Flying the Airbus A380

by Gib Vogel

Since its first flight on 27 April 2005, the Airbus A380 has been the largest passenger airliner in the world. Instantly recognizable with its full-length upper deck, it represents the pinnacle of modern airliner design. Flying the A380 gives a pilot's eye view of what it is like to fly this mighty machine. It takes the reader on a trip from London to Dubai as the flight crew see it, from pre-flight planning, through all the phases of the flight to shut-down at the parking stand many thousands of miles from the departure point.

Genres: Aviation

263 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Jill Meyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Several other reviewers of Gib Vogel’s book, “Flying the Airbus A380”, didn’t like it because it was too complicated. Well, yes, they were right; the book is complicated because flying an A380 is complicated. In fact, probably the only people who would understand the book, already know how to fly the plane! What about the rest of us?

There are a small group of readers who are frustrated pilots. Like most people, they’ve never flown a plane or done anything more than peek their heads in a cockpit while departing the plane after arrival. But I’m one of them and I love to read about all types of air travel. We know who we are; we’re the ones who stare blissfully out the window as we’re flying, trying to recognize any landscape below. For them - us - Gib Vogel and his pictures of cockpit controls and computer screens, gives a modicum of knowledge about what our pilots are doing, as they escort us miles above the ground.

Vogel is highlighting the Airbus A380, currently the world’s largest airplane. It’s maximum seating accommodates 800 “souls”, but most carry around 500, split between three cabin classes. Supposedly the market for this behemoth was not what Airbus thought it would be and they are stopping production in 2022. I don’t know how true this is, but if you’re an airplane-junkie, it might not be wise to postpone your flight on the A380 for a few years.

Gib Vogel’s short book might best be read after looking at You Tube videos of the A380. There are many of them and some of the best are the Lufthansa crews, led by retired pilot Jugen Raps, who was the senior pilot of Lufthansa’s A380 fleet. There are also good ones by BA. But since none of the American airlines fly the A380, there aren’t any featuring AA, UA, or DL. If you view some videos, you’ll probably have an understanding about the plane Vogel is writing about. Then, when you’re finally on board your flight, you’ll be able to vicariously accompany your pilots!

[Chan Tak]

This book is about the feeling of flying the super jumbo jet A380. The A380 is currently the biggest jet in passengers carrier. Everyone thought the biggest plane must be the A380. But it’s not.

[Al · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read for aviation enthusiasts, a bit technical at times but would recommend

[Laurence Scotford · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this as a sort of primer before flying an A380 simulator and I can thoroughly recommend it for that purpose. It describes every stage of a single flight from Heathrow to Dubai from the pre-flight prep right through take-off, cruise, descent and landing to the post-flight paperwork.

The author goes into sufficient detail to give the reader a good sense of what it's like to fly such a sophisticated aircraft but doesn't try to turn it into a replacement for the A380 technical manual.

This makes it a great read for the interested lay person. I'd also recommend it if you are planning to fly on the A380 as a passenger and have an interest in aviation technology - the descriptions of the multiple fallbacks for key systems will certainly reassure you and knowing what's going on in the cockpit may make your flight more interesting.

[Amitabh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was the Project Manager for one of subsystems of the A380. always was curious about the other subsystems. This book gives a good overview.

[Scott Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting Enough

Informative on how a pilot flies the large plan, but it was far too technical for the average person. Still enjoyed it though

[Sean Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly fascinating. I'll enjoy my next flight more for knowing what's going on up front.