The Proficient Pilot Gift Set (General Aviation Reading series) Paperback – December 1, 2001

There are lots of great book for aviators out there. Most of them hit on one subject and are good like want to know about weather than try Weather Flying by Bob Buck or what about aerodynamics try Skip smiths books Illustrated guide to aerodynamics. Are you a new pilot and don't want to die, try The killing zone. Are you moving up kerosene then try the Turbine pilots flight manual or Fly the wing.But being a CFI/II/MEI this is the set of books that recommend first to all pilots of all capabilities. I have had a 20,000 hour 47 driver tell me he learned A LOT of things from these books. I re-read them just about every year and guess what I learn more and more.If I ever get to meet Mr. Schiff I would like to shake his hand and offer him a heartfelt thank you for making me a better pilot and a better instructor.

Comprehensive and useful

Flying has a paradoxical aspect. It is much harder to learn to play a musical instrument well than to learn basic and even some advanced flying techniques. But if you "hit a wrong note" while flying, the result can be a crash and injury or death rather than embarrassment. The number of mistakes that can be made by pilots is huge, and they have all been made before by generations of aviators. Why make them again? What Barry Schiff does is to tell you about these mistakes, why they occur and how to handle them, or better, avoid them in the first place. He is a retired airline captain with more than 25,000 hours flying experience, an aviation forensics expert, and a prolific writer on aviation safety and history. If a dangerous situation exists, he has seen it and written about it. His writing style is engaging and easy to follow. These books are a must for anyone who flies non-professionally (and maybe professionally, too), or is learning to fly or contemplating doing so.

Perfect for the new or intermediate pilot, no matter if amateur or professional. A whole lot of information worth knowing if you are in the industry, and you will learn how to think about airplanes.If you are a private pilot, you will probably learn many, many things in a very digestible manner. If you are a more advanced flyer you will still learn something, for sure, but remember the elite are there because they know the basics better than anyone else. You better learn these volumes upside down and inside out to have a solid ground. After that it's your call if you want to learn more and be one of the best.Highly recomended for everyone.

"The school of hard knocks" is no place to learn aviation. The knowledge imparted by Mr. Schiff's years of experience is absolutely invaluable to a "green" student pilot like myself. His writing style reflected his love for aviation, talent for teaching and sense of humor. I could hardly put these books down! By passing on his experience in such a readable way, I definately feel he has helped me to be a safer pilot.

These are what give more terrorists more training? Yes, I remember September 11, 2001 and NO, this book does NOT make it easier for terrorists to avoid taking flying lessons. I would say that is idiotic thinking if I was a mean person... it's just ignorant thinking and that's not being mean, that's being truthful.

This was a gift for my husband who has recently taken up flying. He loved it.