(Part 2) Best transportation books according to redditors
We found 1,032 Reddit comments discussing the best transportation books. We ranked the 461 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 21-40. You can also go back to the previous section.
This entire post is massively incorrect and totally at odds with actual history. Why did you even post this?
>Yes, or better, it was considered a practical speed limit, in the sense that it was strongly suspected that large objects travelling faster than sound in air were bound to explode.
>There was absolutely no way to guess in advance a possible design for a supersonic aircraft.
>There also was a brief period of confusion around WWII because measurements of airspeed with the known methods become inaccurate around the speed of sound, since they are based on linear aerodynamics.
>t was known perfectly well that meteors were supersonic - that's why they explode. It was also known that most muzzle velocities of weapons since the 1800s were supersonic - bullets don't explode because they aren't supersonic for long, and they're also solid metal
I have to delete your post. This is way too egregiously wrong on a pretty important topic. Hell it's downright offensive to anyone that's actually studied aerodynamics. I haven't been this annoyed by a wrong /r/askscience answer since someone said "scientists don't actually know what creates lift", and at least that person wasn't a panelist.
Anyone interested in reading about factual history of aerodynamics and the sound barrier should check out Anderson's History of Aerodynamics as a starting point.
Youtube is loaded with videos on the subject:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Map+and+Compass+Skills
Also: http://www.amazon.com/Staying-Found-Complete-Compass-Handbook/dp/0898867851
http://www.amazon.com/Wilderness-Navigation-Finding-Altimeter-Mountaineers/dp/1594859450/ref
http://www.amazon.com/Expert-Map-Compass-Bjorn-Kjellstrom/dp/0470407654/ref
One great practice to get into is to use your more advanced navigational aids primarily to confirm or correct what you have already determined by more basic methods.
For instance, get used to reflexively observing your surroundings (Especially stopping every 100 paces or so to look at and study your back trail). Practice estimating the distances/direction that you have walked and the times elapsed. Become aware of the position of the sun or the prevailing winds (Observing the effect that these winds have over time on local vegetation).
Even jets flying overhead can provide clues as to general directions. In my area of Upstate NY, the vast majority of jets flying at altitude maintain a roughly east/west flight path. Even on a cloudy night when the stars and the moon are totally hidden, I can often see the lights of jets blinking through the cloud cover, giving me a clue as to whether or not I have begun traveling in a circle in the dark.
A GREAT read: http://www.naturalnavigator.com/tristan-gooley
http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Navigator-Rediscovered-Letting-Nature/dp/1615190465/ref
Several times a day, without looking at your map estimate your location and heading direction/distance to your starting point and your destination. Once you have done this, take out your map and confirm your estimates. If you have a good vantage point, take several bearings with your compass on significant features (Focusing on contour features on your topo map) and then triangulate to determine your location.
The most important practice is to primarily rely on your GPS as a means of confirming and correcting your earlier navigational estimates. As you get more accomplished and as your confidence levels rise, you will find that observational navigation will become second nature to you.
This is dramatically incorrect. According to The Killing Zone:How and Why Pilots Die, the first 100 hours are actually statistically safer than the next 200 or so hours where complacency begins to sit in. First of all, 40-50 hours are under the care of an instructor and take place during a time when the student is well into "I need to learn" mode. The next 50ish hours seem to, statistically speaking, reflect a safety-mood inertia of sorts from the learning. After 100 and through about 300, however, the curve goes up dramatically as complacency and other killing characteristics come into play.
Please don't push inaccurate statements like "the first 100 hours are the highest risk", it's absolutely unsupported by data and potentially will on ITS OWN contribute to higher mortality as pilots blaze off past 100 hours thinking "Cool, I made it" and start accumulating risk factors.
There is no limit, fly it as long as you want. I know a guy with a cherokee flying an o-320 with 4500 hours soh.
Edit: If you are going to be an owner and be involved in the maintenance (which you should be), buy this book asap https://www.amazon.com/Mike-Busch-Engines-maintenance-troubleshooting/dp/1718608950
Actually that article is the tldr of this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Long-Way-Home-Ed-Dover/dp/061521472X
The short version is: plane in Australia, WWII starts, Pacific Ocean dangerous because Japanese, crew takes plane West to New York with adventures on the way.
It’s really worth the read when you get time.
http://www.amazon.com/Killing-Zone-How-Why-Pilots/dp/007136269X
The same is true for pilots. I bet there's some underlying theme about inexperienced people make mistakes.
Cars (and engines) whose initials end with an "X" are owned by third parties. Those cars are frequently owned by shippers or leasing companies that operate as railcar pools that the railroads share. Cars owned by railroads are freely interchanged between railroads, but may be subject to demurrage, if they're delayed offline.
Railroads often share locomotives and keep track of horsepower hours. If one company owes another, they will often send engines specifically to be used as payback.
There is a great book out there, The Railroad: What It Is, What It Does, that does a great job of explaining this stuff.
http://www.amazon.com/Weather-Flying-Fifth-Robert-Buck/dp/0071799729/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1451753477&sr=8-1&keywords=weather+flying
I'm about halfway through it, and it answers a lot of your questions and does it in terms of aviation. Worth a read, IMO. A bit dry, but a lot of useful stuff. I don't have my IR yet, but I imagine I'll probably read it again once I'm done.
I saw the launch in person and couldn't believe it when I saw the stage separate, flip, and retrofire through binoculars. I'd assumed it'd be much further downrange!
We really are living in an age of science fiction turned reality.
I've done exactly one, but it exposed some issues with my plugs, so I'll be doing it more regularly (not every flight, probably, but periodically). Per Savvy:
> Also known as the "in-flight LOP mag check," the ignition stress test is the best way to evaluate the performance of your engine's ignition system. Every student pilot is taught to perform a mag check during the pre-flight engine run-up, but many pilots have never shut off a magneto in flight and are uncomfortable with the idea. That's a shame, because the in-flight ignition stress test is far more exacting and revealing of any ignition system problems than the usual run-up. The typical pre-flight mag check can detect only the grossest ignition system defects, while the in-flight stress test will reveal much more subtle ignition issues. ... [I]f your ignition system performance is marginal, it will show up during a lean (preferably LOP) in-flight test long before it becomes apparent in any other phase of operation. ... I recommend performing the ignition stress test on a regular basis - I do it on most every flight, generally at the end of the cruise phase just before starting my descent. It should always be performed any time any sort of engine anomaly is suspected.
https://www.savvyanalysis.com/articles/in-flight-diagnostics (Author: Mike Busch, A&P IA, airplane engine guru; this should be required reading IMHO)
My on-the-ground mag checks were fine, ~100 rpm drop on both mags, smooth, temp changes were normal. But the in-flight test revealed three of my eight spark plugs have drifted way out of spec (>5000K Ohms internal resistance), a problem that would have eventually grounded me on a run-up mag check - but I caught it well before it degraded to that point.
It absolutely will catch developing issues that aren't "visible" during the run-up check.
You're essentially asking the difference between a infinite wing and finite wing.
In order to study the flow around a section, i.e. 2D flow; it is customary for the model to completely
span the test section (Infinite wing), be it from wall to wall or ceiling to ceiling. Although this is most commonly applied to aerofoil sections, the same theory goes for other models such as cylinders. The reason being; that any three dimensional flow components are eliminated in the spanwise axis.
If you choose to model 3d flow, i.e. a finite wing, it has been recommended that the span of any model for three dimensional flow visualisation purposes does not exceed 80% of the wind tunnel section in order to negate any wall effects. This is IMPORTANT!! I'd probably recommend somewhere closer to 70% just to make sure.
Advantages of 3d over 2d are that you can see the effects of having a finite wing, which are most notably wing tip vortices. For certain applications this is unnecessary, and even counter productive, for example boundary layer studies.
If you have any more questions, I'd be happy to answer them. I completed a 105 page dissertation on flow visualisation last year, implementing surface oil, smoke injection, surface tufts and tuft grid methods with really exciting results.
If you are looking to do some wind tunnel studies, there are a lot of factors you need to take into consideration. I found this book extremely helpful:
Low-speed wind tunnel testing (Third edition) by J. Barlow et al (Book, 1999)
I'm a fan of Rod Machado's book. I feel like the FAA resources are a bit dry for a newbie:
https://www.amazon.com/Rod-Machados-Private-Pilot-Handbook/dp/0963122991/
This book is great:
Say Again, Please: Guide to Radio Communications https://www.amazon.com/dp/1619540894/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_vTCVCb0EBN1EV
Here.
Easily doable with a 7 year old, and if you can manage to not interfere too much you'll be surprised at how much he's actually capable of doing himself with just a little direction.
In reality it'll take about 4 weekends to build, but that's probably enough to begin with for a 7 y.o.
Also, why not make your own sails.
Absolutely! One of the pilots wrote a book on this trip. Well worth the read!
https://www.amazon.com/Long-Way-Home-Ed-Dover/dp/061521472X/ref=oosr
Mike Busch is the author of Manifesto, which is an easy read, but introduces the general aviation pilot to a whole new way of thinking about aircraft maintenance. Now he's come out with a 500-page ultimate guide to GA piston aircraft engines. I can't wait to read this and know everything a pilot should know about how to treat their engine and how to handle it when things go wrong.
https://www.amazon.com/Mike-Busch-Engines-maintenance-troubleshooting/dp/1718608950/
Where are you located? Location matters.
Recommend you read this book: https://www.amazon.com/Essentials-Living-Aboard-Revised-Updated/dp/0939837668
I think X-Plane is great. I have tons of fun flying in it. It is definitely a hardcore simulator and does not contain any game-like modes.
There is FSEconomy which can work with X-Plane to add an economy metagame but I have never tried it.
There is Smart Copilot which lets two people fly the same aircraft at once which is pretty cool for some of the really complex aircraft like the FlyJSim 737-200 in that video.
There is PilotEdge and Vatsim for online flying with real live person ATC and traffic.
Pretty sure it has built in multiplayer too but I have never tried it.
You want to go here to download all sorts of free addons and planes. If you have a fast computer you can get even higher resolution scenery here.
I love using xplane for learning about real world general aviation flying. A copy of The Private Pilot Handbook plus Skyvector can teach you a lot!
There are a couple of things that are annoying about xplane however.
Locomotives: The Modern Diesel and Electric Reference
This one has a good history on the progression of modern Diesel locomotives in North America.
The Railroad: What It Is, What It Does
Borrowed this one from a co-worker many years ago. Pretty sure it had quite a bit of engineering related details.
Go to your engineering library and get this book: http://www.amazon.com/Low-Speed-Tunnel-Testing-Jewel-Barlow/dp/0471557749
As a supplement, this website is good: http://www-htgl.stanford.edu/bradshaw/tunnel/
No substitute for hiking! Can't complain against cardio and strength training though, hitting the gym will sure enforce mental discipline which is a big helper. When you guys do get outside remember that its not a race and sometimes objectives can't be reached. Learn to judge the difference between being uncomfortable and setting yourself up for injury.
If you're at the gym killing time on a stationary bike or treadmill check out navigation and backpacking at least for starters.
You might see if you can get a copy of this book from the library: https://www.amazon.com/Railroad-What-Does-Introduction-Railroading/dp/0911382585/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=75DWX1ZKQKX2KE46GGSP
BNSF has a "Railroad 101" training course for employees in support departments that covers the basics of railroad operations and service concepts. This is the book they use for that course.
If you can find a copy, you might also read the book Hunter Harrison wrote about PSR while he was at CN. I don't agree with the model, but since it's the hot thing in railroading right now, it's good to have an idea of what proponents of PSR claim that it is. If you can't find the book, CP published a white paper that summarizes the basic concepts which is available online.
https://www.amazon.com/Building-Weekend-Skiff-Richard-Butz/dp/1888671106
It even has a sample schedule (4 days) for community building, and a list of materials you will have to prepare in advance. If you have more time, there's plenty of things the kids can do on the materials list.
I've built a metric fucktonne of the canoe with kids, some as young a 7, and I really don't think you have to worry about it not being interesting. The act of building a boat is enough, so keep it simple and go with plywood.
You'll probably learn more than they do.
If you're interested in books, I bought this[1] one. It's a pretty good starter. I also bought an older used copy of Chapman Piloting for general boat knowledge.
I personally haven't decided for or against doing it (the possibility is still a few years off), but at least it didn't scare me off entirely. I recently bought a house and the amount of maintenance makes me want to go as far as possible away from maintenance (e.g. getting a super solid tiny house, metal roof, etc) which is not a good point for a boat.
As far learning how to sail, there are "accredited" courses which include time on the water. You can also go outside that and probably get training cheaper. Look up local yacht clubs and see what they have (we have one even in landlocked Austin). I haven't gone farther than research yet so that's as much as I can say.
[1] https://www.amazon.com/Essentials-Living-Aboard-Revised-Updated/dp/0939837668/
I live in Florida, but quite a few people migrate yearly and stay in good weather. Right now I haven't moved much with the boat because I have a land based job and spent the last 2 years getting out of debt and am now putting funds into the boat itself(solar panels and things like that).
The boat does need upkeep, but it's pretty minor. Varnishing, bottom cleaning($50 every couple months) and the big expense is every couple years it's around 1k for a bottom paint job. It's paint that keeps sea growth off the boat. Eventually you do need bigger "house type" expenses, a new set of sails would set me back 3-4k(every 8-14 years maybe), I have a 1994 engine that I may need to replace 10 years from now(7k to do that). But those are easy to manage since you can usually plan well ahead for them.
In Florida my slip + electric costs around 520 a month. Other states can be cheaper than that. My slip fee includes free wifi but I have a 3G setup for internet as well($80 a month). That'd handle my internet while cruising as long as I stay coastal.
Satellite internet is way too expensive, so everyone uses long range wifi(like home wifi, only 5 miles of range) and 3G/4G.
You can find out more information here http://www.livingaboard.com/forum/
And this book is pretty good: http://www.amazon.com/The-Essentials-Living-Aboard-Boat/dp/0939837668/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334777701&sr=8-1
This one is very good and pretty cheap:
https://www.amazon.com/Railroad-What-Does-Introduction-Railroading/dp/0911382585
It's a good survey of all the tech. The AREMA guide is OK, but pretty narrow.
Beware Google. Lots of railfans and model railroad fans put a lot of incorrect info online.
I agree with the others but these are also a MUST in your collection! Don’t let the titles fool you, tons of good info in both. These are the first books you’ll buy if you study aeronautical engineering (source: I’m an aeronautical engineer)
Low-Speed Wind Tunnel Testing
Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators
Start with the classic, "Sailing Alone around the World", by Joshua Slocum. I would also recommend some other older accounts, such as Cruising under Sail, by Eric and Susan Hiscock.
Get to know Lin and Larry Pardey and their books.
For specific advice on boat systems, see Nigel Calder's books Nigel is a very clear and detailed writer.
Good books, with some notes:
Dierking's Building Outrigger Sailing Canoes Excellent reference for building any plywood boat, but you should be careful. This book will seduce you. Gary's an expert on making a single outrigger boat that works, is pretty, and is fast and easy to build. You'll buy the book to read and end up the next weekend heading off to Lowes to buy plywook, and ordering an epoxy kit from Raka. These boats are faster and more capable than anything but quite a big monohull, are simple to build, you can sail them yourself, on most of them you can take someone out with you, it's hard to see why anyone would build a ever build 15' dinghy instead of an Ulua or a Wa'apa, honestly, unless there was a racing class they wanted to get into. Highly recommended.
Payson's Go Build Your Own Boat Very good, very readable, some stuff that I still wonder about. Edge nailing into 1/4" ply, for example. How was that supposed to work? But the basic ideas of get it done fast and go sailing still apply.
Stambaugh's Good Skiffs Good, readable, interesting introduction to traditional heavy skiff construction as well as stitch and glue. The traditional methods are usually ignored, but if I were going to build a skiff I wanted to keep in the water I might pick that. The heavy skiffs sail really well, are enormously strong, are self-righting, they have a lot of advantages.
Andrew C. Marshall's Composite Basics Good intro to composite work. Technical but readable. Good reference.
Gougeon Bro's On Boat Construction Classic, necessary. Very good coverage of all kinds of stuff, really good.
Russell Brown's Epoxy Basics: Working with Epoxy Cleanly & Efficiently Expert level epoxy tricks. This is the stuff that will amaze people at the next messabout. Read the Gougeon Bro.'s book first, then read this.
Michalak's Boatbuilding for Beginners and Beyond Good. Kind of basic stuff, but if you need a book on figuring out centers of effort and basic rudders and boards and stuff it's fine. The boats are plain and kind of simplistic, but they sail fine. For the most part they don't go to windward in any kind of impressive way, but really who wants to be bashing to windward all the time anyway? They're not racing boats, and for dinking around they're great. Don't build his proa; no one ever has, and there's probably a reason for that. The rest of the boats range from fine to quite good (the Laguna is probably the best of his designs).
Bolger's Boats With An Open Mind Classic, great. A must-read. Even if you never build one you'll learn a huge amount from this.
Other Bolger books: 30-Odd Boats, Folding Schooner: And Other Adventures in Boat Design. Anything he wrote is worth reading. I mean, not the novel, but any of his boat books.
Parker's The Sharpie Book Very good intro to sharpies of all sizes.
Little known classics:
A 30', $6,000 Cruising Catamaran : Built, Sailed and Written About Hardcover – 1987 by Roy F. Chandler
I mean, don't pay $48 for it, but if you see a copy in a used bookstore it's worth a few bucks. Some of his 'tricks' for saving money don't translate very well ("My friend gave me this huge bucket of stainless hardware", hey, good idea! I'll try that), but it's a good general outline of turning a worn out racing cat into a small cruising cat on not much money.
Finally, for a lost classic: Chapman 's The Plywood Boatbuilder Vol 41 Excellent and readable look back at what early plywood designs and construction looked like forty years ago. I wouldn't build any of these, there are better designs around now, but it's fascinating to see how the thing developed. Designs for prams and dinghys, sailboats, outboard, runabouts, 47 designs, sailboats from 13 ft to 24 ft.
But really, a great and cheap way to read a lot about boatbuilding is to get hold of old copies of Wooden Boat or some of the other boating publications. You can often pick up a stack cheap or free. In depth articles, lots of pictures, I learned a lot from stacks of ten year old mags people gave me. In fact, I have a big stack of Wooden Boat and some other stuff I need to get rid of right now. Anyone want them? Free to good home, paypal me back the shipping when you get them. Send me a PM if you're interested.
The Jet Engine published by Rolls Royce who have some experience in the field;) - used to be (maybe still is) the de facto reading primer prior to embarking on licence courses in the UK.
Older versions are somewhat cheaper and still very relevant if you're after an intro level publication. This is the one I had as it happens.
To get an idea of what is possible, look at the WINGS program
https://faasafety.gov/WINGS/pub/learn_more.aspx
You could make a pretty interesting 8-10 hour course based on
https://smile.amazon.com/Killing-Zone-How-Why-Pilots/dp/007136269X/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=The+killing+zone&qid=1562503633&s=gateway&sr=8-6
supplemented with selected NTSB accident reports.
I'm really glad you brought this up because I'm about to pick up my IO-360 with a fresh major overhaul, and I've been researching it. Lycoming says "Continue break-in operation for 50 hours or until oil consumption stabilizes." Millenium/Superior says about the same thing, but leaves out the 50 hours and just says "till the rings have seated, oil consumption stabilizes, and cylinder head temperatures drop" This is a sign that the cylinders are broken in". At 100 hours with negligible oil consumption, you are there for sure. So, nice job!
Have you read Mike Busch's book Mike Busch on Engines? If not, you should. Really interesting and informative. Do you have a digital engine monitor installed?
One great book to learn about jet engines specifically, which I find incredibly interesting, is "The Jet Engine", which is written by the engineers at Rolls-Royce. It's also pretty easy to understand and isn't too expensive, especially if you get an older edition.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1119065992/
> Any suggestions or ideas (or better yet plans or tutorials) would be greatly appreciated.
I’d actually recommend “history of aerodynamic” also by John D. Anderson if you are reading for inspiration. It’s a fun read as he methodically step you step by step how aerodynamics as a science came to be. This is the same author that everyone is recommending, fundamentals of aerodynamics. I think history is better since it’s more of a story and have some maths in there to give you a taste without the undergrad level of calculus and differential equations that looks daunting and would be completely unfamiliar to you without the mathematical foundation you need.
Added link for ref: https://www.amazon.com/History-Aerodynamics-Machines-Cambridge-Aerospace/dp/0521669553
The Jet Engine is a book by Rolls Royce
It’s been recommended to me by fellow aerospace guys. I just never bought it because it’s ~$60.
The Jet Engine https://www.amazon.com/dp/1119065992/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_yoQPCbGK1DBRM
I'm reading this book now: Expert with Map and Compass and then will be look at this one: Wilderness Navigation
edit: readability
Not an experienced pilot, but for someone like you I'd recommend The Killing Zone if you haven't already read it.
"Say Again, Please" by Bob Gardner is the one I was speaking about.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1619540894
Not familiar with the other one, but it's probably good too. Just make sure you're practicing out-loud, instead of only reading in your head.
It's a little beyond my expertise to measure the danger level in a particular plan, what I could say is that the launch was a much, much riskier time for the shuttle than landing, with one notable exception in 2003. But Columbia's disintegration on re-entry stemmed from damage it sustained on liftoff. The design of the shuttle, particularly of the various forms of thermal protection systems (TPS: tiles, blankets, reinforced carbon-carbon) made re-entry from low-earth orbit based speeds as safe as it could, but the pressure generated from compressing the air in front of the body of the shuttle so rapidly meant there was little to no margin for error in the TPS on re-entry -- any hole, tear, imperfection could magnify danger to the point where the shuttle could be (and in that one instance, was) destroyed.
The wings actually have no purpose during launch, though, and the shuttle comes back with very little fuel (by design, they used all the SSME fuel at launch, and nearly all the OMS fuel on-orbit and for de-orbit). A smaller version of the shuttle could have flown without those big delta wings (and will, check out Sierra Nevada's DreamChaser spacecraft). The big wings were dictated by an Air Force requirement: 1,000 mile cross range capability. By design, the shuttle could launch south out of Vandenberg Air Force Base in California into a polar orbit, deploy a sensitive payload in space over Russia, then return and land in California, all in one orbit. The only problem is that the earth is spinning underneath the shuttle while it's doing that; one orbit later, California has moved a significant distance to the east!
So the 1,000 mile cross range meant that the shuttle could make its re-entry and steer/glide itself all the way back to California, counteracting the distance imparted by the rotation of earth itself. In reality, the shuttles never flew polar orbits from California, and the wings were really only used during the shuttle big S-turns to bleed off speed on approach, if I remember correctly.
But what you're mentioning above about the axis of entry; the shuttle was designed to re-enter from LEO speeds, and could not have survived a deep-space (or even far earth orbit / lunar orbit) re-entry, as the thermal systems would not have been up to the task of handling the additional heat generated by re-entry.
If you have some loose change in your pocket and want to learn a LOT more about the design, construction and operation of the Space Shuttle system, check out this book Probably the thickest, most dense scientific/engineering overview of the whole process from beginning to operation.
NASA's own "Wings In Orbit" is also an amazing book (I'm lucky enough to have a hardcover version of it) that's available for free online as a series of downloadable PDFs. While it's not quite as in-depth as the Jenkins book, it'll definitely give you a great picture of the Shuttle and how it works.
And finally, and slightly more tongue in cheek, the Hayes repair manual people licensed their automotive repair book style for this Space Shuttle Owners Manual which is another phenomenal book on the Shuttle.
Have you read the Haynes Space Shuttle Manual?. Its amazing what the initial plan for the shuttle was, two reusable craft strapped to each other one going into orbit and the other being a booster stage. Cost was a major limiting factor. They had a choice between a cheap design and expensive launches or an expensive design and cheap launches, unfortunately we ended up with expensive design and launches.
You would enjoy and learn a lot from this book https://www.amazon.com/Rocket-Company-Library-Flight/dp/1563476967
I have enjoyed these:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0756689694/
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0071350993/
Edit 1 to add: Also, for entertaining reading, Joshua Slocum's book and Voyage for Madmen
I used this one. I took the SIFT towards the end of last month and got a 63. Few discrepancies in the book, but appreciated how thorough it was. If I had spent more time studying this book I would have been more than adequately prepared if that makes any sense.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1628454318/ref=sspa_mw_detail_0?ie=UTF8&psc=1
My favorite weather book is Weather Flying by the Buck's: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0071799729/
Paid site, but I've been a fan of Scott's stuff since he setup shop: https://avwxworkshops.com (If I recollect, you can get a free trial by getting the WeatherSpork app, signing up for a trial within it (not on the website), and then using those credentials on the AxWx site. Could be wrong, its been a while.)
Buy this and read it cover to cover.
Now, if only we could have a situation like The Rocket Company where around the same number of billionaires pool resources and build cheap access to space.
For what it is worth, I had done a good chunk of my PPL work back in 1993/94 and had a very long gap when I started up again in 2014. The first couple hours in the plane/radio were comical, but it only took about four hours before they cut me loose to solo xc again. Once you have your license, you don't lose it - but you do need to do an every other year review with an instructor (or add a rating) so he is due for his biannual review.
They did switch to a plastic license, so have him spend the $2 and fill out the form to get the updated version. The paper license is no longer valid. (do this sooner rather than later)
The medical could be easy, or could be a blocker. If he is taking meds for blood pressure or an array of other FAA issue items, that may prevent him from flying without spending a bunch of money on testing.
Were I him trying to do it cheap...
... and then schedule time with an instructor to actually fly. Things get expensive when people try to learn/remember these sorts of things while burning 100LL.
One of the biggest changes are the hand held gadgets available to him. An ipad mini/gps with foreflight provides an amazing amount of information for planning and executing a flight. (Another great gift idea) There are some android options too, but one of the best is only available on IOS.
Here's a good place to start online.
https://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/technology/sts-newsref/stsref-toc.html
Here's a documentary NASA made toward the end of the program.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvaG0xDdP8g
Here are a couple of books that might help as well.
https://www.amazon.com/NASA-Space-Shuttle-Manual-Construction/dp/1844258661/
https://www.amazon.com/Space-Shuttle-Operators-Manual-Revised/dp/0345341813/
I'd say just build it, but The Illustrated Guide to Aerodynamics is awesome if you want to do a fixed wing design. It's a staple textbook for an intro to...aerodynamics
Illustrated Guide to Aerodynamics https://www.amazon.com/dp/0830639012/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_igPGDbBT34ZK8
The Long Way Home was pretty good.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Long-Way-Home-Dover/dp/061521472X
Rolls Royce's The Jet Engine. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jet-Engine-Rolls-Royce/dp/1119065992 Always fascinated me when I was younger, great diagrams and explanations.
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.
When I was a student pilot I was also very intimidated by flight following, and talking with ATC in general. Since I intended to fly a lot, I figured I should suck it up and work through my fear of sounding stupid on the radio.
Firstly, I found that reading Say Again, Please gave me a good understanding of what radio calls to make and what to expect to hear in a wide variety of scenarios. Being able to anticipate what controllers are likely to say makes it significantly easier to understand it when they do say it. That said, it's worth keeping in mind that different controllers and different areas have different conventions, so you may hear different things as you fly in different areas.
Secondly, I found that practice helps a lot. I started getting flight following on every single flight out of the pattern, and made some longer cross countries.
Thirdly, I found that a better headset made it much easier to understand some instructions from ATC. When flying on a multi-day cross country with a more experienced friend of mine, I found that I wasn't catching frequencies that ATC was giving me, while he was hearing them easily. I initially figured this was due to him having a better idea what to listen for, but when we swapped headsets for a leg (his Bose A20 for my Faro Stealth ANR), suddenly I was able to catch frequencies while he struggled. I bought a Lightspeed Zulu 3 as soon as we were back from the trip, and I've been happy ever since.
A great book that includes sets of plans, 'Boatbuilding for Beginners (and beyond)' by Jim Michalak.
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.
Get the ASA Oral exam guide for Private Pilot. They will over prepare you if you know it cover to cover. Congrats on passing the written, it's a good feeling getting those over with.
http://www.amazon.com/Private-Oral-Exam-Guide-comprehensive/dp/1560279494/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1458476616&sr=8-1&keywords=asa+oral+exam+guide+private
I see you have the Student flair but I'm not sure how many hours you have under your belt. Is it safe to assume you have some flying hours? I still haven't attained my PPL but I'm at the end (practising for my check-flight test). You remind me of myself at the beginning of my PPL - I wanted to read as many books as I can.
I saw a similar post like yours long time ago on what books to read - top comment was a CFI who strongly recommended the OP to read over & over your aircraft's operator handbook. I'm passing that same advice to you - I just went for my first IFR flight with my CFI from one airport to another. From take-off to the approach, we constantly had zero visibility. It truly made me appreciate the fact that I spent a lot of time reading and understanding all the instruments & switches of the aircraft. Just being comfortable knowing where the "Pitot Heat" switch was without having to scan for it made flying IFR easier. And when in emergency?? You will be glad you have the procedures memorized.
In addition, I found this book "The Killing Zone" to be very informative. I heard the statistics are questionable but if you put the numbers to the side, you will learn a lot of small & valuable tips that can make every flight of yours safer.
Start simple. There's a sailing version in the book.
Don't get too bogged down trying to choose a plan. There are literally thousands, they all claim to be the best/ easiest/ cheapest etc. and it's quite possible to spend the rest of your life looking at plans and daydreaming.
Just jump in and do it.
I'm a boatbuilder AMA, if you want.
Have you ever read The Rocket Company? The DH-1 rocket looks like it could have inspired much of SpaceX's work.
The article says California Clipper, but it was the Pacific Clipper. You can read about it in Ed Dover's book, Long Way Home. It was temporarily named the California Clipper while the original California Clipper was being moved.
Could be worse; you could read what I read. I'm a bit of a nerd, so I read things like the Illustrated Guide to Aerodynamics. I would argue that any reading is better than no reading, though. So since you recently graduated and I see that you seem to post to /r/teachers, is it safe to assume you'll be getting much busier in the fall?
The weather section of this book pretty much covered it. Aside from that, I don't remember any serious "gotch-ya's".
I bought a SIFT study guide off Amazon when I was looking at flight school. I switched career paths but couldnt return it on Amazon because I took too long. PM me your info and I can save you like $30. I think it has practice tests if you want.
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it was this book:
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https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1628454318/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
This book
is absolutely perfect for what you described. Used it recently in an aerodynamics course and it's not too technical.
Hey friend. Pilot/Sailor here. There are parallels between aviation and sailing..absolutely, but my advice would be to approach sailing with the same independence with which you approached flying, initially.
There is an ENORMOUS body of information for potential "cruisers" available on line, luckily. I recommend that you hit the forums on Sailnet.com, for starters.
Boat-length isn't really the driving force behind your decision, so much as stability and ease of handling. Ease into the information you read through, and disseminate thusly which sort of cruiser you aspire to be. There are TONS of options.
Bluewaterboats.org
& this (basically a rod machado's take on sailing.)
I would recommend this book Boatbuilding for Beginners (and Beyond): Everything You Need to Know to Build a Sailboat, a Rowboat, a Motorboat, a Canoe, and More! by Jim Michalak http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1891369296/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I am just starting to build a Piccup Pram and bought the plans from this designer. I would also recommend you use designs of something that has already been built as the behavior of the boat has been vetted for placement of the mast/sail/rudder etc.
Also you are likely underestimating the expense of the materials. You have to use marine grade plywood as only that plywood glue will be water proof. A 1/4" thick 4'x8' sheet is $50 each and for a small sail/row dinghy it takes 5 sheets. The sail is $600 if you want to buy it from http://www.duckworksbbs.com/ or around $250 in materials if you want to sew your own sail. I expect I will have $1400 in material cost to complete the build but am doing it more for the experience and having a boat just the way I want it.
But by all means draw pictures and daydream. There are lots of fun times doing that. But when you get down to building it you may want to consider the cost and going with a known design that you can customize in your own personal ways.
Here is a complete youtube video of a gentleman (Martin Houston) building a Jim Michalak AF3 plywood boat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76nlJR-RSUM
I saw a lot of Jim Michalak boats in the Texas 200 which I did for the first time last year in my Catalina 22. http://www.texas200.com/
Buy this book immediately: http://www.amazon.com/Pilots-Handbook-Aeronautical-Knowledge-FAA-H-8083-25A/dp/1619540207/ref=pd_sim_b_7. It pretty much has everything you want to know about all aspects of flight. Great continuous, repeated read.
After you're flying for a bit, right around when you're at solo status (either pre or post XC), you'll want to get this book: http://www.amazon.com/Visualized-Flight-Maneuvers-Handbook-Handbooks/dp/1560275219/ref=pd_sim_b_48. For your PPL license you'll need to demonstrate a number of maneuvers with proficency, and this is a great reference for all of them.
When you're studying for your PPL written, grab this book:http://www.amazon.com/Private-Pilot-Test-Prep-2014/dp/1560279788/ref=pd_sim_b_23. Helped me a ton.
When you're getting ready for your checkride, get this book: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1560279494/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1.
Also, get an iPad and Foreflight. While you'll hear a ton from pilots about getting started too early with electronics during your training, the main thing to steer clear of is using it for in-flight navigation and relying on it for GPS. You have to learn dead reckoning, pilotage and old(er) school navigation like VORs. It's great for flight planning and the digital charts are incredible but I still plan out my flights using a paper flight plan. Also, it has a documents section that's just fantastic for downloading good FAA reads like the FAR/AIM, your aircraft's POH and a ton of other downloadable documents.
Love to hear some other suggestions.
The first boat I built in high school was the weekend skiff . A simple boat which turned out nice and the directions were easy to follow.
I also built some simple open, single person, kayaks with a group of kids for a summer camp that was from two sheets of plywood. I don't have the plans anymore but those were really simple and the basic boat could be made in a week course with teenagers.
I'd also recommend Skip Smith's Illustrated Guide to Aerodynamics.
Easy to read, understand, and won't put you to sleep like Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators.
Don't forget a few commercial manuals as well.
http://helicopterforum.verticalreference.com/topic/20154-just-took-the-sift/
https://www.amazon.com/SIFT-Study-Guide-Questions-Instrument/dp/1628454318/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1539567546&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=sift+study+guide&dpPl=1&dpID=51-iB8lVLJL&ref=plSrch
Not paper airplanes, but metal wing models. The wing models are now owned by the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. Some are currently on display at the Smithsonian in DC.
Two FANTASTIC books that touch on this are:
Peter Jakab's Visions of a Flying Machine and
John Anderson's History of Aerodynamics
An interesting fact: Dayton was plumbed with natural gas for the street lamps. The Wrights designed and built a natural gas engine to run off this to drive the machinery in the bicycle shop; it was this engine that provided the power for the wind tunnel.
All but the absolute cheapest compasses have declination adjustment. A $9 Silva or Suunto has the adjustment and to suggest that someone needs to spend Brunton money to get an accurate compass is ridiculous (and I HAVE a Brunton). Fake edit: I just remembered that Brunton makes normal compasses and not just transits and geology tools, not all their products are $300+ although they’re REALLY nice!
My Brunton transit is the only compass I have with E/W flipped because it’s a direct read compass. None of my others, including my Suunto MC-2G read that way. The majority of compasses that anyone will ever have will read normally, there’s no need to complicate this.
Here is more compass than most people will ever need and includes the clinometer functionality of the higher-end Brunton compasses. Less than $40.
Spend half that on a cheaper compass and buy a book like this and/or this one (I have no preference, I own both) and spend some time with them.
Also, if you print your own maps it doesn’t hurt to invest in waterproofing, it also makes them last longer!
If you REALLY want to hone your nav skills, find a local orienteering club! It’s a lot of fun, and once you’re past the initial investment (a compass) there’s not really any other cost other than time.
Source: Have been wandering around in the woods for 30-odd years and have spent much time teaching other people to not get lost in the woods.
Low Speed Wind Tunnel Testing
Aerodynamics is a math heavy subject. You're not going to escape it.
There are books geared toward the pilot/hobbyist audience you might find interesting as well like Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators.
This is the book I used while getting my pilots license:
https://www.amazon.com/Rod-Machados-Private-Pilot-Handbook/dp/0963122991
There's a couple chapters all about charts and VFR navigation. I highly recommend it
Don't feel down, just train and do it again!
There are a couple of resources that I found especially useful for the PPL oral: Rod Machado's book and the ASA Oral. You should have these cheat sheets memorized.
Though I did my PPL Part 61, I went to a Part 141 school that did three stage checks you had to pass (with an oral for each) so you could track your progress. If you can, I would have a CFI who routinely does stage checks for a Part 141 school do a mock oral with you before you go in front of the DPE again.
This was a great resource for my wife and I (boston, 42' trawler): https://www.amazon.com/Essentials-Living-Aboard-Boat/dp/0939837668.
Annoyingly, that link doesn't work for me because I'm currently in the Bahamas. Assuming that link points to Weather Flying by the Bucks (https://www.amazon.com/Weather-Flying-Fifth-Robert-Buck/dp/0071799729) then yes! Incidentally, the Bucks have had fascinating flying careers. If you yearn for the glory days of general aviation and/or like the history of aviation their other books make for fun reading.
The acceptance rate for street to seat is 90-100% currently. Those who are already enlisted are having a harder time getting selected. I went through WOCS with two nineteen year olds. Your odds are excellent right now so give it a shot!
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Here is what I provided to a friend currently applying. These resources helped me tremendously. Note I was no stellar candidate. I had a very average SIFT score. I did have to do a board which you no longer have to do (that's a huge plus). Check it out.
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EDIT: The civilian rates are much lower than when I was applying a year and a half a go (around 30%).
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Here are a few things to make things easier while you are putting together your packet. Some things to focus on are:
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Watch these:
Starting Strong -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jDe-oU_QW4&t=104sWOFT Application Process -
Part 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtV_U_weBk8Part 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTAkJpnEttk
SIFT Overiew/Tips -
Part 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmFHSqsTDvsPart 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkR2ZbGlvaIVertical Reference Forum:http://helicopterforum.verticalreference.com/forum/32-general-military-helicopter-discussions/**SIFT Study Material:**SIFT Study Guide (amazon) -https://www.amazon.com/SIFT-Study-Guide-Questions-Instrument/dp/1628454318/ref=pd_sbs_14_1/132-0035256-5917327?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1628454318&pd_rd_r=f5448d08-91fb-11e9-861b-61bc490b1f71&pd_rd_w=ZQNTs&pd_rd_wg=046qd&pf_rd_p=588939de-d3f8-42f1-a3d8-d556eae5797d&pf_rd_r=2ZFPP2TZGFGACXV9SYGP&psc=1&refRID=2ZFPP2TZGFGACXV9SYGP**I bought a different one and it was not accurate. This one seems to be a good choice, but feel free to look through or purchase others.FAA Helicopter Handbook -https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/helicopter_flying_handbook/Army Fundamentals of Flight - https://fas.org/irp/doddir/army/fm3-04-203.pdfPractice Tests** - http://www.nelnetsolutions.com/dod/DODHubPage.aspx?sponsor=12894&HubPage=15149**I made several accounts so I could take the test several times. I just used different email addresses each time**Math Resource (Khan Academy)** - https://www.khanacademy.org/math/algebra**Focus on Algebra 1