8 Great Books: Summer Reading For Pilots

We look at some terrific recent releases on aviation subjects ranging from engines to flying technique.

Mike Busch on Engines
Mike Busch on Engines
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • The article presents a curated list of aviation books for pilots, covering a wide range of topics from technical aircraft maintenance to historical insights and practical flying skills.
  • Featured titles offer deep dives into complex subjects like piston aircraft engine operation and overhaul, the creation of iconic aircraft such as the Douglas DC-3, and the early days of jetliner travel.
  • The selection also includes practical guides for specialized flying environments, such as middle-altitude, mountain, canyon, and backcountry operations, alongside unique perspectives on preparing for flight tests and explaining piloting to non-aviators.
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Venture into the Stratosphere
Venture into the Stratosphere

6. Venture Into The Stratosphere
Flying the First Jetliners

By Dominic Colvert
Morgan Jones Publishing
Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-68350-2

Post World War II air transport made its own giant leaps, in speed, range, ceiling, reliability and economy, all thanks to the turbine engines powering new pressurized jets of the era. In his fascinating work, Into The Stratosphere, Dominic Colvert, a former flight engineer on the de Havilland Comet, the first jetliner, but also a Berkeley educated engineer, Silicon Valley executive and California history scholar discusses the early days of jet powered air transport. So this memoir, while it covers the usual ground, who flew what, where and how, delivers those details with a breadth of knowledge and wry humor and insight that make it an exceptional take on a remarkable era in aviation history.

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