The Commercial license preparation manual from Kershner's "The Flight
Manuals Series." Updated and edited by his son William C. Kershner.
The Advanced Pilot's Flight Manual has long been a standard
reference for pilots transitioning to advanced models and types and preparing
for the Commercial Pilot knowledge and flight tests. This book bridges the gap
between theory and practical application, covering the fundamentals of airplane
aerodynamics and aircraft performance. Rules of thumb are used throughout as a
means of presenting a clearer picture of the recommended performance parameters,
and increasing understanding of the variable factors that affect aircraft
operations such as altitude and temperature. Knowledge of these thumb rules will
enable pilots to maximize performance when operating faster aircraft and at
higher altitudes.
Chapters are dedicated to:
- Airplane performance and stability for pilots
- Checking out in advanced models and types
- Emergencies and unusual situations
- Advanced navigation
- High-altitude Operations
- Preparing for the commercial knowledge and practical tests
Eighth Edition. Softcover, 392 pages.
Bill Kershner was FAA/General Aviation Flight Instructor of the Year in 1992
and named Elder Statesman of Aviation in 1997. He was inducted into the Flight
Instructor Hall of Fame in 1998. His son, William C. Kershner, was soloed by his
father and holds Flight Instructor and Airline Transport Pilot certificates. He
has flown 22 types of airplanes in his over 10,000 hours of flight time, ranging
from Cessna 150s to Boeing 777s.
Bill Kershner left us to go West in 2007 but his legacy remains with
continued publishing of his books. Bill founded Ace Aerobatic School in
Sewanee, Tennessee in 1969. He was known as the "Spin Doctor" for his interest in
spins, having logged more than 8,000 spins totaling some 35,000 turns; Kershner
only counted spins of at least three turns and didn't record spins at all during
his first 24 years of flying.
He was the national General Aviation Flight Instructor of the Year in
1992. At his Ace Aerobatic School, Kershner provided spin recovery and aerobatic
training to hundreds of pilots, and he continued to teach ground school into
late December 2006.
"He had a soft spot in his heart for student pilots and CFIs," as
said by Bruce Landsberg of AOPA's Air Safety Foundation.
"Being an engineer at heart, he would step up to the blackboard and start doing
equations to explain some aerodynamic truth. When pressed to put it in English
so that a dumb pilot (me) could understand it - he always could."
Flight instructor Catherine Cavagnaro, whom Kershner
mentored into aerobatic instruction, continues to operate
Ace
Aerobatic School. Cavagnaro purchased a Cessna 152 Aerobat nearly identical
to Kershner's which she named Wilbur. Kershner's veteran Aerobat, Orville,
is now on display at the National Air and Space Museum.
Soft cover, 392 pages, 2015.
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