Beyond the Checkride

Benefit from the Experience of Hundreds of Pilots Howard Fried, legendary flight instructor, shares what every pilot--the experienced as well as the newly minted aviator--most needs to know about flying: the invaluable lessons learned by trial and error, recounted through real-life experiences of hundreds of pilots. Everyone knows that a successful checkride just earns you the ``license to learn.'' To be a truly proficient aviator, there is much more to master, Fried covers it all: Basics that are rarely taught; Mastering maneuvers; Surviving spins and stalls; Pilot error: the human factor; Advanced equipment; Dangerous weather; The ATC system; and a great deal more. Like an old-timer telling war stories in the hangar, Fried makes his points with vivid anecdotes collected from more than 50 years' cumulative experience as a pilot and flight instructor. Why not learn from other people's mistakes? Fried asks. It is much easier, and safer, than making them yourself. It could even save your life.

Asserting that a flight certificate is a pilot's ``license to learn,'' this unique book offers valuable lessons learned by veteran pilots. Using the anecdotal style that has made his Flying magazine column so popular, Fried bridges the gap between pilot training and in-flight experience with his advice on vital but often under-emphasized areas of: maneuvering speed; weight and balance; aircraft control; prop safety; night flying; altitude.