Chapter by chapter the reader is taken gently from the basics of the big jets to the sophistication of the 'glass cockpit' in preparation for the pilot's seat on a Boeing 777 flight from London to Boston. Examine the weather forecast with the pilots, monitor the take-off from the flight deck, listen to the radio reports along the way, view the mid-Atlantic weather from above the clouds, witness the preparations for descent and experience the excitement of landing in Boston. Flying the Big Jets is a comprehensive book that reveals as never before the every-day working environment of the modern long-haul airline pilot.
In my opinion, a must read for any aviation enthusiasts, particularly those interested in the operation of widebody jet aircraft. The latter third of this book documents, in great detail, the flight of a British Airways 777 from London to Boston. The unexpected bonus is the first 10 chapters ranging from the Principles of Flight through to ATC and flight crew responsibilities. These are well-written explanations in clear and concise terms that anyone can understand. I cannot recall any other books on the topic of aviation that encapsulates so much valuable information in 300 pages!
Some of the stuff in the center of the book were a bit tedious to read. I would have liked to read some engineering descriptions of the aircraft. Informative to read about this big, magnificent bird.
As a little commercial aviation nerd, I love this book. This is one of many texts recommended by Mentor Pilot on YouTube and I can see why. It's very informative and easy to read. It explains very complex ideas in a way I can understand without being a student or pilot.
More than a half of the book describes how some technologies work and theoretical information. That is certainly important, but not how I'd expected for a book for general public. This book describes only the pilot's view, almost not including dispatcher's and airport's work, security, etc.