Handling In-Flight Emergencies

Rating:
Summary: Good philosophy, poor execution
Review: In this book, Mr. Eichenberger espouses practicing for emergencies to happen and gives some very useful tips on how to accomplish this. However, his advice on how to deal with specific emergencies leaves a lot to be desired. In a few cases, he does not provide correct and accurate information. In others, his recommendations are in poor sequence. Other than for the brand new pilot, I think this book is merely a reiteration of what most pilots already know. He didn't have many stories and learnings from them either. AOPA Pilot's Never Again series is a much better learning mechanism.

Rating:
Summary: Good philosophy, poor execution
Review: In this book, Mr. Eichenberger espouses practicing for emergencies to happen and gives some very useful tips on how to accomplish this. However, his advice on how to deal with specific emergencies leaves a lot to be desired. In a few cases, he does not provide correct and accurate information. In others, his recommendations are in poor sequence. Other than for the brand new pilot, I think this book is merely a reiteration of what most pilots already know. He didn't have many stories and learnings from them either. AOPA Pilot's Never Again series is a much better learning mechanism.

Rating:
Summary: Emergencies become procedures.
Review: This is a good overview of some of the things that might go wrong. The underlying philosophy behind the book is that if emergency procedures are learned and practiced, they cease to be emergencies and rather just more procedures.

An example happened earlier this year when I was flying with a friend who had recently transitioned to a complex airplane (one with retractable landing gear). On final approach, he didn't get the "all green" lights on the gear (meaning the gear was not securely locked down for landing). With a gear not locking, the plane is still perfectly flyable, and indeed, we had four hours of fuel left. Although you'd obviously prefer not to, you CAN land with the gear up without doing undo harm to you or the plane (but not your ego :)

Since I was in the right seat, I offered to trouble shoot while he continued flying. Trouble shooting involves working down the checklist and doing things like swapping out bulbs and making sure metal contacts are not dirty -- not very complicated, but involved enough that a second person makes life easier. After tinkering with the light bulbs, I looked up to see my friend was, shall we say, in a self-induced unusual attitude. HE FORGOT TO KEEP FLYING THE PLANE.

This is a where he would have benefitted from practicing the emergency procedures in order to build confidence and react more positively to the situation.

Handling In-Flight Emergencies covers engine failure, VFR into IFR conditions, electrical failure, control system failure, and getting found after being "temporarily lost." The book should be read in the spirit that these are things to think about, work with your preferred instructor. I feel it's successful at that.

For the various control system failures and how to work around them, I recommend Rich Stowell's "Emergency Maneuver Training" book and video. They are very thorough and take a scientific approach to the situations. (Stowell is also able to explain aerodynamics without boring you.)

Rating:
Summary: Emergencies become procedures.
Review: This is a good overview of some of the things that might go wrong. The underlying philosophy behind the book is that if emergency procedures are learned and practiced, they cease to be emergencies and rather just more procedures.

An example happened earlier this year when I was flying with a friend who had recently transitioned to a complex airplane (one with retractable landing gear). On final approach, he didn't get the "all green" lights on the gear (meaning the gear was not securely locked down for landing). With a gear not locking, the plane is still perfectly flyable, and indeed, we had four hours of fuel left. Although you'd obviously prefer not to, you CAN land with the gear up without doing undo harm to you or the plane (but not your ego :)

Since I was in the right seat, I offered to trouble shoot while he continued flying. Trouble shooting involves working down the checklist and doing things like swapping out bulbs and making sure metal contacts are not dirty -- not very complicated, but involved enough that a second person makes life easier. After tinkering with the light bulbs, I looked up to see my friend was, shall we say, in a self-induced unusual attitude. HE FORGOT TO KEEP FLYING THE PLANE.

This is a where he would have benefitted from practicing the emergency procedures in order to build confidence and react more positively to the situation.

Handling In-Flight Emergencies covers engine failure, VFR into IFR conditions, electrical failure, control system failure, and getting found after being "temporarily lost." The book should be read in the spirit that these are things to think about, work with your preferred instructor. I feel it's successful at that.

For the various control system failures and how to work around them, I recommend Rich Stowell's "Emergency Maneuver Training" book and video. They are very thorough and take a scientific approach to the situations. (Stowell is also able to explain aerodynamics without boring you.)

Rating:
Summary: A new pilot is ready for emergencies
Review: When I announced to a friend that I was learning to fly, hegave me a hardback copy of Handling In-Flight Emergencies, by JerryEichenberger. On the inside cover he wrote me the following personal message . . . "There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old bold pilots" He was sharing with me what he must have learned as a helicopter pilot in Viet Nam. If you are going to learn to fly, you must be prepared for the ultimate in flight emergency. Mr. Eichenberger's book was a timely gift for me. I read it interchangeably with all my training books, and actually understood the many recommendations he makes in the book, as some of the situations a pilot has to be aware of were either actually encountered or simulated in the course of my training. The book is very logically written from the point of view of a pilot and a flight instructor. I commend it highly to any aspiring new pilot, and even to seasoned pilots. In fact I have just ordered a copy from Amazon.Com (the first time I have ever ordered anything on a computer) as a gift for my own instructor, who patiently led me to this accomplishment today.

Rating:
Summary: A new pilot is ready for emergencies
Review: When I announced to a friend that I was learning to fly, hegave me a hardback copy of Handling In-Flight Emergencies, by JerryEichenberger. On the inside cover he wrote me the following personal message . . . "There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old bold pilots" He was sharing with me what he must have learned as a helicopter pilot in Viet Nam. If you are going to learn to fly, you must be prepared for the ultimate in flight emergency. Mr. Eichenberger's book was a timely gift for me. I read it interchangeably with all my training books, and actually understood the many recommendations he makes in the book, as some of the situations a pilot has to be aware of were either actually encountered or simulated in the course of my training. The book is very logically written from the point of view of a pilot and a flight instructor. I commend it highly to any aspiring new pilot, and even to seasoned pilots. In fact I have just ordered a copy from Amazon.Com (the first time I have ever ordered anything on a computer) as a gift for my own instructor, who patiently led me to this accomplishment today.