorca in 1982. The international terminal at Auckland Airport is named in her honor.

The XF-11 was originally conceived as a dedicated reconnaissance aircraft, capable of high-speed penetration of enemy defenses. The plane's design benefitted from research work by its builder, the brilliant and sometimes mercurial Howard Hughes. Inspired by an experimental aircraft he had created known as the DX-2, Hughes' XF-11 was a twin-engine, twin-boom, tricycle gear monoplane that featured a pressurized nacelle for its crew and 28-cylinder engines with contra-rotating props. Hughes piloted the XF-11 on its maiden flight, and was nearly killed when one of the props reversed its pitch and the plane crashed. After Hughes recovered from his injuries, he piloted a second prototype outfitted with conventional props. By then the Air Force had already made up its mind: the XF-11 would never enter service. Originally printed by Hughes and the Air Force this handbook provides a fascinating glimpse inside the cockpit of this plane. This manual is declassified. Please note: due to the archival nature of this document, print quality can vary.

The largest piston-powered airplane ever mass-produced, Convair's B-36 "Peacemaker" was also the world's first thermonuclear bomber. The genesis of this behemoth can be traced to WWII, when U.S. planners determined that if the British were defeated, a very-long-range bomber would be needed to battle the Nazis. The prototype B-36 flew in 1946 and was quickly upgraded as the need for a bomber with a large lifting capacity - the early fission and later hydrogen bombs were both large and heavy - became paramount. Yet, when it entered active service in 1949, the "aluminum overcast" was already considered obsolete due to its four jet, six Wasp radial engine power-plant configuration. Nevertheless, nearly 400 B-36s were built and flew as strategic deterrents before the plane was retired in 1959. Originally printed by the U.S. Air Force, this Flight Operating Handbook is an authentic reprint of an original. Classified "Restricted," the manual was declassified and is here reprinted in book form. This affordable facsimile has been slightly reformatted. Some color images appear in black and white. Care has been taken to preserve the integrity of the text.

One of the most storied aircraft of WWII, the Vought F4U-4 Corsair was the first single engine production aircraft capable of 400 mph in level flight. With its characteristic gull wing and giant 18-cylinder Double Wasp engine, it proved a superb fighter in the Pacific Theater and achieved victory ratio approaching 11 to 1. The exploits of the famed Black Sheep Squadron of Corsairs was recounted by their leader, Marine fighter ace Major Gregory "Pappy" Boyington, in the book "Baa Baa Black Sheep." This Flight Operating Instructions manual taught pilots everything they needed to know before climbing into the cockpit. Originally classified "Restricted," the manual was declassified long ago and is here reprinted in book form. This revised version includes an original assembly breakdown manual as an appendix.

Designed by Douglas Aircraft Co.s brilliant engineer Ed Heinemann, the turbojet powered, delta-wing A-4 Skyhawk played a key role in conflicts from Vietnam to the Falklands and Yom Kippur Wars. The Skyhawk was intended to replace the venerable Skyraider as a carrier-based, ground attack aircraft, yet Heinemanns design looked nothing like its predecessor. Its small, lightweight airframe was so compact that its wings did not even have to be folded for carrier stowage, and it surpassed the Navys design specification for weight by nearly 100%. No wonder the nimble jet was dubbed Heinemanns Hot Rod. The A-4 entered service in 1956, and first saw combat during the early days of the Vietnam War where it flew as a light attack aircraft. Its service in S.E. Asia was prolific, as it flew literally thousands of strike and escort missions and even scored an air-to-air victory over a North Vietnamese MiG. A Marine A-4 is believed to be the last American aircraft to drop bombs on Vietnam. During the conflict 362 Skyhawks were lost. The Navy retired the Skyhawk in 1975, although it continued flying as a trainer and adversary aircraft as late as 2003. Nearly 3,000 Skyhawks were built before production ceased in 1979, including a two- seat trainer model TA-4. The Skyhawk was widely exported and saw combat with the air forces of Kuwait, Israel and Argentina. This pilots manual was originally classified restricted but has now been declassified and is here reprinted in book form

- The final answer on Amelia Earhart: "Amelia Earhart" puts to rest the speculation and rumors surrounding Earhart's disappearance. The Longs prove that she was pushing the limits of technology and simply pushed too far. With the primitive conditions Earhart was flying under--no radar, unreliable communication--she missed Howland Island, her next stop..
- An expert author and pilot: Elgen Long has more than forty years of combat and civilian flying experience. During World War II, he flew planes virtually identical to the Electra that Earhart flew, making him one of the few living pilots who understands the conditions she flew under. Elgen and his wife, Marie, spent more than twenty-five years, interviewed more than 100 witnesses, and traveled more than 100,000 miles researching this book. .
- A new movie: "Amelia," starring Hilary Swank, will be released by Fox Searchlight in fall 2009. The screenplay is based on three books, including Elgen and Marie Long's "Amelia Earhart," and Elgen Long served as a technical advisor to the film..