by Steve Whitson
Sometimes I see a book and its title just makes me pick it up. Then I scan the back cover and feel compelled to leaf through the pages. Rarely, but often enough to merit notice, the contents make it a must-buy. In this case the back cover promises "instant facts" on aerodynamics, engines, aircraft performance, aircraft speed, atmosphere, meteorology, navigation, type qualifications, and more.
So it was with eager anticipation that I took home the "Encyclopedia of Technical Aviation" by Gary Bristow. This 453-page softcover book of aviation explanations is arranged alphabetically, making it ideal for reference material. It's also excellent to take on a trip or place in any strategic location where the reading opportunities vary from a few minutes to an hour or so. Of course, this presumes you're interested in the technical aspects of aviation. But, then again, because you're reading the review, that's an excellent conjecture.
As a pilot, it's one thing to be able to maneuver an aircraft from A to B and do so without damage or bloodshed. This is the realm of the novice, the student pilot, the once-a-month-fly-for-lunch devotee. But for those who take flying seriously, it behooves all of us to understand the medium through which we fly, as well as the machine we use. I'm sure we all agree on this simple premise.
What has held us back is the lack of immediately available information. I personally have many textbooks and other tomes that cover the most esoteric of subjects. Not that I understand everything in them. But locating a specific item in a general-subject textbook is often a frustrating experience.
Many of the school texts can put you to sleep in aheartbeat and are written by pedants more involved in impressing the reader than explaining the subject. Others are written for the engineer or the highly advanced student and require a great deal of requisite reading beforehand. Another problem is that they, and most of the other books, have indices that are woefully inadequate. It's a matter of guessing which subjects may contain the information you're seeking.
Because this book is arranged alphabetically, there's little opportunity to miss the item, provided it's included. The explanations are succinct, yet sufficient for understanding. They also vary greatly in length. For example, "hypertension" is given five words, while "drag" goes on for four pages with four diagrams.
Another example is "coffin corner." We all know it exists, but it's almost impossible to find a good explanation in a text. The term is slightly in the slang idiom, but airline pilots talk about it all the time. For those of you who are interested, here's part of the explanation in the book: "Coffin corner occurs at the aircraft's absolute ceiling, where the speeds at which the Mach number buffet and prestall buffet occur are coincident..." The explanation continues for a half page, and there's a diagram also...
From "absolute ceiling" to "ZFW" (zero fuel weight), author Gary Bristow has compiled clear, concise definitions and explanations for thousands of aviation-related terms, acronyms, and concepts. Appropriately, some entries require little more than a sentence or two, while others cover two or more pages--such as the description of ground marshaling signals and the differences between a jet and a propeller aircraft. Hundreds of simple diagrams, graphs, and illustrations also help to clarify many subjects.
For novice pilots, the "Encyclopedia of Technical Aviation" won't teach you to fly, but if there's ever a term you don't quite understand, it's probably included. Flight instructors will find it an excellent resource for providing understandable explanations of sometimes-complex theories, and even experienced, professional pilots will appreciate it as an easy-to-use refresher when some of those long-forgotten terms pop up.
At $44.95, the "Encyclopedia of Technical Aviation" seems a reasonable investment for pilots seeking a comprehensive guide to everything from the mundane to the arcane in aviation.
...Author Gary Bristow, an experienced airline pilot, states in the preface that this is a book for pilots at any stage of their career. The entries assume a basic knowledge and have a technical focus. The "Encyclopedia" is well designed as a trainer or quick refresher of technical aviation topics.
...Bristow has apparently drawn extensively from his own flight training and heavy commercial time to compile an excellent and truly encyclopedic collection of significant technical aviation terms. Bristow has created detailed explanations of terms that are of daily importance to pilots...This book is a treasured addition to current aviation literature, and an exceptionally good value for the reader. Every school supporting any aspect of ground or flight training and every serious pilot should own this valuable resource.
This single-volume encyclopedia of more than 450 pages, hundreds of illustrations, and thousands of entries is logically arranged in alphabetic order. Five pages of useful abbreviations precede the entries. A wide variety of formulas, equations, diagrams, tables, and charts add visual appeal and clarity to the explanations. Extensive cross-referencing is accomplished simply with see and see also notes.
...Author Gary Bristow, an experienced airline pilot, states in the preface that this is a book for pilots at any stage of their career. The entries assume a basic knowledge and have a technical focus. The Encyclopedia is well designed as a trainer or quick refresher of technical aviation topics.
...Bristow has apparently drawn extensively from his own flight training and heavy commercial time to compile an excellent and truly encyclopedic collection of significant technical aviation terms. Bristow has created detailed explanations of terms that are of daily importance to pilots...This book is a treasured addition to current aviation literature, and an exceptionally good value for the reader. Every school supporting any aspect of ground or flight training and every serious pilot should own this valuable resource.
This single-volume encyclopedia of more than 450 pages, hundreds of illustrations, and thousands of entries is logically arranged in alphabetic order. Five pages of useful abbreviations precede the entries. A wide variety of formulas, equations, diagrams, tables, and charts add visual appeal and clarity to the explanations. Extensive cross-referencing is accomplished simply with see and see also notes.
...Author Gary Bristow, an experienced airline pilot, states in the preface that this is a book for pilots at any stage of their career. The entries assume a basic knowledge and have a technical focus. The Encyclopedia is well designed as a trainer or quick refresher of technical aviation topics.
...Bristow has apparently drawn extensively from his own flight training and heavy commercial time to compile an excellent and truly encyclopedic collection of significant technical aviation terms. Bristow has created detailed explanations of terms that are of daily importance to pilots...This book is a treasured addition to current aviation literature, and an exceptionally good value for the reader. Every school supporting any aspect of ground or flight training and every serious pilot should own this valuable resource.
American Reference Books Annual
