Aircraft Systems for Pilots

This book is a single source, concise presentation of what pilots should know about basic aircraft systems. The content reflects the author’s more than thirty-five years experience of flying and fourteen years of teaching Aircraft Systems to university students. Aircraft Systems for Pilots includes a brief study of the fundamentals of physical matter (from which airplanes are made) and mechanics (how airplane parts act and react). The author provides sufficient study of each type of system to allow the professional pilot to stay abreast of the critical learning which must occur as the pilot advances into management of more complex aircraft. Subject covered include physics, aircraft engine types and construction, reciprocating engine theory of operation, engine lubrication and cooling, propellers and governors, fuels and fuel systems, power management, supercharging and turbocharging, pressurization and high altitude operations, electrical principles, electrical components, aircraft electrical systems, hydraulic systems and landing gear, pneumatic and deicing systems, aircraft structures and flight controls, weight and balance, inspections, pilot maintenance, and aircraft instrument systems. Illustrated throughout, study questions conclude each chapter and includes index. In print for more than 30 years and continually updated through the years, this 4th Edition continues to serve as the comprehensive college textbook for pilots learning aircraft systems.