Pilots looking to advance their careers inevitably face the prospect of having to perform for airline interview panels and simulator check rides. For some of us this can be a daunting experience as we feel ill equipped because of lack of exposure to big jet techniques. Remember the old adage -the bigger they are, the easier they are to fly.
So the essence of this book is about relationships, and aerodynamics. For the uninitiated, the differences between piston engine or turbo-props and jet transports are most pronounced during take-off, landing and encountering severe weather. Davies covers these phases of flight in depth and as such forms an essential part of this book. Handling the big jets is an authoritative text for those aviators and students interested in making the jump from light aircraft to heavy jets, and learning about the techniques and flying qualities of these aircraft. This text will be particularly useful for pilots who are looking to transition from light aircraft to jets, or the new hire facing their first jet endorsement, and narrow body crew going wide body.

What’s inside? This third edition includes 324 pages with black and white photos, plenty of graphs, and a pull-out systems diagram sheet explaining flight controls and hydraulics of the Boeing 747.

Handling the Big jets covers these topics…

First Order Differences…Bigger and heavier, Turbine engines, Faster, Higher
The consequences of increased weight and size..Momentum, Powered controls, Artificial feel, Large weight range, Large changes in reference speeds, Large C of G range, Variable incidence tailplanes, Long wheelbase.

The flight handling significance of jet engines…Thrust to thrust lever relationship, Acceleration times, Absence of propeller slipstream, Absence of propeller drag, High fuel consumption at low altitude, Noise abatement techniques, Engine locations, Auto Ignition, General operation.

Flying faster…Low drag, Speed margins, Coffin corner, Poor lift at low speeds, High lift devices, Sweep, Dutch roll, Yaw and roll dampers, Directional and lateral trim, Spiral stability, Stalling, Stick Shaker, Stick pusher, Speed stability, Spoilers.

Flying Higher…High mach numbers, mach trimmers, Emergency descents, High drag devices, High altitude characteristics.

Take-off and landing jet transports… High sink rates on approach, Reduced roll freedom on the ground, High ground speeds, Tyre and brake temperatures, Mishandled rotations, Reverse thrust, Aquaplaning, Slush, the scheduling of take-off performance, landing performance, Summary of scheduled field performance, Take-off techniques, Landing techniques, Overshoot techniques, Operation on contaminated runways.

Flight through severe weather… The history and choice of rough-air speeds, various types of severe weather, The contribution of the autopilot, The flight instruments, Physiological behavior in violent turbulence, Use of weather radar, Review of piston versus jet flying qualities, Closing the loop, Flight techniques in severe weather, Jet upset recovery.

The very big jet….. Flight deck layout, Flight control system design and associated hydraulics, Flying qualities, Take-off and landing, Miscellaneous flight items.

Asymmetric flight…Engine out ferrying, Asymmetric flight training with reference to two engines out on four engine aircraft.