He’s interested in aviation and is just getting into MSFS.
Like most of us at some point, we’ve had to learn, literally, how to fly in sims. Often we look back after many years of reading websites or books that have some breakthrough perspective or piece of advice and say,
“Wow, of course. Wish someone had told me this back then!”
I think he’d benefit from a good flying book, not needlessly technical, but with a good explanation of how and why things work in an airplane.
The FAA stuff is excellent in terms of technical content and diagrams. The writing is ■■■■. I am convinced they were written by AI. Stick and Rudder is a great classic. Maybe so old that it could be a turnoff depending on your friend’s tastes. Pilots are such left-brain people that they seem unable to write technically while maintaining the supreme beauty that is the greatest gift of flight. It’s a concoction of physics and magic. The subject needs the treatment of a true writer like @BeachAV8R or @Troll. I know of nothing modern in English that I could recommend.
Ha, yep. That was actually the first book I sent him. I love the writing.
There are so many concepts in flying that seem to be taught so poorly that you don’t really understand them until some good instructor or old salt explains them to you, sometimes years later.
I should probably leave this question answered by the professionals, but here goes anyway. @smokinhole beat me to it, but I also recommend Stick and Rudder.
More of a reference book, but with easy to understand explanations and a lot of images, Everything Explained is pretty good. I’ve misplaced my copy, but will probably pick it up again.
I have copy at home. I thought it might be too soon for this one as well. Both this an Aero for Nasal Radiators are excellent books, but I think they might blow his mind.
Stick and rudder is probably about the speed I was thinking. Sort of like important things, practically explained.
You’d actually think there would be more out there, But writing is an art I guess.
And all I got is a crayon.
Seriously, thanks again for all these great suggestions! He will probably read all these once the bug bites him.
I bought this for my son a fair few years ago. It was really appreciated as it kept his monitor at the right height while he played Left 4 Dead.
It was quite specific about FSX (I think, it’s been a while) rather than the new one, so I’m unsure if it aged. I remember it having a lot of general aviation instruction in it though. I could grab it and take a look?
This is a site with quite a few ‘classics’ regarding flightsim books.
They are all available to read on the website.
Some are great, others are less useful and several have a narrow scope or software title they cover. Still worth browsing for someone new:
Probably the best and most comprehensive science text ever written by man. Covering all scientific principles from foundational to experimental. Directly addresses the science of flight:
Reading this, I really need to get a copy of Stick and Rudder…I’ve seen previous recommendations for it but I think it wasn’t on Kindle and I didn’t end up ordering a hard copy.