How Airliners Fly

by Julien Evans

Your seat back is in its full upright position and your hand luggage is stowed neatly under the seat. But as the engines roar and propel the aircraft down the runway, you can't help how is a 200,000-pound metal tube possibly going to get airborne? Are those rumbles you hear and bumps you feel normal? For those who want to know more about how an airliner flies, airline Captain Julien Evans, an experienced Boeing 757 pilot who has comforted many a nervous passenger, answers these questions and more. He describes in simple language the makeup of a modern plane, its engines, controls and operational systems. Evans also explains the physical forces at work as a plane takes flight and the methods by which a pilot controls it while aloft and at the critical moments of take-off and landing. How Airliners Fly takes the mystery out of airline travel, satisfying the curious and calming the uncomfortable.

128 pages, Paperback

First published October 11, 2002

Reviews

[Dan Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

It felt like a good overview of commercial flight and introduced me to some commercial flight lingo. It didn't go into the details of fuel calculation or aerodynamics or anything that technical, but the author gave a good general overview of what factors have to be considered and why. In my opinion, the 'Introduction' section matched the level of detail given in the book.

In my opinion, the most informative/interesting chapters were 'How Does It Fly?', 'How Do We Fly It?', 'Performance', and 'When It Goes Wrong'. I read the book from cover to cover.

I would say it is a worthy read if one is looking for the 'big picture' or 'general knowledge' on commercial flying and plane operation. I wouldn't recommend this book if one seeks details on financing, technical parts, and/or business matters.