Now in it's eighth edition, this is the time-honored, British training manual by the Derek Piggott. I have categorized this as an intermediate training publication because it is such a thorough handbook of all but the most advanced soaring subjects, and it is not likely to be among the first or second to be read by American soaring students. Although, Gliding could be used as a beginning text, it's probably over kill for that purpose and is written in a style that emphasizes brevity. In my opinion, these factors make Gliding an excellent review and "what next?," text for new solo pilots. When your life is at risk, one reading of instructional material is not enough. You need to burn the things you read into your memory by repetition. It's a good idea to use the winter months to review what you think you already know. You will be surprised how much you have forgotten. It's better to find out that way than in flight. One good way to make reviewing more palatable is by reading different authors. Reading different authors keeps the material interesting and always reveals additional, and sometimes important, information overlooked by other authors. The table of contents for this book is:
FURTHER TRAINING AND SOARING EXPLORING THE SKIES APPENDICES American pilots should be aware that Derek writes to a British audience and there are some deviations between British and American terminology, regulations and conventions such as launch signals. However, this should not deter you from using this excellent book and, in my opinion, makes it even more interesting to American readers.
|