Weather Flying

As a CFI I have numerous books in my aviation library. This book details flying in weather and the mindset required to be a safe and competent instrument pilot. Recommeded to me by my instructor after I received my instrument rating I now recommend it to students and associates whenever the subject of flying in weather (or not flying in weather) comes up. I read Northstar Over My Shoulder prior to buying this book so I had an understanding of Captain Buck's history and experience which added weight to the wisdom obvious in Weather Flying (buy that book too!)

I got my instrument rating 25 years ago, and Buck's Weather Flying recommendations are still fresh and pertinent. A friend just shared that she is going to tackle an instrument rating, and Weather Flying came to mind as the perfect gift to make a safe pilot. I still use his practical recommendations in my infrequent IFR flights, and feel that it has contributed to making me a safer pilot. Sorry if this sounds a bit corny, but few books have stuck with me like this. PS: If you're interested, try T.R. Fehrenbach's "The Reckoning" or "This Kind of War" if you want something that will also stick with you through life.Tom

Buck entertains and teaches. Alone, that is a talent, but add to that Buck's experience and his ability to observe and anticipate our weaknesses as pilots, and this book becomes a valuable down and dirty reality check. If you are a high-time pilot or just getting under the hood for real, read this book. There is a particular joy to flying with the clouds. The style of Buck's writing captures this uniqueness. It also warns the pilot of the consequences of not preparing for the same event. Weather Flying is a fast read, yet might just save you from being tangled up in a ball of scrap aluminum.

A very informative and easy-to-read book on weather flying. Being a student pilot, I found the book very helpful in understanding the weather around us. Makes you "think" before you "fly". Definitely enjoyed the book ;)

Bob Buck is a retired airline captain who spent over 30 years flying for Trans World Airlines. He is also regarded as first person to make reading about weather interesting. This is the book he wrote to convey the pilot's perspective of flying through fronts, circumnavigating thunderstorms, and surviving icing conditions. If you are a pilot desirous of learning about how to predict weather, learning the tricks of the pros, and how to get there through the 'muck', this is the book to read. It is not an easy read, and Buck assumes you already know some weather basics, but it puts together all that you learned reading those boring FAA manuals, and Buck makes it interesting. (This is a review of the first edition, Weather Flying is now in its fourth edtion.)