✈️ Exploring the Skies: Glider Flying Handbook FAA-H-8083-13 Review

This handbook is a fantastic resource for those interested in gliding. The illustrations are clear and easy to understand, and the information is well-organized. The material covers everything from aerodynamics to navigation, and the explanations are very thorough. While this book is not required reading for glider pilots, it is definitely a valuable resource for both beginners and experienced pilots.

I have been a licensed pilot for over 40 years and received my first rating (private pilot, glider) when I was a teenager. However, I haven't flown gliders for a long time and bought this book to refresh my knowledge. It is very extensive and well written. This is clearly a "pilot book" written with a detailed technical slant that may be too difficult to read for the novice or casual reader. Otherwise, it is highly recommended for those who are serious about mastering this wonderful sport.

The book begins with a discussion of ADM, or aviation decision making, and continues with a systematic arrangement of elements a glider pilot needs to know. With. Both the introduction and the explanations focus on the information that the pilot should use to make decisions that lead to safe flight. I have read more technically rigorous explanations of subjects discussed elsewhere, but I have rarely seen them compiled in a format that allows the pilot to understand and then apply them…