Aviation is almost the worst for that. It even has a name for it, the 'killing zone', that period of time from 50 to 350 flight hours in which new pilots are on their own but don't yet have the skill necessary to recognize potentially dangerous situations.

In short, their mental estimation of their personal skill is significantly higher then their actual skill level. Similar with young people who just got their driver's license.

The point about antilock brakes is nonetheless valid. GA aircraft are in too many ways analogous to automobiles of the 1960s (engines, brakes, lack of energy-absorbing passenger zones, mixture/prop/throttle not electronically interconnected, rudder pedals at all, etc, etc). Wolfgang Langewiesche would be so disappointed.

I'm a fairly low-hour pilot, but here are mine. Two of them. Both were avoidable, and both were really, really good lessons.

1. I was flying along the south shore of Lake Erie east of Toledo at 2,500' in VFR. I had checked the sectional grid to make sure that I was at a clearance for the highest obstacle at 2,200'. What I didn't check was if it was in my flight path or not. It was. But it was hidden by my cowling. My passenger asked, "Should we be that close to that tower?" I turned us to the left and hit the power to climb, but we cleared it by about 400' vertically, and maybe 800' to the north. WAAAAAY to f*cking close, and lesson learned. My passenger was cool with it, and there was no panic in my voice or actions, but I was shitting my pants on the inside. I didn't even see the tower in my route because it was obscured by my cowling for most of the way towards it. Since then, I've not only checked the obstacle height in each grid, but scoped the exact locations of obstacles within 4nm on either side of my intended route if I am more than 1000' lower than the clearance height on the grid square.
   
   
2. The second one was actually on my very first solo flight with a passenger. We flew from KARB around the DTW Bravo on the south with flight following, and up the Detroit River. We were stopping at KVLL (Troy) to meet a friend, and then flying back to KARB. When ATC terminated radar services, I squawked VFR and turned to the CTAF frequency and called all of my traffic properly. Winds were calm, so I chose a runway and entered base to a 1 mile final. As I turned to final, I saw another aircraft taking off towards me. Luckily, it was a long final, and I didn't see the aircraft on the runway due to trees and buildings. I swore, and climbed out to the right so he could take off, and re-entered the pattern, and was cursing those NORDO's who didn't transmit properly on CTAF. I even double checked my radio - and it was clearly set to CTAF 123.5...
   
   123.5...
   
   When I switched to 123.05, and was on the correct frequency, I gave an apology to the pilot I'd flown in to, and said I was on the wrong frequency. He was very cool about it, and let me know we were using Runway 9, not Runway 27 that morning. I've hit the wrong frequency a few times, which happens, but that one was a real eye opener to actually write down all the frequencies I'll encounter on a short flight ahead of time, and to double check them if there is nobody else on them at all when I announce.
   
   EDIT: Also - read this:
   
   https://www.amazon.com/Killing-Zone-Second-How-Pilots/dp/0071798404
   
   I am about 1/2 way through (started it last night and couldn't put it down).

1. Determine where you are. This has an impact on requirements for boat registration, insurance, fire extinguishers, what PFDs you carry, possibly a license for the VHF, and possibly some sort of safe boating credential.
   
   
2. Make sure your boat won't sink on you. This means carefully checking all the thru-hulls to make sure they operate smoothly, are in good shape, and keeping them closed when not in use. It also means ensuring the automatic bilge pump is working, and that there's enough power to run it, either in the batteries or from shore.
   
   
3. Make sure your boat won't leave you stranded. Make sure the engine is in good shape and runs smoothly, make sure the steering cables look OK, check all the standing and running rigging, etc. Ideally the boat will have a binder documenting where everything is, when maintenance was performed, and also how old things are (e.g. your standing rigging probably has a service lifetime of 10-12 years).
   
   
4. Clean your boat. Seriously! Power wash it, sand it, paint it, polish it, whichever everything needs. Make it look like new. Not only will you feel better living on it and sailing it, but you'll get familiar with the state of everything and know what will be next up for maintenance or repair. Depending on how things are, set aside time regularly to clean or polish something at random. Ideally it's before things show wear; that's the best way to keep things that way.
   
   
5. Go over the electrical systems very carefully. Better, get a professional. You will want to know how much power you are likely to draw (think instruments, radar, refrigeration, radio, lights, water pumps, etc.) and make sure you have sufficient battery capacity, that the batteries are of the correct type and in good shape, and that the wiring done safely according to the proper standards (and ideally slightly over-spec'd; boats are no place for a fire). Finally, everything should be easy to follow and clearly labelled.
   
   
6. Ditto for the plumbing, etc. You'll need to determine your local pump-out facility, know how to check your holding tanks, etc.
   
   
7. Assuming you have a stove aboard, always switch it off at the solenoid, let the flame go out, and only then turn off the stove (again, fire bad!).
   
   
8. Learn how to use the VHF and what the local channels and rules are. Much is standardized, but some is local.
   
   Resources:
   
   

• Assuming it has a diesel, I'm told this is a very good resource: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0071475354
  
• For sailing, you probably want a copy of this: https://www.amazon.com/Annapolis-Book-Seamanship-Fourth/dp/1451650191
  
• Get a copy of the ColRegs and local rules. This covers the rules of the road as well as lighting and other requirements. For example, the USCG publishes the local and international ones side-by-side here: https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/index.php?pageName=NavRulesAmalgamated (by treaty, local rules will usually be similar to the international ColRegs).
  
• The RYA has a nice VHF textbook that covers DSC as well; it's mostly correct and the only items that might not apply are the UK-specific radio channels. The USCG radiotelephone handbook is also useful.
  
• Once you've sorted out the basics, the "Sailing Virgins" channel on Youtube isn't that bad; they have some nice (and concise!) videos on various techniques.

From Stick and Rudder by Wolfgang Langewiesche, page 9, published 1944:

> The main fact of all heavier-than-air
> flight is this: the wing keeps the
> airplane up by pushing the air down.
>
> It shoves the air down with its bottom
> surface, and it pulls the air down
> with its top surface; the latter
> action is the more important. But the
> really important thing to understand
> is that the wing, in whatever fashion,
> makes the air go down. In exerting a
> downward force upon the air, the wing
> receives an upward counterforce--by
> the same principle, known as Newton's
> law of action and reaction, which
> makes a gun recoil as it shoves the
> bullet out forward; and which makes
> the nozzle of a fire hose press
> backward heavily against the fireman
> as it shoots out a stream of water
> forward. Air is heavy; sea-level air
> weights about 2 pounds per cubic yard;
> thus, as your wings give a downward
> push to a cubic yard after cubic yard
> of that heavy stuff, they get upward
> reactions that are equally hefty.
>
> That's what keeps an airplane up.
> Newton's law says that, if the wing
> pushes the air down, the air must push
> the wing up. It also puts the same
> thing the other way 'round: if the
> wing is to hold the airplane up in the
> fluid, ever-yielding air, it can do so
> only by pushing the air down. All the
> fancy physics of Bernoulli's Theorem,
> all the highbrow math of the
> circulation theory, all the diagrams
> showing the airflow on a wing--all
> that is only an elaboration and more
> detailed description of just how
> Newton's law fulfills itself--for
> instance, the rather interesting but
> (for the pilot) really quite useless
> observation that the wing does most of
> its downwashing work by suction, with
> its top surface. ...
>
> Thus, if you will forget some of this
> excessive erudition, a wing becomes
> much easier to understand; it is in
> the last analysis nothing but an air
> deflector. It is an inclined plane,
> cleverly curved, to be sure, and
> elaborately streamlined, but still
> essentially an inclined plane. That's,
> after all, why that whole fascinating
> contraption of ours is called an
> air-plane.

Skunk Works by Ben Rich - This book is probably one of the best reads in aerospace engineering. It tells the story of one of America’s premier aerospace research and development labs, Skunkworks at Lockheed Martin. They built such famous aircraft like the SR-71, U-2, F-80, F-114. I review the book here.

​

If you are looking for more of a textbook, Introduction to Flight by Anderson is one of the best. It's a bit on the expensive side but there's an international paperback edition that's much cheaper if you're outside of the US.

​

If you want something a bit between Skunkworks and Introduction to Flight, there's Ignition by John D. Clark which is all about the development of liquid rocket propellent.

In the case of these pilots, I think he was fair. If you haven't read his father's "Stick and Rudder" you might understand where he's coming from.

The Killing Zone, Second Edition: How & Why Pilots Die https://www.amazon.com/dp/0071798404/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_4Mr6CbNZCBHET

This is a good read and addresses your question.

>I'm not sure what kinds of other heavy scientific computing you've done, but CFD is a very difficult field and takes years to understand.

CFD isn't this difficult.

On one side you have partial differential equations (PDEs) describing fluid flow. On the other side you have numerical methods used to solve those PDEs. Put the two together, implement it in code, and you get a rudimentary CFD simulation. For CS students, who typically already have knowledge of numerical methods, coding one of these basic simulations can be done within a semester's worth of focused effort. Venturing into finer, more complex domains and trying to model more advanced flow phenomenons do indeed require years of study, but a beginner -- a 3rd year CS undergrad of all people -- has no need to deal with that stuff when all they want to accomplish is to get their feet wet with the inner workings of the simplest CFD simulation.

So let's not intimidate the poor kid and not oversell the profession. A lot of people love pretending like this stuff is black magic, presumably because it promotes job security, but it just isn't. There are lots of people doing CFD that come from CS and Applied Math backgrounds instead of Engineering or Physics. They all started somewhere. So can the OP.

-------------------------------------

@ /u/AnotherBrownBike

Khan Academy Physics, Fluid Dynamics lectures are your best friend in this.

I would recommend that you start with getting a decent physical understanding of incompressible (also called divergence-free) advection-diffusion equation. This is a simple PDE that describes how particles (or other quantities like energy) are transferred inside a physical system due to the process of diffusion and advection (aka convection). Solving this equation using a numerical solution method for PDEs (such as finite volume or finite element) will allow you to practice the fundamental underpinnings of a CFD code.

Finite Volume methods are more popular in CFD than finite element methods, because they're mathematically easier for people who have a robust understanding of fluid mechanics. That's not going to be the case for you, because you're not studying fluids academically. I would recommend that you focus on finite element methods instead. These are mathematically more challenging -- using them with fluid PDEs require stabilization terms (like SUPG or GLS) to prevent the solution from oscillating. However, the application of finite element methods to fluid PDEs require essentially no knowledge of the physics behind the PDE. It's pure mathematics, and you as a CS student should be well equipped to handle this.

If you're not familiar with finite element methods for solving PDEs, I would strongly recommend starting with a Python library called FEniCS. This is a brilliant finite element solver that allows you to input the bilinear form of your partial differential equation (Google what "bilinear form" is for finite element methods) in Python and generate a solution. This will allow you to practice the mathematics of finite element methods without getting tangled up in the code implementation of the solution process. Solve the Poisson equation first, and then the advection-diffusion.

Simple solvers you might like working with:

EasyCFD -- Educational program intended to teach the basics of a "black-box" CFD solver.

CFD Python -- A Python program designed with a 12-step lesson plan to solving Navier-Stokes equations.

PyFR -- Another Python-based flow solver. Documentation is a bit sparse, so you need an understanding of how CFD works to use it. But once you have that, PyFR's open-source nature allows you to break apart an actual full CFD solver and look at its components before trying to write your own.

Useful literature you might want to check out from your campus library:

White, Fluid Mechanics and/or Cengel and Cimbala, Fluid Mechanics -- Basically the two beginner level fluid mechanics bibles, depending on who you ask. An overwhelming number of engineers out there have had one or the other as their textbook in school. They're both fantastic. Flip a coin.

Moin, Fundamentals of Engineering Numerical Analysis -- Yet another undergraduate bible, this time on numerical methods commonly used by engineers (of all types). It covers material so crucial in all scientific computing that one of my doctoral qualification examiners specifically requested that I know this book from cover to cover.

Anderson, Computational Fluid Dynamics -- Superb introductory book that covers most everything related to CFD. If you're going to buy anything in this list, buy this one.

Hughes, Finite Element Methods -- The bible on finite element methods. The book focuses on structural applications (which do not require stabilization terms) but the mathematics involved are identical regardless of the physics behind the PDE, so this is still a very useful reference.

Zienkiewicz, Taylor and Nithiarasu, Finite Element Method for Fluid Dynamics -- Great supplement to Hughes' book for anyone using FEM on fluid flow. Covers stabilized methods, starting with easy equations (like advection-diffusion) and scaling up all the way to turbulent flows (which you shouldn't bother with right now).

Anderson, Fundamentals of Aerodynamics -- Just putting this down in case you ever need to specifically learn about aerodynamic applications of fluid flow.

Anderson, Introduction to Flight -- Used nationwide as an introductory aerospace engineering book. I recommend it to everybody outside of the industry who wants to work/study in it. Superfluously covers every aspect of the discipline, from structures to propulsion, from aerodynamics to flight control, from aviation to space.

Panton, Incompressible Flow -- Often used as a graduate level book on theoretical fluid mechanics. Focused mathematical approach. Not an easy read, required some prerequisite knowledge of fluid flow (overview of the fundamentals is very brief), but it's the next logical step up when you're ready to take your fluid work further.

A few things should be noted in case people are looking for more information:

• The throat area sets the mass flow rate (for a given chamber pressure). So if you want a certain mass flow rate, this tells you how big or small to make the throat -- you can only shove so much fluid through an opening.
  
  
• The throat-exit area ratio sets the exit Mach number which for a given exit fluid and temperature sets the gas exhaust speed, Ve. The exit fluid properties are set by the combustion process which is determined by the fuel and oxidizer (and lots of other things you can't calculate so easily).
  
  
• This is an IDEAL equation. There are losses associated with underexpansion (see the blue lines that bow out). These are tiny velocity vectors and it amounts to an efficiency term. For easy to build conical nozzles, this efficiency can be pretty low (~80%%) if the nozzle angle is high. This is why bell nozzles are attractive if you can afford to make one.
  
  
• The bell nozzle shape is classically determined by the Method of Characteristics (allowing smooth ideal expansion) but in practice this results in very long (heavy) nozzles. The nozzle shown here is probably a "Rao" Nozzle named for the engineer that developed the approximation to make a nozzle very short and still get as much efficiency as possible.
  
  If you want to really dive head-first into the subject, Rocket Propulsion Elements is the text we all have on our bookshelves.

I used the remotepilot101.com website. At first, honestly, I thought it was a total rip off because of the price. However, I will note that the guy running the site is actively updating it and does promise to provide that $150 as a resource for as long as he is in business for your renewal memberships. In essence, you're paying a lifetime membership for his course for a certification you have to renew every two years.

He is very good at listening to feedback and his questions and courses were the most thorough I could find. However, his teaching style is of a type some people may not like. He repeats basic information, A LOT. Some people love that, other people hate it.

He also provides real time practical feedback via e-mail on his website which is nice. After considering the fact he responds to e-mail and the fact he keeps this up to date for life I feel it's worth the $150. If I had known those two things I would've felt better about paying it. I will, however, note that the weather section and the regulation section were a tiny bit lacking and I had to supplement them with this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1619544687/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Book which my test center proctor mentioned was a reputable test resource producer. The remotepilot101 guy did not explain the "pilots operating handbook" does not exist yet. He also did not explain squall lines and fronts to the detail the exam wanted, nor did he explain the procedure for entering an air traffic pattern from the pilot perspective.

I ended up with a 98% using both of these for about a week and a half.

Try not to worry about it too much. There are plenty of resources to learn this stuff. :)

Here's my list:

• Art of the Kill | It's a little dated, but there's still some really good information here.
  
• Fighter Combat: Tactics and Maneuvering | This is the book to learn from. Fantastic information here.
  
• In Pursuit | I personally also liked this book on the subject. However, it's important to note that it focuses on WW2 war birds and there are a few important differences between WW2 air combat and modern air combat.
  
• Stick and Rudder | This isn't really a book on air combat so much as a book that teaches the basics of flying. There's some dated, and in some cases, supposedly outright wrong information, but it's very often sited as a great introduction to energy efficient, coordinated flight.
  
  Edit: Some additional resources of varying quality.
  
  
• Offensive Tactics Against Enemy Fighters in World War 2
  
• Pilot Training youtube channel
  
• WarBirds of World War II : Fighter Tactics 101
  
• Ape of the Year's Combat Moves/Tutorials playlist
  
• Grmlz War-Thunder Maneuver Guides

/u/another_user_name posted this list a while back. Actual aerospace textbooks are towards the bottom but you'll need a working knowledge of the prereqs first.

Non-core/Pre-reqs:

Mathematics:

Calculus.

1-4) Calculus, Stewart -- This is a very common book and I felt it was ok, but there's mixed opinions about it. Try to get a cheap, used copy.

1-4) Calculus, A New Horizon, Anton -- This is highly valued by many people, but I haven't read it.

1-4) Essential Calculus With Applications, Silverman -- Dover book.

More discussion in this reddit thread.

Linear Algebra

3) Linear Algebra and Its Applications,Lay -- I had this one in school. I think it was decent.

3) Linear Algebra, Shilov -- Dover book.

Differential Equations

4) An Introduction to Ordinary Differential Equations, Coddington -- Dover book, highly reviewed on Amazon.

G) Partial Differential Equations, Evans

G) Partial Differential Equations For Scientists and Engineers, Farlow

More discussion here.

Numerical Analysis

5) Numerical Analysis, Burden and Faires

Chemistry:

1. General Chemistry, Pauling is a good, low cost choice. I'm not sure what we used in school.
   
   

   Physics:
   

   
   2-4) Physics, Cutnel -- This was highly recommended, but I've not read it.
   
   

   Programming:
   

   
   

   Introductory Programming
   

   
   Programming is becoming unavoidable as an engineering skill. I think Python is a strong introductory language that's got a lot of uses in industry.
   
   

2. Learning Python, Lutz
   
   
3. Learn Python the Hard Way, Shaw -- Gaining popularity, also free online.
   
   

   Core Curriculum:
   

   
   

   Introduction:
   

   
   

4. Introduction to Flight, Anderson
   
   

   Aerodynamics:
   

   
   

5. Introduction to Fluid Mechanics, Fox, Pritchard McDonald
   
   
6. Fundamentals of Aerodynamics, Anderson
   
   
7. Theory of Wing Sections, Abbot and von Doenhoff -- Dover book, but very good for what it is.
   
   
8. Aerodynamics for Engineers, Bertin and Cummings -- Didn't use this as the text (used Anderson instead) but it's got more on stuff like Vortex Lattice Methods.
   
   
9. Modern Compressible Flow: With Historical Perspective, Anderson
   
   
10. Computational Fluid Dynamics, Anderson
    
    

    Thermodynamics, Heat transfer and Propulsion:
    

    
    

11. Introduction to Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer, Cengel
    
    
12. Mechanics and Thermodynamics of Propulsion, Hill and Peterson
    
    

    Flight Mechanics, Stability and Control
    

    
    5+) Flight Stability and Automatic Control, Nelson
    
    5+)[Performance, Stability, Dynamics, and Control of Airplanes, Second Edition](http://www.amazon.com/Performance-Stability-Dynamics-Airplanes-Education/dp/1563475839/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1315534435&sr=8-1, Pamadi) -- I gather this is better than Nelson
    
    

13. Airplane Aerodynamics and Performance, Roskam and Lan
    
    

    Engineering Mechanics and Structures:
    

    
    3-4) Engineering Mechanics: Statics and Dynamics, Hibbeler
    
    

14. Mechanics of Materials, Hibbeler
    
    
15. Mechanical Vibrations, Rao
    
    
16. Practical Stress Analysis for Design Engineers: Design & Analysis of Aerospace Vehicle Structures, Flabel
    
    6-8) Analysis and Design of Flight Vehicle Structures, Bruhn -- A good reference, never really used it as a text.
    
    
17. An Introduction to the Finite Element Method, Reddy
    
    G) Introduction to the Mechanics of a Continuous Medium, Malvern
    
    G) Fracture Mechanics, Anderson
    
    G) Mechanics of Composite Materials, Jones
    
    

    Electrical Engineering
    

    
    

18. Electrical Engineering Principles and Applications, Hambley
    
    

    Design and Optimization
    

    
    

19. Fundamentals of Aircraft and Airship Design, Nicolai and Carinchner
    
    
20. Aircraft Design: A Conceptual Approach, Raymer
    
    
21. Engineering Optimization: Theory and Practice, Rao
    
    

    Space Systems
    

    
    

22. Fundamentals of Astrodynamics and Applications, Vallado
    
    
23. Introduction to Space Dynamics, Thomson -- Dover book
    
    
24. Orbital Mechanics, Prussing and Conway
    
    
25. Fundamentals of Astrodynamics, Bate, Mueller and White
    
    
26. Space Mission Analysis and Design, Wertz and Larson

Have you read this book?

It's embarrassing that no one has mentioned Stick and Rudder yet, so I'll go ahead and do it. It's more "art of flying" than "stories about flying," but there's no excuse for a pilot to have not read it!

I was pretty much you last summer. Land locked state, no sailing club close by, no relatives or friends who sail, and a burning desire to get out on the water.

I was able to learn to sail in four steps:

1. Read a beginners book on how to sail. The book I chose to read was The Complete Sailor by David Seidman. http://www.amazon.com/The-Complete-Sailor-Second-Edition/dp/0071749578 This was a fantastic book that was only $10 bucks for the pdf version. It is well written and contains some fantastic illustrations. Talks about everything from keeping a sailors eye on the wind and weather, to docking and anchoring, and even has a chapter on trailering your sailboat if I recall correctly. Also Inspecting the Aging Sailboat by Don Casey was a fantastic read to help a brand new buyer have some idea of what to watch out for and what questions to ask when buying a used boat. http://www.amazon.com/Inspecting-Sailboat-International-Marine-Library/dp/0071445455/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1449298309&sr=1-1&keywords=inspecting+the+aging+sailboat
   
   
2. Buy a small, cheap boat. I decided to start small and limited myself to getting a dinghy sailboat that was under a thousand dollars. I have heard that starting on a dinghy is ideal. Learning sailing theory in small, responsive craft will help you when/if you move up to larger keel boats where it isn't as obvious that you are making small mistakes. A thousand dollars is easy to make at a summer job. The repairs on small boats are really cheap and if things break your not usually out much money. You will learn the fundamentals in an environment where mistakes like bumping into the dock are not overly disastrous.
   
   
3. Watch YouTube videos. I ended up purchasing a Hobie 16 after reading the books. I had the gentleman I purchased it from help me step the mast and raise the main before I finally bought the boat. No test sail, just did it right there in his front yard. Most people will be more than happy to help you rig it up the first time if you just ask. Afterwards I hit Youtube and watched videos on how to rig the boat to make sure I had it right. Searched for more videos about "How to sail a Hobie 16" and watched all the videos I could find.
   
   
4. Practice, practice, practice. After I had watched several videos, read the books, and set the sails up in the yard it was time to get out on the water. I literally just picked a day with 2-3 mph of wind, put the boat in the water and went for it. Once I was actually out and sailing, the details worked themselves out. I watched even more videos and asked Reddit the occasional question.
   
   I was able to go from no sailing experience to flying hulls in 20~ mph wind inside of a summer with this method. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c105II-L8OA Far from perfect, but we are having a blast. I think a teenager would be able to pull of a similar feat with no problems. You will find fumbling around on the water is far better than dreaming from the shore.
   
   
   
   
   

50-350 hours

The Killing Zone suggests that 200 - 500 is the danger zone in terms of hours. Essentially the author suggests:

• < 200 hours: Pilots still have a healthy amount of fear and are overly cautious.
  
• 200 - 500: Pilots now have confidence and complacency sets in, however they are still (relatively) inexperienced and thus can get in over their heads.
  
• 500+: Pilots have seen enough that they are not complacent and are careful, and have the experience to get them out of tight spots should they arise.
  
  I'm at about 400 hours and just knowing I'm in this "Killing Zone" is a great voice in my head to be extra careful still.

Congrats!

I always recommend this book to new Private pilots. Understand your certification, your legal and personal limitations, and don't put yourself in a bad position. Stay away from "get-home-itis", aka pushing the limits of your abilities (primarily weather related) just because you need to get home.

Have fun!

Good choice for a first bike. But its important to understand that you need to respect the machine and what its capable of.

There are plenty of resources here that can help you. First thing first, take the MSF course. This will give you the best start on riding a motorcycle. They will teach you a lot of the very basic fundamental principles that you need to know to ride safely. Dont skimp on this detail. It will definitely help you in the long run.

Second, start reading. I recommend "Proficient Motorcycling: The Ultimate Guide to Riding Wello" by David Hough. This is a good book to start with.

After that, - and once you've read through the first book at least twice - look into "Total Control: High Performance Street Riding Techniques". This is a good second book to pick up and commit to memory.


As for gear, I wouldnt trust a $50 helmet. It may work perfectly for you. It may even be comfortable. But in a crash, when you need it to perform at its absolute best, you get what you pay for. Im not saying you should go out and buy an $800 Shoei or something, but the helmet is not somewhere you should be skimping on protection.

The jacket and gloves look fine. As for the boots, I've been using cheap Chinese knock-offs of American combat boots. They are all leather, go up mid calf and with tall socks, I fold the top of the sock over the top of the boot to keep the laces tied. Definitely not something you want to get caught in the gears.

And read this forum (and all motorcycle forums) with a grain of salt. In other words. There are plenty of opinions out there. Some of them good, some of them bad.

And then, practice, practice practice!

...all the FAA handbooks are available for free.

I suggest you start with:

• Airplane Flying Handbook
  
  
• Pilot Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge
  
  
• Aeronautical Information Manual
  
  
• if you really get into it and want to know more about how things work, and are not afraid to get technical, The Aerodynamics For Naval Aviators is awesome;
  
  
• and one of my favorite See How It Flies by John S. Denker;
  
  
• and get yourself a copy of Stick And Rudder by Wolfgang Langewiesche while you are at it!
  
  When you are done reading this, you'll know more than many pilots out there! :-)
  
  

That Ranger looks pretty good. I'd double check the bulkheads where the chainplates attach. It looks like water has gotten in there. If the bulkheads are rotted, that's a big job, and if they're rotted where the chainplates attach, there's risk of them pulling out and losing the rig. If the bulkheads are rotted there, I'd probably just walk away from this one. Replacing them just doesn't pencil out from a time or money perspective. It's a big, dirty, time consuming job.

​

I see the Catalina 22 has the "fixed keel" option which makes it a contender. I was about to ward you off of a swing keel trailer boat if you're planning on keeping the boat in the water. Still even with the fixed keel the Cat 22 doesn't have the "bay chops" of the Ranger or the Santana.

​

There are also two other good choices right now:

First, check this boat:

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/boa/d/redwood-city-santana-22-hull-508/6863252537.html

The "tuna 22" is an incredibly tough little bay boat, and this one appears to be in pretty decent condition and available for a little more than a song to an owner that promises to take the boat out on the water and use it. This might be the most promising option on craigslist right now, though you'll have to either get the owner's Torqueedo, or alternatively scare up another outboard. And new outboards are expensive.

​

Then this Catalina 25 is a lot more boat for only a little more money and comes with a transferable slip in a good location:

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/boa/d/brisbane-25ftcatalina-sail-boat/6882420858.html

​

A lot of it comes down to condition, which you can't really evaluate just by looking at photos - you have to get down there and actually touch and feel and smell the boats in person.

I won't tell you to try and get a surveyor for a boat that's selling for less than two bills. But I will tell you to get ahold of this book and read it before making a decision:

https://www.amazon.com/Inspecting-Sailboat-International-Marine-Library/dp/0071445455

You could get it in your hands on overnight shipping and have it read by Saturday afternoon if you read fast, before looking at boats on Sunday.

That said, it doesn't pay to be in a hurry when looking at boats. There's always another one coming around the corner. It's always a buyers market for aging plastic sailboats.

Putting a bluebook value on boats is really difficult. The equipment and condition can vary so greatly from one boat to another that it would be impractical to group them all together.

In my experience, the best way to get a feel for the value of a boat is to look at a lot of boats. Check out many listings of boats that are in your target size/style, and go and check them out. Even take photos and make notes so it's easy to remember what features were with which boats. Eventually you will come across one that just seems to be a good value when compared to the others that you have seen. It's a bit more time consuming this way, but I feel that you'll get a better boat in the long run using this method.

The problem with surveys is that many surveyors just don't do a thorough job. I wouldn't pay for a survey for a boat until I was quite certain that it was a boat I was ready to purchase. And even still, for a boat of this price a survey may not be worth it. Grabbing a copy of This Old Boat by Don Casey may be worth far more to you than paying for a professional survey since you'll be able to use the information on many boats, and you'll learn a lot about your future boat in the process.

I know I'm not really giving you a solid answer but I'm not familiar with the market in Seattle, and as you've mentioned, location can make quite a difference in the listing/selling prices.

Good luck!

So this is going to be a bit macabre but I'll tell you about one on my list.

It is an established fact that most fatal aviation accidents occur between 100-350 hours of total flight time. It seems to be a interval where the confidence curve of the pilot and the competence curve of the pilot separate (delaminate if you will). To that end, a book has been written that discusses why and how this happens. In the interest of being a safer pilot, I think it'd be a good pic.

It may seem like a weird choice for a gift, but I find most pilots are pretty academic in their perspectives on the nature of the activity, so I think you'd find it appreciated.

The Killing Zone by Paul A Craig:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Killing-Zone-Second-Edition/dp/0071798404

The Killing Zone, Second Edition: How & Why Pilots Die https://www.amazon.com/dp/0071798404/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_2n0oybTT453VQ

Read "The Killing Zone, Second Edition: How & Why Pilots Die." You'll learn a lot about flying safely.

https://www.amazon.com/Killing-Zone-Second-How-Pilots/dp/0071798404

Sailing Alone Around the World by Joshua Slocum

Gipsy Moth Circles the World by Sir Francis Chichester

And the books that really got me into sailing as a child:

The Swallows and Amazons series by Arthur Ransome

Hey, congrats, you have a budget. The downside though is your budget is pretty small for a world cruiser. You're going to be limited to older boats in the 26-30ft range and even then you may need to save up some to equip some addons like a liferaft, windvane and maybe a SSB radio or something for weather.

A start would be here: http://www.atomvoyages.com/planning/good-old-boats-list.html

You can also start with this book: http://www.amazon.com/Twenty-Small-Sailboats-Take-Anywhere/dp/0939837323

I wouldn't start collecting equipment now. I'd be looking a good solid core boat that you like the layout on that fits your current budget with some money left over. I'd then start cruising more locally on it first and then add the gear you want and need on her for an ocean cruise. Basically shake her down and learn on her with smaller cruises, then work up to bigger ones.

But you want that good solid base of a boat first. Something you can really trust to keep you safe in bad weather and rough seas.

Another option would be to just crew on other people's boats who are cruising the world.

Stick and Rudder: http://www.amazon.com/Stick-Rudder-Explanation-Art-Flying/dp/0070362408

Don't worry about the type of boat. Educate yourself to make an informed decision

http://amzn.com/0071445455

http://amzn.com/0393033112

Make a list of the characteristics you absolutely MUST have when purchased or cost you must factor in to modify the boat. E.g.

1. Must be able to cross the atlantic (factor in costs of life raft, storm gear, epirb, ais, etc)
   
   
2. Must be able to be sailed single handed (e.g. does it come with a self steering windvane or will you have to purchase one?)
   
   
3. Must have headroom of at least _ ft in.
   
   
4. Must be able to sleep ____ many people at sea
   
   
5. etc
   
   
   Practical matters:
   
   
6. You are willing to sail the boat back ____ many miles from where you bought it to where you're keeping it considering that it most likely won't be offshore capable when you buy it.
   
   
7. Go to yachtworld.com and browse the boats in this area and on craigslist. Create a list of boats you like, what the gear is, and how much they cost. Watch the markets for at least 6 months before you buy.
   
   
8. Start visiting these boats in your area. A picture of a boat is a lot different than what the boat looks like in real life and what your expectations are. For instance I was looking at westsail 32s and contessa 32s until I was on both types of boat and realized neither were for me.
   
   
   Now, as you visit all these boats calculate your total cost of ownership
   
   TCO = x + y + z
   
   x = the total cost of the boat after broker fees, documentation fees, registration fees, import fees, taxes, etc.
   
   y = the cost of the modifications that you wish to make (multiplies by two if you have never owned a boat before)
   
   z = the cost of moorage + power for ___ many years before you go cruising full time. Keep in mind that if you get a multihull you will be paying a premium for moorage. Do not underestimate this cost.
   

That’s exactly the way you should be thinking. Do yourself a favour and get this book to help realise you are always going to be a learner. I can tell just by the way you are thinking you have not read it, or anything like it.


https://www.amazon.com/Killing-Zone-Second-How-Pilots/dp/0071798404/ref=sr_1_1?crid=JQX5QCK3M3S2&keywords=the+killing+zone&qid=1558028284&s=gateway&sprefix=The+killing+zone%2Caps%2C229&sr=8-1

https://www.amazon.com/Killing-Zone-Second-How-Pilots/dp/0071798404

Your confusion is partially due to incorrect definitions of terminology you are using. As spacecampreject mentioned, there are four fundamental forces acting on an aircraft at any given time:

Weight - the downward force due to the aircraft's mass. This force always acts downward towards the center of the earth.

Thrust - the propulsive force due to the aircraft's engines doing what they do. In general, this force is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the aircraft, but some airplanes have their engines mounted at a slight angle for design reasons. Other airplanes (fighter jets) with thrust-vectoring capabilities can change the thrust axis slightly during flight, and many jets use some form of reverse thrust to assist in bringing the aircraft to a stop on the runway. But when the plane is flying normally, thrust pushes you forward and its direction is generally fixed with respect to the aircraft.

Lift - the component of the overall aerodynamic force that is perpendicular to the free-stream velocity vector (see below).

Drag - the component of the overall aerodynamic force that is parallel to the free-stream velocity vector (see below).

When an aircraft moves through the air, a overall aerodynamic force (sometimes called the resultant aerodynamic force) is created from the various pressure and friction forces imposed on the body. For engineering/math purposes, we separate this force into two perpendicular forces: lift and drag, defined in relation to the free-stream velocity vector. The free-stream velocity vector is the vector opposite the path of travel of the aircraft (sometimes referred to as the "relative wind"). (Here is a good force diagram)

In normal forward flight, lift is nearly parallel and opposite to weight, and thrust is nearly parallel and opposite to drag. If you were to point your airplane's nose straight up in an attempt to fly vertically, then with a purely vertical velocity, lift is now acting horizontally (not helping to keep the plane in the air) and the airplane's thrust must overcome the combined forces of drag and weight pulling the plane towards the earth.

To achieve/sustain vertical flight, an airplane needs a thrust-to-weight ratio greater than 1.0. Some fighter jets can do this. Many RC planes can. Most private and commercial airplanes cannot (a common ballpark thrust-to-weight ratio is about 0.3).

References: M.S. in Aerospace Engineering; if you want a great introductory textbook, I highly recommend Introduction to Flight by John D. Anderson, Jr. I own the 6th edition, I believe the 7th edition is current.

We use this book heavily at my school (undergrad). I've also heard it's pretty much a standard around the US

http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Flight-John-Anderson/dp/0073380245

I'm about half-way through reading Proficient Motorcycling by David Hough. He spends a great deal of time discussing risks, safety, and rider responsiblity. I would recommend that you purchase a copy, or see if your local library has one available.

I purchased Proficient Motorcycling by David Hough at the recommendation of my MSF instructor and read it cover to cover. I credit it and the course for me not having died yet.

Honda Superhawk rider here, and as others have said, helmet. Always. Armored jacket and denim. Always. No excuses. The front brake supplies 90% of your braking force during emergency braking. You can always lean the bike further than you think you can (depending on the size of your balls).

Countersteer. If you don't know what that is yet, learn right now.

Warning long post.

It sounds blasphemous on a Motorcycle thread to suggest getting a car first, but I completely agree that a cage will help in learning street and vehicle laws which is the foundation of any good driver or rider. An automatic car is simple to drive. You push the pedal and the car goes forward. I understand you're a bit terrified of driving a car but on a motorcycle you have to deal with staying in the proper gear, utilizing the clutch lever, balancing your bike at low speeds, while avoid crashing with blind drivers that say they didn't see you. Also bike theft is pretty common if you live in a city. Learning in a car first removes all the stress factors you will encounter on a bike to fully understand road and safety laws.

Can I suggest a motorized scooter? They are easy to handle and forgiving in power and they will still get you from point A to B while removing the clutch and gear factor. It will also prepare you for when you do upgrade to a motorbike because you will have had experience dealing with cars on the road. It was a scary experience when I transitioned from car to motorcycle because I no longer felt protected by several feet of steel.

If you're dead set on getting a motorized bike read below:

Buy the book Proficient Motorcycling by David Hough. Take an MSF class, usually $250 USD but since you're under 21 you can take it for $150. I also believe MSF is mandatory for those under 18 in several states and even if it wasn't, it's a 100x easier than taking the behind the wheel test at the DMV. Completing the MSF course is your behind the wheel test. Not only do you get to ride for two days, it will help you decide whether you want a bike or not. I knew biking was for me because I was practically speeding with a grin on my face during the bike exam. It was during the quick-stop test but I really wanted to know how fast I could brake since we were in a controlled environment.

For your first bike, please please please buy it used, don't be stupid like me, I didn't drop my bike but it is very possible and I had a few close encounters (at low speeds no less). Also I outgrew the power, I commute on highway a lot and half the time I couldn't keep up with traffic. You maybe lighter than me so a 250 could definitely serve your needs. I'm not sure of your height but if you want to be able to flatfoot a bike (which does give confidence to new riders) a Honda Rebel 250 cruiser could good. For sportbikes I suggest a CBR250R or Ninja 250. If you like the cafe racer/standard look try to find a Suzuki TU250X if it's legal in your state.

TL;DR: You should get a car first otherwise read Proficient Motorcycling and take MSF.

Stick and Rudder would go well as a supplement to the PHAK. Cheers!

You can do an online ground school like Kings or Sportys and read/study the PHAK and AFH. Maybe get a copy of and read Stick & Rudder.

Sure, its more aligned with "applied" aerodynamics, but Stick and Rudder is a good read that goes into how airplanes work (and how to fly them apply aerodynamics in a real-world environment).

You're welcome :-)

You need to read Stick and Rudder. It will tell you everything you need to know about that rudder.

I'd suggest reading this, https://amzn.com/0071445455 . Don Casey's Inspecting the aging Sailboat. It gives you a basic run down of what to REALLY look at.

That said a hull being most is a problem with mostly 80's onward racers (at least I think) S2's have balsa cores below the waterline and that can be a huge ordeal. One of my club members bought an old 7.9 that had moisture problems around the daggerboard and it's been a hell of an ordeal for them vs my cabintop that's finished.

Get This Old Boat by Don Casey. It is an awesome resource. It'll walk you through diagnosing and fixing almost any problem you can find. There's also check lists for "critical systems" vs "probably needed systems" vs "this might be nice" (my wording, not his.)
Congrats on your new home! Good luck!

> In the FAA eyes it is taking away business from those pilots that have worked for the ratings

This might be a controversial set of facts, but here goes. The FAA doesn't give a rat's ass who makes money. What they do care about is protecting the public from inexperienced and statistically less safe pilots.

As a low-time (under 1000 hrs) private pilot you are statistically far less safe than your ATP certificated counterparts, even flying the same machinery. The public doesn't know that, but it's true. It's the FAA's job to protect them from us until we're safe enough to be entrusted with the lives of those who don't know an ATP from a CPL.

I'm by no means an expert and don't have my own opinion. I have been reading an amazing book:

The Killing Zone, Second Edition: How & Why Pilots Die https://www.amazon.com/dp/0071798404/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_gMkYCb331JW3F

This looks at general aviation crash reports and breaks down the trends. The guy has basically determined most crashes happen as a result of pilot error.

The TLDR is most deaths occur after a pilot gets the PPL and leaves the protection of having a CFI, up to about the couple hundred hour mark. Most of these causes fall into a few categories: VFR into IMC causing CFIT; slow flight maneuvering, take off and landing.

Its 100% worth the read.

Statistically, GA has a crash rate 10x that of car crashes (as best the author could figure - source that book.)

Motorcycle crash rates are 75x that of cars however. (Source very quick Google-fu: https://www.askadamskutner.com/motorcycle-accident/how-do-car-accidents-compare-to-motorcycle-accidents/)

For a textbook, try and find a copy of Sutton.

NASA's technical reports server will throw more data at you than you can possibly use, but if you can narrow the search terms enough it's useful.

You can google for particular engines or propellant combinations and find reasonable, but not necessarily authoritative data. The best sources will be from the manufacturers.

Please be aware that if you are in the USA, and make too good a simulation, it can fall under the "International Traffic in Arms Regulations" (ITAR) and be export-controlled. Launch to orbit and long range ballistic missiles are essentially the same problem, so any associated technology can be classed as military. "Export" includes passing a copy to a grad student who is not a US citizen, or posting the code on GitHub where anyone can copy it.

It's a bit dumb, because computers, aerodynamics, and Newtonian mechanics are all public, but I'd rather you didn't get in trouble accidentally. When I worked at Boeing, all our good trajectory simulators were export-controlled, and you had to be a US citizen to work in those areas of the company.

I bike to and from work each day in SF. I have not been hit yet, but I know it's coming. I spend most of my time trying to look for telltale signs of people about to throw open a car door, or randomly turn.

I found this book on The Art of Urban Cycling to be really helpful. Lots of nice tips on pavement conditions to look out for, locking up tips, and what to look for in cars that might be trying to kill you.

Honestly though, I'm probably going to die while gawking at some hottie on the sidewalk as I ride into a giant MUNI bus or something.

This is THE BEST, MUST HAVE book to read cover to cover and know by heart. You can probably find a used one for pretty cheap, although I don't know any pilot who would give their copy up!

You are, partially correct. The way lift is generated in reality is similar to what happens with a venturi tube, think of air as a liquid, that cannot be compressed, so, when it goes through the "tube" it is funneled down into a smaller hole from which it started out from, and seeing as it cannot be compressed it MUST move faster in order to keep on moving, so in order for it to move faster it must lower the air pressure surrounding the smaller portion of the funnel, so the speed of the air increases and the air pressure decreases, pleasing Newton's third law. Now, how a wing works, is the top of the wing from the leading edge following the entire chord line, is longer than the bottom of the wing, why you ask? Well, seeing as the air is split into two by the wing, the air has to meet up again at the other side correct? So in order for this to happen the air on the top of the wing, seeing as it must travel a farther distance has to speed up, now if we recall the venturi tube example, when air speeds up, pressure decreases, and now the air pressure is lower on top of the wing than it is on the bottom of the wing, so that means the denser air on the bottom of the wing pushes the wing UP into the area of lower pressure, this is the force that we call LIFT. Now of course the engines provide thrust for us to achieve the air speeds necessary to get the air moving over the wings fast enough, put your example of how the wing is slightly titled up is INCORRECT... for the most part. Now, a stall is what happens when the angle of attack of the wing is so far exceeded that the air no longer moves along a straight line along the wing, but instead it just flows off and creates wake turbulence if my mind serves me correct, this means the two air flows do not meet, and therefore no lift is being created, meaning weight overcomes lift, and the aircraft falls to the ground.


If you want to learn all this fantastic theory of flight, just buy yourself the pilots bible, "From the Ground Up"


You also made me get out of bed and turn my computer on just to respond to this... goddamnit.

This:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1619544733/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_gWyACbBY0R1E4

Based off your comments, you are better off buying a book or two before buying a bike. Believing the guy saying a 300cc would be too small for you is a big indicator that you haven't done any research.

Should you wish to learn how airplanes work,

http://www.amazon.com/Stick-Rudder-Explanation-Art-Flying/dp/0070362408

I ran across this book in the early-mid 1980's when I couldn't keep from crashing "Microsoft Flight Simulator II" on my Commodore 64 :)

The book was oldie but goodie even then. In fact I found it so helpful and interesting that I went on to get my pilots license and instrument rating.

The Microsoft flight sim line has always had a handful of tutorial lessons. I would start there, as it will teach you the basics of many of the things you are likely to learn/practice using what /u/loveofphysics linked to you.

Lesson one starts with straight and level flight, but by the end of all of them, you'll know how to fly the pattern, a VOR approach, shoot an ILS, land jets, ect, ect, ect...

Also, I always recommend this book to anyone interested in flying who is not very well educated in this complex field yet. Stick and Rudder is a must-read for student pilots and simmers alike.

Feel free to PM me if you run into any questions. 'Fly' safe!

I would also recommend picking up "Stick and Rudder" by Wolfgang Langeweische. Written in the late 30's, but breaks the complexity of aerodynamics and airplane flying down to the basic level and with a great writing style that makes it easy to read.

Stick and Rudder: An Explanation of the Art of Flying https://www.amazon.com/dp/0070362408/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_8YJMDbMG8TQC5

https://www.amazon.com/Stick-Rudder-Explanation-Art-Flying/dp/0070362408/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1481303934&sr=1-1&keywords=Stick+and+rudder

Stick And Rudder - Google Books

Stick And Rudder - Amazon

Stick and Rudder

If you haven't already grabbed this or this, I can't recommend them enough as excellent resources to address this and many other questions.

I learned a lot from Power Squadron classes, but that was more about navigation and safety than maintenance. Very useful however. It will put you in touch with a bunch of great folks who will love to chat maintenance. Other than that, I got the Nigel Calder book (http://www.amazon.com/Boatowners-Mechanical-Electrical-Manual-Essential/dp/0071432388/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373317120&sr=1-1) and chatted up everyone in the Marina.

Also check out the Wollaston Yacht Club in Quincy. It's got a bunch very cool down to earth folks who love boats, boating, and maybe beer.

Surveyors look at the boat in its entirety and make notes of every single thing that's even a little wrong. A surveyor will go through the boat with a fine-toothed comb and make sure that everything - especially vital parts - is in order. Once a surveyor has gone through a boat and compiled his whole report, you basically know that boat's condition better than you know the condition of your own genitals.

The best you can do on your own is pick up a good maintenance book (I believe Don Casey's book is a standard; it's about 500 pages worth of extremely detailed information and it has an entire chapter on what to look for when buying a boat but before you call the surveyor), memorize the whole damn thing, and go from there.

Buy this book, it's great!

Don Casey's Complete Illustrated Sailboat Maintenance Manual: Including Inspecting the Aging Sailboat, Sailboat Hull and Deck Repair, Sailboat Refinishing, Sailbo https://www.amazon.com/dp/0071462848/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_tiBTybADK132Z

The Killing Zone

http://www.amazon.com/Killing-Zone-Second-How-Pilots/dp/0071798404/ref=sr_sp-atf_title_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1407429030&sr=1-1&keywords=paul+craig

A book that that statistically explores GA accidents and why pilots with 100-350 hours (or something like that) are so much more likely to have a fatal incident.

The number of people who make the same mistakes that end up fatal is astounding. A lot of things you hear and say "obviously that's stupid and I would never do it" are explained and it's easier to get into those situations than one would think.

Stick and rudder would definitely be appropriate. Although I would add it probably wouldn't translate well into x-plane. In general, VFR flight doesn't translate well into sims outside of some procedural stuff. If you want, get him an IFR book to practice with in the sim (I like this one).

One other book that you may want to consider is "The Killing Zone": https://www.amazon.com/Killing-Zone-Second-Pilots-Aviation/dp/0071798404. You'll have to decide if it's appropriate or not. Some of the statistics are debatable, but it really opened my eyes to being risk averse and how a lot of the dangers of flight are avoidable.

I highly recommend you read The Killing Zone, Second Edition: How & Why Pilots Die

great read for anyone interested in the aerospace field.

get this book https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Flight-John-Anderson/dp/0073380245

I would start with fundamentals

Hill and Peterson is pretty good for broad thermodynamics for propulsion systems:
https://www.amazon.com/Mechanics-Thermodynamics-Propulsion-Philip-Hill/dp/0201146592

Gas turbine theory is pretty good start for turbomachinery:
https://www.amazon.com/Gas-Turbine-Theory-H-I-H-Saravanamuttoo/dp/0132224372

You can build a turbopump without looking to power a rocket. (Pump water with steam or something) and in the endeavour I can guarantee you will learn so much.

I did a Canadian version of these, called CAN-BIKE. Every one of the 8 the class were in a similar situation to you, wanting to ride more but feeling unsafe and unsure.

Every one of them came away saying they were so glad they'd taken the class, and felt much more confident mixing with car traffic.

I also found the book The Art of Urban Cycling helpful. It gave some great, specific advice about some of the hazards to expect in the city and how to mitigate them.

I'm quite seriously considering a sailing wander about early retirement/escape. I recommend r/sailing. There are some experienced sailors there, and sometimes the discussion addresses cruising. I'd also recommend The Coastal Cruiser: A complete guide to the design, selection, purchase, and outfitting of auxiliary sailboats under 30 feet--with a portfolio of successful designs , . Twenty Small Sailboats to Take You Anywhere , and Chapman Piloting & Seamanship 66th Edition

As the widely varying answers in this thread suggest, the size of the boat is far from the sole criterion you should be considering; people have traversed the oceans in rowboats. It's not comfortable, but it CAN be done.

Instead, you should ask yourself the question "What do I want to accomplish, and what are the options available to me within my budget?" The Pardeys circumnavigated in a 24-footer that I would find extremely cramped, but they were competent sailors, knew what they enjoyed, and they did a great job of it.

If you're thinking about production boats, this book would be a good place to get you started. In the end, it's a combination of factors having to do with you, the boat, and the way you intend to sail her.

Twenty Small Sailboats to Take You Anywhere
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0939837323/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_CAPWCb34QV9EG

These will be more in the civic line, although in terms of good little work horses, they can usually still play.

"The Art and Science of Flying Helicopters"
http://www.amazon.com/Art-Science-Flying-Helicopters/dp/081382169X

"Principles of Helicopter Flight"
http://www.amazon.com/Principles-Helicopter-Flight-W-Wagtendonk/dp/1560276495

From the FAA site you'll find a wealth of aviation documentation including 'Rotorcraft Flying Handbook' located here:
http://www.faa.gov/library/manuals/aircraft/

All three are great books. ('Rotorcraft Flying Handbook' can be downloaded as a free .pdf book.)

1. Get a small bike to start with. Most bikes are really overpowered, and frankly dangerous for new riders. A 1000cc Bolt probably isn't the best bike to start on, even if it is marketed as a "starter" cruiser. A lighter weight bike will be easier to handle and learn on, and much more enjoyable to ride as you start. You simply don't need that much displacement or weight. Start with a lightweight, low displacement bike that is easy to handle. Think easy to ride, reliable, inexpensive and easy to get parts for when you inevitably take a spill. Here is a good summary of better options. I've been riding for 30 years, and still prefer small, lower displacement bikes.
   
2. Buy good gear. Invest in a full face helmet, jacket, gloves, pants and boots. The cost of gear will be far less than the cost of medical care, and gear is especially important for a new rider. You will fall early on. Brain bucket style helmets don't cover the part of your head that is the most common point of impact. Impact Zones.
   
3. Take the MSF beginner course. It offers good practice in a controlled environment and will teach you basic safety.
   
4. Read up. There are some outstanding books that discuss the importance of the right approach to riding. Not so much technique, which is important, but the right mindset of riding defensively. [David Hough's Proficient Motorcycling] (http://www.amazon.com/Proficient-Motorcycling-Ultimate-Guide-Riding/dp/1933958359) books are outstanding.
   
5. Read more. There are some important motorcycle safety studies out there that can tell you a lot about safe riding techniques. Read [the Hurt Report and the MAIDS Report] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorcycle_safety) and see what you can learn.

I second Proficient motorcycling, here's a link:

http://www.amazon.com/Proficient-Motorcycling-Ultimate-Guide-Riding/dp/1933958359/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323207838&sr=8-1

Space does not permit all the tips I've learned by reading this, this, this, this, and this.

But, briefly:

• watch out for "edge traps"--where road work or a 2x4 in the street or anything similar can catch your tire and turn it to the side.
  
  
• go somewhere safe, not on the road, and practice. Learn how hard you can apply your brakes, and how to ease off the back as you apply the front. Set up cones and practice various kinds of turns.
  
  
• look far ahead, look all around, predict what other vehicles are going to do in one second, two seconds, five, ten.
  
  
• Three words: Shots and wheelies.

Don't be so hard on yourself, everyone makes mistakes. But who the hell told you there were no books about motorcycle riding?

>I should have tried harder.

If you Google "Books about motorcycle riding" the first result is an Amazon link for Proficient Motorcycling. Total Control is a good one as well as Twist of the Wrist II .

Crazy.

If you're looking into aircraft side of things, then I would strongly recommend picking up Stick and Rudder

It's not a text on the engineering aspect, but it's good to have a grasp on how pilots will be using the aircraft you work on.

I haven't done TW but this is good for all flying, esp stick and rudder https://www.amazon.ca/Stick-Rudder-Explanation-Art-Flying/dp/0070362408/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491856814&sr=8-1&keywords=stick+and+rudder

I found that Stick and Rudder is a good book on actually flying the plane. There are some technical inaccuracies (I'm an engineer so this bothers me, but others it might not so much) but it is a great for pilotage and helping with getting a feel for the plane. It's also a very good introductory book for flying, nothing too technical, just flying.

You can always study and take your written exam, many people think this should wait till you have some flight experience and that definitely helps, but you could still take it. The FAA manuals linked by /u/theygoup are good and free but boring. Rod Machado's PPL Book has similar information but is a little easier to read and has lots of really corny jokes, only $40 or $60 bucks, I refer to it much more often than the FAA manuals.

Sims could never hold my attention very long but I imagine there is some benefit to them, even if it's just instrument prep.

EDIT: I forgot, get a copy of the FAR/AIM from sporty's or someone (I prefer a print copy) or just refer to the online version. A lot of good information is there

A cheap subscription to Kitplanes is a great way to get into this whole plane-building thing in a measured way. I think you also get free online access to their past articles?

http://www.kitplanes.com/

I'm unaware of a "Kit Planes For Dummies" type book. But maybe the best, most general aviation book is one from 1944 called "Stick and Rudder." Most pilots end up reading it at some point.

https://www.amazon.com/Stick-Rudder-Explanation-Art-Flying/dp/0070362408

How about Stick and Rudder by Wolfgang Langewiesche?

I'm not sure about this book, but if you're looking for something to help understand the principles and physics of flight, pick up a copy of Stick and Rudder: An Explanation of the Art of Flying It's one heck of a book filled with great information.

Might not be what you were thinking, but Stick and Rudder (itself perhaps historic) is a great overview of flight from the perspective of the past

Check out a couple of books by Nigel Calder. I recommend starting with Nigel Calder's Cruising Handbook as it's a pretty good general overview of everything you need to know for cruising, then try Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual as a guide to all of the stuff that you will spend all of your free time fixing and maintaining. I also have Marine Diesel Engines. He does a great job of explaining everything you need to know in an accessible way. He manages to get to some pretty advanced skills without assuming very much previous knowledge.

Best investment you can make! Everyone should have this on their boat! http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0071432388?pc_redir=1397569458&robot_redir=1

Buy a book!

Inspecting the Aging Sailboat (The International Marine Sailboat Library). https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0071445455/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_cbDqDb8T5QNS7

I always think it suspicious when people list their boat's condition as "fair" when selling online. I've seen Craigslist boats where the deck is one big maze of spider cracks and softer than a pillow in spots, where the stays are one puff away from snapping, where the rudder can spin freely on the shaft ("it helps to trim the boat") that are listed as "good". If a boat owner lists their boat as anything less than "good", they're either incredibly honest (which is unlikely) or aware of some awful drawback (soggy decks, failed chainplates, clothlike sails, rusty stays, frozen through-hulls, leaky hull-deck joint, or a hilarious and novel combination thereof).


That said, check out "Inspecting the Aging Sailboat", it's a great book that's helped me a great deal and I've spent most of my life on boats:

https://www.amazon.com/Inspecting-Sailboat-International-Marine-Library/dp/0071445455

At the very least, google "Morgan 35" and see what people have to say. Most of what you read online about boats is by nincompoops so be skeptical (but should you be skeptical of me telling you to be skeptical? SKEPTICEPTION!). If you're going to make a big life decision by buying a large sailboat you should probably get it surveyed, especially if you don't know boats very well.


Anyways, you might try looking at a smaller boat? You don't need more than 30' if you're living alone, and you'll save a lot of money if that's your aim. Plus, a smaller boat is easier to maintain, berth, and sail!

http://www.amazon.com/Inspecting-Sailboat-International-Marine-Library/dp/0071445455

This book is pretty something you may need to look at.

Definitely. You'll save A LOT of pennies too, more than you could possibly imagine right now.

One option if you want to get going sooner is to buy an engineless beater, and Don Casey's book, and get going: http://www.amazon.com/Caseys-Complete-Illustrated-Sailboat-Maintenance/dp/0071462848/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1370306245&sr=8-1

I'm sure you already are but if not, start keeping eyes on the local used boat market. Wait and watch then pick your pitch. If it's too good to be true, it probably is BUT there are motivated sellers. People buy 2nd boats before selling their current one all the time, people inherit boats they can't afford upkeep on, people leave them at boat yards. This is especially true for smaller and older boats where the annual storage and upkeep can exceed the value of the boat itself.

Set up a separate bank account and figure out your annual cost of ownership. Start getting used to setting that money aside automatically each month. It'll give you a head start on your sinking fund so any early upgrades or repairs don't sting as much.

I watched and saved for 3 years until I was able to make a late-season steal on a well cared for Cal 2-25. Owner bought it for 6k, was paying 3500 for a slip and 1600 for winter storage. He was asking 5k but I waited until late in the season and offered 3400 pointing out the fact that he's breaking even on asking price by avoiding the looking winter storage. We settled on 3800 and we took ownership with 2+ months of the sailing season left.

While you're preparing, read the following books:

• Buy, Outfit, Sail: How To Inexpensively and Safely Buy, Outfit, and Sail a Small Vessel Around the World https://www.amazon.com/dp/1456310038/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_Hi8YzbQ3KFZYY
  
• Don Casey's Complete Illustrated Sailboat Maintenance Manual: Including Inspecting the Aging Sailboat, Sailboat Hull and Deck Repair, Sailboat Refinishing, Sailbo (International Marine-RMP) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0071462848/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_lj8YzbYPNZDPR

Nigel Calder's book Marine Diesel Engines, while not giving a thorough treatment of a rebuild, will give you enough information to be able to figure out if it's worth rebuilding or not.

I charter right now, OCSC is A-B-C docks. I don't know anyone who knows diesels, sorry. But I have worked on motorcycle engines (never cracked the case open, though). Between that, whatever you know, and this, you might be in good shape. I'm willing to give it a go if you are, anyway.

Best of luck!

If you have a boat you need to get "Don Casey's: This old boat" It will explain this repair as well as all other you might need.

"The Killing Zone" is a good book for student pilots in General Aviation. The tagline of the book is "how and why pilots die." Here is an amazon link. https://www.amazon.com/Killing-Zone-Second-How-Pilots/dp/0071798404

It's $20, and if you use Amazon Smile donations, please consider Candler Field Museum. Our founder, Ron Alexander, recently died in a Jenny crash here in town and the museum can use all the help we can get.

Not exactly a fun subject, but The Killing Zone: How & Why Pilots Die is a great book.

You should read The Killing Zone, then you'll fully understand the reasoning behind the guess.

EDIT: Link to the book: http://www.amazon.com/The-Killing-Zone-Second-Edition/dp/0071798404

It was my first guess because often low time pilots, according to the book mind you, become overconfident. The video showing the maneurvers he was doing so close to the ground, I just thought it made sense.

Someone on /r/flying guessed a suicide flight.

Where do you fly from? I haven't started training yet, just a lot of reading. I'm still working on funding.

Someone showed me this book that goes into the details of some fatal crashes and looks into what happened and why, all in a respectful yet analytical way. https://www.amazon.com/Killing-Zone-Second-How-Pilots/dp/0071798404

Umm, no, that's just wrong because that's the odds for the general population flying 121 a couple times per year and not a general aviation pilot. Every statistical analysis (like this one, this one, this one or last but not least this one) of the GA fatal accident rate has shown that it's between 5 and 20 times more dangerous as driving, most of the time a lot closer to the 20.

Edit: In your edit you're looking at the statistics for part 121 airline travel. I hope you understand that's a fundamentally different thing than general aviation.

Stick & Rudder is great, although if you are really going to go from sim to IRL, check out The Killing Zone: Why Pilots Die

It's called The Killing Zone.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Killing-Zone-Second-Edition/dp/0071798404

Design is really complicated and encompasses a lot of different areas of engineering. If you're looking for an intro book to get started with, I'd recommend John Anderson's Intro to Flight.

Get one of the older editions for cheap(like the fifth edition). It's a good text that is focused on students that are not necessarily engineering. It'll get you started enough that you can start thinking about design principals if you want to tackle something like RC aircraft, a Flight Simulator, or Simple Planes.

I really like John D. Anderson's Intro to Flight and Aerodynamics books.

Chapter one of a different Anderson book, Introduction to Flight has a good overview of the history. He also wrote a book just on history of aerodynamics that might be more useful to you.

>a low pressure zone which pulls on the top of the wing

There is not really a pulling effect, it merely doesn't push down as much as the air is pushing up on the bottom of the wing.

>The engines are responsible for this

Do you mean thrust vectoring engines (tilted up relative to the flight path)? If so, normally this isn't a significant contributing factor as compared to the lift from the wings, with some exceptions (I can only think of fighter jets with high T/W ratios that can pretty much ascend vertically). Upon reading it again I don't think you mean trust vectoring, but I still don't know what you're getting at with this...

>wings in level flight are pitched upwards

Uhh, you really don't want to do this as you drastically increase drag. Most aircraft have cambered airfoils such that you don't have to fly with the wings 'pitched upwards' (called a positive angle of attack). Some planes, however, do have symmetric airfoils which have to be flown at a positive angle of attack, such as many aerobatic aircraft.

Sorry I'm being nit-picky, but some things just seemed a little off so I went and dusted off my aero engineering book to make sure. Everything else you said sees correct, have an up-vote fellow aeronautics enthusiast!

Then definitely go for it.

Pick up (or get it from the library) a copy of Introduction to Flight by John Anderson (you can also get the international version on ebay for like $40-50). It was (is?) the book used in MAE 262, which would be your first aero specific class. It's actually a useful text even if it's not still used. We ended up looking up a lot of things in it during senior design.

Regardless of which major you end up in, get involved with a club like the Aerial Robotics Club, Rocketry, AIAA, ASME, Wolfpack Motorsports. They all look good on a resume, especially if you end up in a leadership role, and they're also lots of fun and a great way to put what you've learned into practice and a way to learn things you wouldn't learn in class. ARC and Rocketry would also be useful for aero senior design.

Also, get a co-op or internship as soon as possible and keep getting them until you graduate. They help a lot when looking for a job.

If you end up in aero, AIAA meetings are a great place to meet and network with people from industry. They have speakers fairly often and sometimes the speakers are there specifically to recruit.

Good luck with whatever you choose!

Yeah, I've been trying to find one as well and the only thing I could find was a shitty t-shirt on the WMATA site in google's cache. Alternatively, this is kind of cool as a coffee table book. One of the additional images shows it has DC in it. I do quite a bit of international traveling so maybe it's just interesting to me but I thought it was a pretty cool idea for a book. I think I may get it pretty soon.

Hi, great that you're taking an interest to get him a book on cartography. I've recently began doing the same, and books are definitely superior over wikipedia etc.

• 'Great Maps' by Jerry Brotton: Very accessible, kind of a coffee table book that you can look into when you have some minutes to spend.
  
  
• 'A history of the world in 12 maps' by Jerry Brotton: Bought this one together with 'Great Maps'. Gives a more academic point of view on maps and on their origins/purposes. Haven't finished it yet though. Kind of unaccessible because there aren't really maps included (some maps, but pictures are way too small). Definitely recommend it, in combo with 'Great Maps'.
  
  
• As /u/churizurd mentioned, Atlas of Remote Islands is pretty fun too. Pricing seems kind of strange on Amazon (1130$ for paperback lolwat)
  
  
• Transit maps of the world is on my wishlist, looks cool

Link to Amazon.com Hardcover 2nd Edition (this is the version I bought)

It's weird to read a technical text that is gripping. I read it cover to cover, despite not getting the math.

Roughly 10.


But seriously, check out this book. It was my bible in school and I still use it almost daily. Chapter 12 is when it gets into basic rocketry. I seriously love that book.

My guess is Mechanics & Thermodynamics of Propulsion 2e, by Hill & Peterson. This textbook was used to teach my undergrad Jet & Rocket Prop course.


Amazon Link

the basic idea you can get from wikipedia pages and the first result of google search. this book is also good http://www.amazon.com/Rocket-Propulsion-Elements-7th-Edition/dp/0471326429

Some good reading:

http://www.amazon.com/Cape-Horn-Starboard-John-Kretschmer/dp/1580801625/

http://www.amazon.com/World-My-Own-non-stop-voyage/dp/0713668997/

http://www.amazon.com/Sailing-Alone-Around-Joshua-Slocum/dp/0486203263/

http://www.amazon.com/The-Long-Way-Bernard-Moitessier/dp/0924486848/

http://www.amazon.com/Across-Islands-Oceans-Journey-Around/dp/1470004615/

http://www.amazon.com/Voyages-Extraordinary-Times-Larry-Pardey/dp/1929214987/

That's great - glad you had a good time

If you or your buddies are book types, I would suggest you introduce them to a couple of books

The first "Two Years Before The Mast" - by Richard Henry Dana - there is a passage in that book that ends with an eloquent statement about sails and sailing...

https://www.reddit.com/r/Tallships/comments/9kacom/star_of_india_all_sails_set_sept_30_2018_we_sail/

It's about the sails ... ``How quietly they do their work!''

The scene - 1834 - Student at Harvard basically says: Screw this college stuff, I'm going to be a sailor - he walks down to the ship yards and signs a 2 year contract, sails around the horn visits southern California, and returns to Boston. Along the way, he keeps a journal and it becomes a master piece.

Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Years_Before_the_Mast

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Years-Before-Mast-Signet-Classics/dp/0451531256

Book #2 - Is about an old captain - his life story before the book is amazing by it self

Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sailing_Alone_Around_the_World

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Sailing-Alone-Around-Joshua-Slocum/dp/0486203263

​

​

​

[Dove] (https://www.amazon.com/Sailing-Alone-Around-Joshua-Slocum/dp/0486203263)


[Sailing Alone Around The World] (https://www.amazon.com/Sailing-Alone-Around-Joshua-Slocum/dp/0486203263)

[The Long Way] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0924486848/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496093457&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=the+long+way+sailing&dpPl=1&dpID=51L%2Btgd-fQL&ref=plSrch)

Have you read Sailing Alone Around the World? If not you should seriously check it out, it's absolutely incredible. Slocum was the man.

Without knowing much more, I would say read this:

http://www.amazon.com/Art-Urban-Cycling-Lessons-Street/dp/0762727837

So, coastal cruiser, homebase Maine, 'Snowbird' itinerary.

That leaves the budget question as the big variable we need if you want specific recommendations. You can do this at many different $$$ levels...but the boat selection and priorities will change.

This is a good place to start: Greg Nestor - "Twenty affordable sailboats to take you anywhere"

http://www.amazon.com/Twenty-Affordable-Sailboats-Anywhere-ebook/dp/B00422LH04/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1368355828&sr=1-1&keywords=Nestor+sail

If you need to go for less $$$...that means either smaller, older, or more 'sweat equity' by you. Don't give up here. Many sailors have years of fullfilling cruising under the 'go small, go simple, go early' approach. Refer to this very similar book by John Vigor - "Twenty small sailboats to take you anywhere"

http://www.amazon.com/Twenty-Small-Sailboats-Take-Anywhere/dp/0939837323/ref=sr_1_cc_2?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1368355337&sr=1-2-catcorr&keywords=Vigor+sail

Plan on 50% of purchase cost, additional, to put it right, depending on the boat and your plans. Strongly consider a survey for the boat that is the "one". They cost too damn much to do more than one, but can save you from that BIG mistake.

Depends how much knowledge you're starting with. There are plenty of books. And lots of simulation software. I'm pretty sure you can even take classes, including the official ground school classes, and even flying lessons. The only age limit is on actually getting your license to fly solo, you can still fly dual (With an instructor) at any age. Of course, this gets expensive, and young age tends to limit your budget unless your parents are very supportive and generous.

That said I would say start with books and software. For books, assuming you are in the USA, the FAA publishes lots of free resources and here are some other useful suggestions. I am also a fan of From The Ground Up which is actually used as the official training manual in Canada (but this is the US edition).

For software, either Microsoft Flight Simulator or X-Plane are excellent choices. Once you have a little more experience, both can connect to the VATSIM network, which is a group of volunteer air traffic controllers who strive to provide as realistic as possible radio control environment, flight tracking, and navigation services to simulator pilots. The DCS series is also worthy of consideration, despite being combat focused, as it contains by far the most detailed simulation of all the boring and usually forgettable details that you will have to know when you actually climb into an airplane. You can easily spend a few hours just learning where all the controls and switches are, before you even figure out how to follow the checklist, nevermind start the engines.

Finally, if all that's a little bit too intensely realistic for you, or you're still just struggling with the basics, maybe look at something like SimplePlanes or Kerbal Space Program.

From the Ground Up. Probably the greatest textbook for recreational pilots. Covers pretty much everything related to flight, from weather prediction, to radionavigation, to engine construction. Probably not exactly the kind of book one would expect to see in a thread like this, but I am sure the other pilots on reddit would agree with me that it's one of the best books in the discipline.

The previously mentioned Helicopter Flying Handbook is probably your best bet for free reading material.

If you don't mind spending a little money for reading material, I recommend:
(book title links to amazon)
[Principles of Helicopter Flight by W. J. Wagtendonk] (https://www.amazon.com/Principles-Helicopter-Flight-W-J-Wagtendonk/dp/1560276495) for around $25.
[Cyclic & Collective by Shawn Coyle] (https://www.amazon.com/Cyclic-Collective-Shawn-Coyle/dp/0557090660/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1497929356&sr=1-1&keywords=cyclic+and+collective) for around $45.
Another good one from Shawn Coyle is The Little Book of Autorotations which focuses only on autorotations.
I own all three, and they're all good, but I would recommend Cyclic and Collective. The book is packed with damn near everything you could possibly want to know about helicopter flying. It also helps that Coyle's writing style helps hold the reader's interest even through dry and technical subjects.

Isn't WJ Wagtendonk's 'Principles of Helicopter Flight' still considered 'the bible'? ISBN-13: 978-1560276494

If you're starting the training process, the first thing you should start doing is preparing for the knowledge exam, and the PPL test prep book (2020) is the best place to start. These are effectively the questions you'll see on the exam, if not THE questions. Most CFIs/pilots treat this as an SAT score, get >90% and you'll get taken more seriously. You'll need a FAR/AIM, which at first seems daunting but quickly becomes a bedside book. Jeppessen Private Pilot Manual is a good resource which consolidates a lot of the information nicely, and provides nice plots for things that otherwise feel a bit disjointed (e.g. medical certificate requirements, airspace).

Books that are helpful in terms of learning helicopter dynamics, my favorite by far is Principles of Helicopter Flight, as well as Cyclic and Collective. Many people like the Helicopter Flying Handbook, but as someone who knows better (I'm a PhD trained physicist), I found it to be garbage. The authors try to simplify things down to make it accessible to a lay person, but get a lot of things flat out wrong or are just plain sloppy with their descriptions. PoHF on the other hand isn't overly complicated, but provides a very clean and correct description of helicopter dynamcics. Don't be dazzled by the bright colors and pictures in HFH. Learning to Fly Helicopters is one I found to be a fun read, which lightly touches on flight details, but provides a lot of tangential tidbits around real world situations.

Study the Pilot Operating Handbook's for your training helicopter(s)! If you got some spare money, I'd recommend buying them (Robinson's can be found at their website, either free PDF or for purchase for ~$60). As you get closer to your check ride, you'll want to become more familiar with the Practical Test Standards which is the rubric the examiner will test you on, and there's several oral exam guide (general, helicopter) which are quite helpful.

I'd also recommend recording your rides and re-watching them. I did this and it was very helpful to go back and see what was happening, much like a quarterback watching film on Monday morning. You can find my PPL training videos on my YouTube channel, which includes my full check ride!

I also bought other books / resources, but these are effectively the only ones I used for my PPL, and I got 100% on the knowledge exam and also crushed the check ride. Best of luck in your journey!

Pretty prepared honestly. If you don't understand something in the ACS, chances are it will be what comes up. I read this book and I think it was super helpful. https://www.amazon.com/Private-Pilot-Oral-Exam-Guide/dp/1619544598

• Federal Aviation Regulations / Aeronautical Information Manual
  
• Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge
  
• Airplane Flying Handbook
  
• Private Pilot Airplane Airmen Certification Standards
  
• Private Pilot Oral Exam Guide
  
  Keep in mind all the information you need to pass is available for free from the FAA. But I like having the books and in the grand scheme of things they're really cheap. The FARs are the regulations you need to know, mostly parts 61 and 91. The AIM has a ton of good information in it as well. All stuff that could show up on your written exam. The PHAK is going to be where a lot of your written material comes from. If you know the information in there forwards and backwards you'll do great.
  
  The ACS is the practical standards to which you'll be judged on the check ride. How close do you need to hold altitude? How close do you need to hold that 45 degree bank angle? All found in the ACS.
  
  The Oral Exam Guide's usefulness will vary based on who gives you your checkride. My DPE literally flipped through his copy of one and picked a few questions out of each section to ask me. If I messed up he stayed in that section longer. If I answered a handful near perfectly that section was done.

100% this! I used the ASA guide by Mike Hayes. Link to amazon here. Go through that whole thing cover to cover. Get someone else to ask you the questions if you can.

https://www.amazon.com/Remote-Pilot-Test-Prep-UAS/dp/1619544687/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474216666&sr=8-1&keywords=remote+pilot+study+prep

READ Proficient Motorcycling by David L Hough. It teaches the best braking methods for every condition... http://www.amazon.com/Proficient-Motorcycling-Ultimate-Guide-Riding/dp/1933958359

You'll thank me for this ;)

I was going to type up some wizard-level science but think the pros do it best. Check Twist of the Wrist 2 (as howheelswork mentioned) and Proficient Motorcycling.

Personally I rode about 300 miles on the street before the MSF BRC course and I found it helpful to go in with some experience. But it's critical that you stay humble enough that you can still approach the BRC as a learning tool, and not go in with the attitude that you know everything.

The first thing I would do in your case is read this: http://www.amazon.com/Proficient-Motorcycling-Ultimate-Guide-Riding/dp/1933958359/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1344173140&sr=1-1&keywords=proficient+motorcycling

It's really well-written and you should be able to really visualize yourself doing the exercises properly. After reading that, I'd consider buying a bike and doing some practicing.

It's not expressly legal in California.

> In California no law explicitly and clearly prohibits lane splitting, and significantly, it has become the traditional policy of law enforcement, the courts, and the public in California to tolerate it when it is done safely. However, those engaged in unsafe behavior, including unsafe lane splitting, can still be cited for violating certain sections of the vehicle code.

-Proficient Motorcycling

There's a lot of things taught in the MSF course that veteran riders don't think about or do subconsciously. You'll miss out on all this information by learning from your experienced friend in a parking lot. MSF gives you a sound foundation to learn on for years to come. There's plenty of advanced courses that come after that like the MSF Experienced Rider Course and Lee Park's Advanced Riding Clinic. I also think David Hough's book Proficient Motorcycling is a must read for every street rider. His book saved my life countless times. There's also track schools that teach you high speed riding skills. 14 years and I'm still learning something new everyday!

Get David Hough's Proficient Motorcycling. Lots of good tips there.

http://www.amazon.com/Proficient-Motorcycling-Ultimate-Guide-Riding/dp/1933958359/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374332064&sr=1-1&keywords=proficient+motorcycling

EDIT: The hard part is getting the bike to go forward, it's knowing all the situations to be aware of.

Well, you pretty much summed up how I learned to ride. There's not much more to it than that. Knowing what I know now, I would add in "Buy the Proficient Motorcycling book."

This?

https://www.amazon.com/Stick-Rudder-Explanation-Art-Flying/dp/0070362408

I assume you downloaded these;

Pilots Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge

Airplane Flying Handbook

Aeronautical Information Manual

Another book that helped me out is Stick and Rudder.

Heres the link for anyone interested.

Why your plan is awesome

I know I'm a little late to the party, but I really like this topic. Hopefully this isn't so late that it's useless.

Most people will tell you that a home simulator is useless or worse than useless for PPL training. I disagree, provided you use it correctly. Let me break it down a bit. When you're flying, this is basically what's going on:

1. Every 10ms: Adjust control inputs in response to the feeling of the controls.
   
2. Every 100ms: Adjust control inputs in response to the sight picture of the cowling and wings relative to the horizon.
   
3. Every 1-5s: Adjust the sight picture you're trying to achieve based on the information on your instruments.
   
4. Every 1-5m: Check engine instruments, navigation, talk to ATC, etc.
   
   So, that basic model isn't exactly accurate in all phases of flight, but it's a reasonable approximation. Here's the thing. A good desktop sim can teach you all of those but the first one. Why wouldn't you want a tool that can mostly teach you how to fly for $0/hr after setup costs? I did this for my PPL training and had excellent results.
   
   

   How to use a sim effectively
   

   
   You can definitely build terrible habits in a home sim, and that's why they have a bad reputation for PPL students. However, there are some easy things you can do to avoid that.
   
   

• Get your feet wet with the XPlane Learn to Fly tutorial. You'll make lots of mistakes, but starting with something fun will keep you motivated.
  
• Read the PHAK.
  
• Read the AFH. The AFH details all the maneuvers you'll need to learn during PPL training. Learn how to do them in your sim!
  
• Learn how an airplane actually flies. I recommend Stick and Rudder and See How it Flies.
  
• Do not fixate on your instruments! Practice maneuvers with the instruments covered or failed, then check to see how you did. E.g. cover the instruments, do a 360 degree 30 degree bank turn, and then uncover the instruments to see if you gained or lost altitude. Do this until your error is < 50ft. You MUST learn to fly by looking outside.
  
• Don't fly with trim. This is hard in a sim because our yokes are dumb. In a real airplane, you set the yoke where it needs to be and trim until the pressure goes away. The yoke never moves. In a sim, it's a tricky dance where you hold pressure and then slowly ease it back to the center while trimming. It sucks, but it's way better than flying by trim, which will cause endless pitch and altitude oscillations.
  
• Once you can fly a pattern without embarrassing yourself, get online with PilotEdge. Trust me, it's a fantastic training experience and just plain fun.
  
• Once you start real flying lessons, ask your instructor what you'll be covering in each lesson a few days before. Then practice those tasks in the sim beforehand. This will save tons of time in the air because you'll be polishing and transferring skills instead of learning them fresh. For bonus points, practice until you can meet the Airman Certification Standards in the sim where applicable.
  
• Use the sim to practice things that would be unsafe in real life. Engine failure on takeoff? No problem in the sim. Elevator failure? Sure, why not. Lost coms procedure? Hop on PilotEdge and do it.
  
  

  Hardware recommendations:
  

  
  

• Yoke / Joystick: If you'll be flying something with a yoke, I'd get a yoke. I 100% agree with XPlane's recommendation of the CH Eclipse unless you're ready to drop $1500 on an Iris. Saitek's yokes look nicer, but their pitch axis sticks, which is infuriating. It basically makes precise pitch control impossible, which is the single most important part of a yoke.
  
• Rudder pedals: I have the CH rudder pedals and have no complaints except I wish they required a bit more force. I've also used the Saitek pedals, and they're fine too.
  
• Trim Wheel: Unfortunately Saitek discontinued their trim wheel, and it's now a bit pricey used. You definitely need one. I don't have experience with other options.
  
• Throttles: The Saitek throttle quadrant is great, and I love the fact that it comes with a nice row of buttons underneath. Alternately, you can use the throttles built into the yoke. I did that for a while, but found that reaching over the yoke to adjust the throttle was causing strain on my shoulder and giving me headaches.
  
• Head tracking: Not sure if you'll need this with 6 displays. I've got 3 set up for a 180 degree FOV, and I definitely need it. For pattern work, you really need a 270 degree FOV so you can look back at the runway. Also, it's really helpful to be able to lean forward, backward, and side to side so you can spot things that are behind the pillars. Obviously you won't go wrong with a TrackIR, but I've had great success with the DelanClip which is much cheaper.
  
• Switches and radios: Once again, Saitek makes some reasonably nice gear here. IMO this is completely optional for PPL practice.
  
• ATC: A subscription to PilotEdge is AMAZING for learning radio work and how to navigate airspace.
  
  Since you said money is not an issue, you might consider some more expensive hardware options. I have no experience with any of those, but they sure look nice :)

If my CFI were a redditor, I'd have you thank him.

In lieu of that, I'd suggest you get this book. It will teach you a lot about aerodynamics and basic flying skills.

https://www.amazon.com/Boatowners-Mechanical-Electrical-Manual-Essential/dp/0071432388 This will help you fix nearly everything. It's slightly technical but has very good information.

I've had people here recommend me some good books on this topic:

Inspecting the Aging Sailboat - Don Casey

For fiberglass specifically:
Surveying Fiberglass Sailboats - Henry C. Mustin

Is this it? I'm thinking of getting it and want to make sure.

Get a copy of this:

http://www.amazon.com/Marine-Diesel-Engines-Maintenance-Troubleshooting/dp/0071475354/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415398133&sr=1-1&keywords=marine+diesel+engines

My own boat is gasoline-powered, but I do enough reading about powerboats in general to be aware that this book is the Bible where caring for marine diesel engines is concerned. The author is the technical editor at PassageMaker magazine.

West Marine carries it, but you could get it cheaper by ordering a used copy from Amazon.

EDIT: You're welcome. Appreciate the upvote. /sarcasm

If you pull that off shoot me a message and I will email him all the pictures. Another thing I will suggest is a book called "This Old Boat" http://www.amazon.com/This-Old-Boat-Second-Completely/dp/0071477942 I have the first ed. but I am sure its all still there. It is a great reference on restoring all kinds of boats but especially older smaller sailboats.

Go get yourself a copy of "This old boat" by Don Casey. They should be widely available secondhand.

He recommends installing a second maintenance bilge pump with a smaller hose, which mops up whatever the big one lets back down again when it turns off the power.

http://www.amazon.com/This-Old-Boat-Second-Edition/dp/0071477942

This is a great reference! https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0071477942/ref=sr_1_4_olp?ie=UTF8&qid=1506370390&sr=8-4&keywords=don+casey

Most crashes are those outside of the inexperienced ranged and before the highly experienced range. Between 50-350 hours.

https://www.amazon.com/Killing-Zone-Second-How-Pilots/dp/0071798404

I am still in my studies but you may want to read The Killing Zone. They discuss situations such as this..in particular, there is a section on the dangers of complacency with new autopilot technologies. Always worth keeping yourself honest now that you've gotten yourself out of trouble once with technology that you don't up your personal limits because you know the tech is there to save you.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Killing-Zone-Second-Edition/dp/0071798404

You should read https://www.amazon.com/Killing-Zone-Second-How-Pilots/dp/0071798404

I'm going through it now so I understand the risks as I'm learning to fly.

I recommend the book "The Killing Zone: How & Why Pilots Die" by Paul Craig (non-affiliate link); it has some good discussion of how accidents and incidents can happen.

The Killing Zone

It's drawn from real world NTSB reports and does a very good job of going through all the factors contributing to pilot fatalities, especially in the 40-340 hour window that remains the deadliest experience level in aviation.

Glad to hear it... As long as you never put yourself in a position where you have to fly for whatever reason, should be fine.

Also, check out the book "The Killing Zone" ( https://www.amazon.com/Killing-Zone-Second-How-Pilots/dp/0071798404 ). Apparently, some of his numbers are off, but its a great overview of how pilots get themselves killed and how to avoid those situations.

is this book common knowledge on r/transit? it's your tumblr in print form.

That was a cool slideshow. Did anyone see the pictures of the Swedish subway system that were on Reddit a month or two ago? Also, has anyone else checked this book out? I snagged a cheap used copy. It definitely focuses on the design aspect of the map, rather than tons of info about the subway, but it'll make any transit geek happy.

Good idea. I wish I kept more of my transit passes. I'll have to dig up the ones I've saved. BTW, this is an interesting book to accompany your collection.

Your question is rather undefined. However, to help you on the general principles check out:

• Mechanics and Thermodynamics of Propulsion (2nd Edition) by Philip Hill, Carl Peterson
  
  A google search provides a PDF download link - but when tested the D/L link did not work for me.
  
  Also,
  
  
• Introduction to Solid Rocket Propulsion PDF download.
  
  OP, when you get to the build and test stage, please post some pics of the resultant rocket on launch and a summary of your engineering design considerations.

this book

For propulsion http://www.amazon.com/Mechanics-Thermodynamics-Propulsion-2nd-Edition/dp/0201146592


But don't pay anywhere near that amount. Should be able to get it used for like 20-25

Did something very similar to you OP. Built a rocket engine with KNO3 fuel, and added Fe3O4. Tested small scale with aluminum nozzles, screwed in with three screws 60deg around. The tests resulted in a decent burn, but the aluminum showed sligns signs of melting/shearing at the throat. Not terribly bad, but on a larger scale it would affect flight path quite a bit.

I do think that aluminum would be a good starting point for the nozzle though, then if it doesn't turn out too well, moving to graphite.

Also, check out "Rocket Propulsion Elements." It has fantastic details on solid and liquid propellents, nozzle theory, different analysis process, and tons of other stuff. If you look hard enough you can find a pdf of it on Google.

Joshua Slocum
http://www.amazon.com/Sailing-Alone-Around-Joshua-Slocum/dp/0486203263/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1408214112&sr=1-1&keywords=joshua+slocum

Oh man: https://www.amazon.com/Sailing-Alone-Around-Joshua-Slocum/dp/0486203263

1896 solo round the world sail (the wrong way). So extraordinary.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-Urban-Cycling-Lessons/dp/0762727837

great resource. Check your library for a copy.

Great advice in this thread already. I recommend picking up this book about dealing with traffic on your bike. Helped me lots.

The Art of Urban Cycling: Lessons from the Street https://www.amazon.com/dp/0762727837/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_Pf1WzbM9K98A9

Yeah...so according to the book, as far as safe cycling is concerned... Well, let's say that I recommend you read it. Maybe they have it at the library?

EDIT: Here are some reviews of the book. (The title was changed.)

What is it exactly that you've always wanted? I'm guessing the answer is not round-the-buoys racing :) Regardless, you're going to need to get some experience with the basics before people start trusting you with their lives on the open ocean.

Really though, sailing isn't hard. Check out your local sailing clubs, crew for a bit, see if you still love it. If you do, study up on piloting, navigation and the "rules of the road", then rather than being under some skipper's thumb, think about buying your own boat. Check out 20 Small Sailboats To Take You Anywhere from your local library. For the cost of a few month's rent you will have a simple, capable vessel that you can sail wherever you want. Living on a sailboat can be very inexpensive (though it can also be quite expensive).

Good luck, live your dream, and thanks for your service in Afghanistan.

John Vigors 20 small sailboats to take you anywhere:

https://www.amazon.com/Twenty-Small-Sailboats-Take-Anywhere/dp/0939837323/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499492768&sr=8-1&keywords=20+small+sailboats+to+take+you+anywhere

I agree it’s not a reputable blue water boat, but the Catalina 27 is listed in Twenty Small Sailboats to Take You Anywhere because many people have crossed oceans in it.

Obviously I'm commenting way after this is relevant, but I watched about half of the video and this guy has no idea about any airspace regulation at all and really underestimates the hazards of hitting a drone with a plane. 300 feet? That's class G airspace and is the minimum AGL altitude planes must fly. Controlled airspace is around airports and the distance and altitude varies depending on size.

Air strikes can cause damage which will cause planes to undergo documented certified mechanical checks. It's a serious problem.

He also seems to think watching the feed from the drone is better than seeing it. That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. It doesn't matter which way the drone is facing, it matters where it is, and what it is near.

I agree that a lot of the legislation is dumb, or at least requires some nuance in how it is interpreted, but he vastly understates the problems that flying a drone in regulated airspace can cause because he doesn't know what it is. If he's so confused he should pick up a copy of From the Ground Up.

Very classy plane. I believe its on the cover of my FTGU (from the ground up)

A good book on the basics of helicopters and how they work:
http://www.amazon.com/Principles-Helicopter-Flight-W-Wagtendonk/dp/1560276495

A good textbook directed at engineers studying helicopters:
http://www.amazon.com/Principles-Helicopter-Aerodynamics-Cambridge-Aerospace/dp/0521858607/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372342685&sr=8-1&keywords=leishman

Thanks!

First of all, (assuming you're in the U.S.) Read the Private Pilot ACS!! It tells you every piece of information that can be covered in the checkride.

Also, buy the Oral Exam Study Guide!!!!!!!!! This book helped me out tremendously! Study that, and if it ever mentions a regulation (it does it a lot), then review that regulation in the FAR/AIM. Also, you really should spend and hour or two studying with your CFI. He can answer any questions you have and also ask you questions in the way your DPE will.

​

https://www.amazon.com/Private-Pilot-Oral-Exam-Guide/dp/1619544598/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1536759778&sr=8-1&keywords=private+pilot+oral+exam+guide+2018

I used this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1619544598/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_L8DNAbTCRX32Z

The layout is great, and a non-pilot friend can pick it up and ask questions and let you know if you're right. If you've done your written and studied what you should, this is pretty much all you'll need to be ready.

American here currently working on my US Remote Pilot license. The easiest thing to do would be to call the UK FAA which I believe is called the CAA. The CAA also has a place on their website for drones at https://www.caa.co.uk/Consumers/Unmanned-aircraft-and-drones/.

The rules of flying a drone are pretty straight forward but I found that information about how to handle being near an airport (communication, AirTAM's, and understanding flight space), understanding weather conditions, and basic maintenance extremely helpful. If the CAA offers any training or manuals on those topics I highly suggest you read them.

I'm linking the reference material for the faa here. I expect the UK will adopt similar laws to the FAA. The study guide I'm using for my training is the remote pilot test prep guide. I hope this helps you find some answers.

Edit: please don't fly in or around an airports air space. It can get you in a lot of trouble especially if the drone is at fault for damage to another aircraft.

Ok so I passed with a 98% (the one question still bothers me lol) and here is what I used in no particular order

• Youtube
  
• Google
  
• 3DR practice test questions
  
• https://jrupprechtlaw.com/
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Remote-Pilot-Test-Prep-essential/dp/1619544687
  
• FAA official study guide
  
  I read the FAA study guide, did some of the 3DR questions, and searched google and youtube for anything I didn't get and watched multiple videos until it clicked. I did this for airspace, airport markings, weather, METAR/TAFS.
  
  Then I cracked open the ASA study guide and used that to reinforce everything I had been studying while also exposing me to more questions and concepts.
  
  I used all 5 practice tests that came with the ASA book and felt they were very helpful to my actual exam with out using the exact same words.
  
  Don't memorize the questions/answers, learn the concepts! They will try and trick you by changing stuff up, it's best to re-read every question. Learn how to decode METAR, learn where to drop 2 "0s" and make sure you know how to read sectional charts.
  
  The test only took me about 30 min to complete, however I started back at the beginning and re-read every question and answer to make sure I was going with the one that makes the most sense.
  
  Plenty of questions seem fairly obvious to any one who has been flying for a while and practices at least a basic level of safety.
  
  Spread your study time out over at least a week or two depending on how well you cram. I spread mine out over about 3 weeks. The practice test I spread out over 4 days, 2 the first, 2 the second, none the 3rd and one the 4th day, the day before my test.

I read through this book twice and passed first try with an 88%. Probably 30 hours total studying: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1619544687/

I can second GPA. I've met a couple of their instructors. It's good training at a good price.

http://www.flygpa.com/

Edit:
If you want to get your feet wet, this book will be indispensable during flight school.

Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge: FAA-H-8083-25B (FAA Handbooks series) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1619544733/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_McvKybXBS5QKB

Awesome! I'll probably get those to suppliment. Just to confirm, you're referring to these, right?
https://www.amazon.com/Pilots-Handbook-Aeronautical-Knowledge-FAA-H-8083-25B/dp/1619544733/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499377298&sr=8-1&keywords=Pilots+Handbook+of+Aeronautical+Knowledge

and

https://www.amazon.com/Student-Pilots-Flight-Manual-Certificate/dp/156027719X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499377340&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Student+Pilots+Flight+Manual

Thanks!

> line is a bear for me. I can't sit in one place for awhile, so even at home, reading on a laptop that gets hot is killer. I'll spend the money for the print.

ASA publishes the print versions, here's the lazy-link: PHAK, AFH, and the FAR/AIM but it looks like the Gleim kit already has that one.

The safest time to ride according to stats in Proficient Motorcycling is 3-6am. The worst is 11pm-3am on Friday and Saturday, followed by 3-6pm on weekdays.

> The techniques I have learned and shared were taught to me in the MSF Beginner course. I think your advanced techniques and concepts might certainly be confusing and "over the head" to many beginners .. such as the OP.

I encourage others to think, and -- as I keep stating -- I fight misinformation. If you have a problem with one or the other, I really don't give a shit.

The MSF course teaches you the fundamental mechanics of riding and very little more. In retrospect, I'm horrified that they put people on the street with so little training. If you want to swaddle people in a nest of MSF generalities, go ahead. I may well be there, too, to point them in the right direction.

> Oh, and disagreeing with others does not have to equal calling them idiots.

I call it like I see it. Not an idiot? Demonstrate it by reading and writing carefully. Your post was poorly constructed, contained tangential information, and was simply wrong. Further, you were defending someone who has been going around spreading some dangerous misinformation.

Seek out information and learn.

Total Control

Proficient Motorcycling

More Proficient Motorcyclig

Twist of the Wrist

Twist of the Wrist Vol 2

Pick up a copy of this.

http://www.amazon.com/Proficient-Motorcycling-Ultimate-Guide-Riding/dp/1933958359

You can do that with the Ninja 250. It's all practice. Like V_Glaz_Dam mentioned you should watch the Twist of Wrist 2 series.

Here's something I wrote for one of my friends.

For books, I personally like this one the most. I feel like Nick took a lot information from the Twist of the Wrist books and made it more modern.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1893618072/ref=oh_o02_s01_i00_details



But I also learned a lot from Lee Park's book. Lee Park hosts a rider school where he runs over all the drills in his book and helps with rider technique. You have to google the class schedules but he comes around California at least once or twice a year.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0760314039/ref=oh_o04_s00_i00_details



The there is the Twist of the Wrist series
http://www.amazon.com/Twist-Wrist-Motorcycle-Roadracers-Handbook/dp/0965045013/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330372612&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Twist-Wrist-Basics-High-Performance-Motorcycle/dp/0965045021/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1330372612&sr=8-2

I haven't read those books but the Twist of Wrist II videos are on youtube so you can check them out.



The last book I would recommend is Proficient Motorcycling. I highly recommended reading that one because it focuses a lot on general riding. Techniques that everyone should learn just to stay alive riding on the road. The book can be found at some libraries so you can save some money by just loaning it.
http://www.amazon.com/Proficient-Motorcycling-Ultimate-Guide-Riding/dp/1933958359/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330372534&sr=1-1-spell

The rest is all practice.
Also youtube "ninja 250 track" and you'll see a bunch of videos of guys racing their 250s on the track.

I wouldn't get on a track until you are at least familiar with your motorcycle. Get some miles under your belt before you decide to do it. After you are comfortable on your bike I would try to hook up with some local riders who are better than you. That way you can talk to them and learn from their experience. But remember to take most advice with a grain of salt. I personally use meetup.com to meet a lot of other guys to ride with.

Dude, the book is only $16.47. Just buy it.

http://www.amazon.ca/Proficient-Motorcycling-Ultimate-Guide-Riding/dp/1933958359

Best book on the subject that I've ever read.

If you like these, you should probably have a look at Transit Maps of the World which contains a wealth of information on how these maps were designed and evolved.

I recommend you read The Killing Zone - Why pilots die