How Airliners Fly A Passenger's Guide

Your seat back is in its full upright position and your hand luggage is stowed neatly under the seat. But as the engines roar and propel the aircraft down the runway, you can't help wondering: how is a 200,000-pound metal tube possibly going to get airborne? Are those rumbles you hear and bumps you feel normal? For those who want to know more about how an airliner flies, airline Captain Julien Evans, an experienced Boeing 757 pilot who has comforted many a nervous passenger, answers these questions and more. He describes in simple language the makeup of a modern plane, its engines, controls and operational systems. Evans also explains the physical forces at work as a plane takes flight and the methods by which a pilot controls it while aloft and at the critical moments of take-off and landing. How Airliners Fly takes the mystery out of airline travel, satisfying the curious and calming the uncomfortable.

Julien Evans flew Boeing 737s, 757s and 767s during a 36-year career. He was also an instructor and examiner on these types. Now retired from airline flying, he maintains his interest in aviation generally and flies light aircraft.