Pilot's Guide to Airmanship and Aerodynamics

A Pilots Guide to Airmanship and Aerodynamics is written to help pilots discover the fundamentals of airmanship and aerodynamics, the principles that are absolute to flying an airplane. You will learn the magical relationship that makes you an accomplished airman, a superb pilot, a great stick. This guide offers instruction that includes upset and unusual attitude recovery, flying classic maneuvers, concepts of pitch and coordination, tailwheel skills, and the aerodynamics of using the flight controls. The last chapter, Ten Best Stick and Rudder Habits, offers powerful instruction on how to become a great stick; for example, unload before you roll, recognize and control P-factor, understand Them Words and avoid monkey flying.

Airmanship is about flying an airplane correctly using stick and rudder; becoming a superb flyer, an airman. Aerodynamics is the science of flight; how airplanes work; the fundamentals of motion. A pilot’s action contrary to the laws of aerodynamics will result in a bad out-come.

Flying an airplane is not the same as piloting one. In pilot school they teach students to pilot an airplane; and then there is more: commercial, ATP, category, type, instrument, procedures, check lists and cockpit resource. A pilot never stops learning; his path is forward earning more endorsements and qualifications along the way. Unfortunately many pilots do not look back, and they fail to recognize that stick and rudder skills, airmanship, was missing from their basic pilot training.

Maybe more important than being a good stick is the imperative to be safe. Every year pilots kill themselves in accidents under the categories of loss of control and stall/spin incident. Most of those incidents involve a basic turn. The ugly truth is apparent - too many pilots lack the fundamental stick and rudder skills associated with a basic turn.

Teaching pilots about airmanship and aerodynamics is what this author does. Jim Alsip is a Master CFI-Aerobatic. At his flight school Dylan Aviation School of Aerobatics and Airmanship, the author instructs the fundamentals of airmanship as exemplified by aerobatic training, spin and upset recovery, tailwheel endorsement training and perhaps the most valuable course of instruction, Avoiding Loss of Control

In his pithy, no nonsense style, Jim Alsip has written two other books about airmanship. They are narratives developing thoughts in context and presenting information in an orderly story line; key points are built upon the preceding key points. In contrast, this book is a collection of essays in the tradition of what pilots call hangar talk. Each topic stands along. Sometimes comment is intended to be definitive so as to resolve a misleading term, correct a dangerous flying technique or promote a flying fundamentals. Many of the essays are edgy but not definitive; instead comment is meant to encourage the reader (pilot) to become introspective of personal habits and his understanding of flying fundamentals.
The concept of hangar talk is when two or more pilots share some quality time talking about flying. Once a common occurrence at airports, hangar talk is rare in today’s pilot community. A good use of this book would be to encourage the reader (pilot) to engage in some hangar talk. The reader might bring up one or more topics at their next pilot meeting, when having coffee with another pilot, or in discussion with their instructor.

Fly high, have fun and keep the blue on top – Jim Alsip