Handling The Big Jets.pdf [new] Jun 2026

Davies insisted on a "raw data" philosophy. He taught that a captain should be able to fly an ILS approach with the flight director switched off, using only the raw localizer and glideslope needles. The essay uses a powerful analogy: the autopilot is a servant, not the master. He was deeply concerned that pilots were becoming "systems managers" who could program a flight computer but could not feel the aircraft approaching a stall. For Davies, handling the big jets meant maintaining a kinetic connection to the machine—feeling the control forces lighten as speed bleeds off, and feeling the inertia shift during a turn.

If you are an airline training captain, buy a legal copy for your cadets. If you are a pilot on a budget, Google "Handling the Big Jets PDF alternative sources aviation library." And always— always —keep your scan rate stable. Handling the Big Jets.pdf

These chapters are perhaps the most famous and conceptually important in the book. "Flying Faster" confronts the reader with the high-speed world of the jet: , speed margins , the perilous concept of the Coffin corner , and high-speed handling characteristics like Dutch roll , which is why yaw and roll dampers are mandatory equipment. "Flying Higher" then explores the challenges of the thin air at cruise altitudes, including high mach numbers , mach trimmers , and emergency descent techniques . Davies insisted on a "raw data" philosophy

To achieve high cruise speeds near the speed of sound, modern transport jets utilize swept wings. While sweeping the wings delays the onset of supersonic shockwaves, it introduces distinct handling penalties: He was deeply concerned that pilots were becoming

For aspiring airline pilots, Handling the Big Jets is famously invaluable for . A senior captain from a major airline who was interviewed in 2010 on PPRuNe confirmed this: "it won't help you pass the ATPL exams—it was never meant to. But it is excellent background reading and questions from the book still crop up in airline technical interviews—largely because the interviewers want to see how much background knowledge you have. And guess where they got theirs from!".

Due to the thin air at high altitudes, the aircraft must fly at a high angle of attack to maintain altitude. If it slows down too much, it will stall.

It’s not a step-by-step “how to fly” guide but an analysis of why jets behave as they do. The tone is authoritative, sometimes humorous, and intended for serious pilots, engineers, or enthusiastic simmers.