Redefining Airmanship

How important is this book? It is as important for pilots to read and re-read as Wolfgang Langewiesche's "Stick & Rudder". Than this, there is no higher praise.Dr. Kern proposes herein a simple but profound model to help us understand airmanship and he proceeds to support, explicate and instantiate that model using clear and well-chosen case material.This is good stuff! The author draws on his own experience as an Air Force pilot and on his academic background as a human factors expert to summarize elegantly a vast area of knowledge vital to every aviator -- whether military, commercial or GA. As an instrument rated private pilot, I found all of the material in this book very relevent to the issues I deal with when I fly.The way of thinking about airmanship that Dr. Kern lays out is important to all pilots -- but I believe that it is overwhelmingly important to pilots who are not engaged in either formal training or in the pursuit of advanced ratings. Taking this thinking to heart will keep you growing as a pilot, and will ultimately keep you alive.For pilots embarked on a professional career path, Dr. Kern identifies goals, exposes pitfalls and outlines methods that will complement and enhance any training program and any intended progression through the ratings.Please, read, study and reflect on this work. It is outstanding!

Throughout my entire time as a pilot, I have been concerned with the huge gap that exists between the safety record of professionally managed commercial and military flight operations and those of general aviation pilots like me. I am a 1,000-hour instrument-rated private pilot. I have been flying for about 12 years. Together with a partner, I own and operate my own single-engine airplane that I use frequently in the course of my business and daily life. I live in operate primarily within the Upper Midwest where the environment serves up daily challenges. Over time, I have observed that most GA pilots seem to gravitate toward one or the other of the polar extremes. I think of them as the can-do achievers at one end of the spectrum and the pocket-protector types at the other end. The achievers are those successful people who seem to be able to do anything. They love a challenge and are risk takers. The pocket protector types love figuring things out and have an infinite willingness to wrestle with a question and figure it out. While there is obviously a broad spectrum in between, this has always aided me in sizing a guy up and figuring out how he approached flying. The best pilots I know posses the attributes of both. My own personality has always been a source of concern in this regard. I find myself consistently falling short of the best flyers. I can claim neither the innate talent nor the tremendous focus and long attention span that these folks all seem to have. I was always a C student. And I do not have the benefit of a large resource-rich organization to support me. Early in my experience as a pilot, I gave it up - actually twice - because I felt so overwhelmed by the sheer volume of knowledge and tasks that had to be integrated successfully in order to achieve an acceptable level of proficiency. I am pretty sure that I can get by being a lousy fly caster and poor wing shot and still enjoy a pretty good life. I know that being anything other than an excellent pilot is unacceptable. I think that it is why this endeavor so absorbs me. I have read everything that I could find on the subject. I attend seminars. I seek specialized training. I spend a lot of time talking with other pilots about issues of safety and competence. Recently, I have asked the military, airline and other professional pilots that I meet how they (and their organizations) approach the subject. Their responses vary. Some of them adhere to the notion that it is simply a matter of having the Right Stuff. Others indicate that it requires the resources of the US government or a major public company. Many have actually been generous and helpful.Finally, Tony Kern has given us all a model to work with that is both comprehensive and systematic. He has illustrated it with clear real-life examples make each of the component concepts vivid. This book is a real treasure. It is at once a clear description of the destination and it is the map and the com

Tony Kern has written a detailed, yet compelling, story for airmanship in the 21st century. His research is thorough, his examples are vivid, and his personal experience ties them together. As a safety professional, I was amazed to see that almost all of his "lessons learned" could be applied to ground operations, as well as flight. Wish I'd written the book!

Tony Kern has managed to pull together the wisdom and experience of "the best" pilots around. His use of case studies of real pilots and real situations includes examples from the military, commercial, and geneal aviation communities. In short, the book is useful for any pilot whether they are working toward their private pilot license or are employed as a senior airline captain. For many pilots, it will reinforce what they already know and practice but for many, it will provide the opportunity to become "old" pilots. If you fly, read the book.

A rare resource for insite into avaitions most critical element: The Pilot. No where else in aviation literature has someone captured the standards for professional airmanship. Kern gives the route to complete airmanship, whether you fly a Cub, or an SR-71. A valuable resource and asset for all training department libraries.