A Professional Aviator's Notebook

A "Professional Aviator's Notebook" is a four or five volume set that encapsulates the best of the website, in an attempt to make all the information available even after the website comes to its inevitable end. The four volumes listed here have either been written or are well underway, with sale dates as shown. The fifth, if it does come out, will probably be out next year. As always, thanks for buying my books, which help pay for this website.

1 — Aviate (available now)

2 — Navigate (available April 1, 2025)

3 — Communicate (available July 1, 2025)

4 — Relate (available October 1, 2025)

5 — International (possible for 2026)

"Aviate" is the first volume in a set of four, followed by "Navigate," "Communicate," and "Relate." Together, these volumes will help you to keep the airplane flying in the middle of the air and to avoid the edges of the air. The edges are defined as the ground, the ocean, obstacles, and extraterrestrial space. As most professional aviators know, "Aviate" comes before "Navigate" and "Communicate." Each chapter of "Aviate" is based on decades of experience and the inputs of hundreds of aviators:

• Altimeter Setting Techniques
• Altitude Selection Techniques
• Approach Speed Additive Techniques
• Balked Landing Techniques
• Braking Techniques
• Circling Techniques
• Clearing Techniques
• Continuous Descent Final Approach Techniques
• Control Performance Techniques
• Crosswind Landing Techniques
• Engine Failure Takeoff Continued Techniques
• Head Up Display Techniques
• Landing Techniques
• Radar Techniques
• Runway Incursion/Excursion Avoidance Techniques
• Stabilized Approach Techniques
• Takeoff Go / No Go Decision Making Techniques
• Unusual Attitude Recovery Techniques
• Visual Approach Techniques
• Wake Turbulence Avoidance Techniques
• Case Studies
• Appendix: All About Angle of Attack (AOA)
• Appendix: All About Carbon-Carbon Brakes
• Appendix: All About Mechanics (Physics, statics, and dynamics)

Available now at Amazon in paperback and eBook versions.

"Navigate" is the second volume in a set of four, preceded by "Aviate," followed by "Communicate" and "Relate." As most professional aviators know, the first priority is to fly the airplane (aviate) and the second priority is to keep the airplane pointed where it needs to be (navigate). Each chapter of "Navigate" is based on decades of experience and the inputs of hundreds of aviators:

• Coordinates
• Course Reversals
• Departure Obstacle Avoidance
• Direction
• Drift Down
• Equal Time Points (ETPs)
• Extended Diversion Time Operations (ETDO)
• Fix-to-fix Navigation
• Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)
• High Latitude Operations
• Inertial Navigation
• Initial vs. Midpoint
• NAT HLA
• Navigation Accuracy Check
• Performance Based Navigation (PBN)
• Plotting
• Point of Safe Return (PSR)
• Post Position Plot
• Required Navigation Performance (RNP) and Area Navigation (RNAV)
• Strategic Lateral Offset Procedure (SLOP)
• Weather Deviation in Oceanic Airspace
• World Geodetic System (WGS-84)
• Appendix: Celestial Navigation
• Appendix: CR-3 / CPU-26
• Appendix: True Course 10 Degree Tables

"Navigate" will be available at Amazon on April 1, 2025.

"Communicate" is the third volume in a set of four, proceeded by "Aviate" and "Navigate," followed by "Relate." As most professional aviators know, the first priority is to fly the airplane (aviate), the second priority is to keep the airplane pointed where it needs to be (navigate), and only then to reach out for help (communicate). Each chapter of "Communicate" is based on decades of experience and the inputs of hundreds of aviators:

• Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Out (ADS-B In)
• Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Out (ADS-B Out)
• Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Contract (ADS-C)
• Briefings Techniques
• Cell Phone Interference With Aircraft Systems
• Cockpit Internet Access Techniques
• Controller-Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC)
• Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT)
• High Frequency (HF) Radio
• Latency Timer
• Lost Communications
• PDC vs. DCL
• Performance Based Communications and Surveillance (PBCS)
• Pointing and Calling Techniques
• Required Communications Performance (RCP)
• Required Surveillance Performance (RSP)
• SATVOICE vs. SATCOM
• Selective Calling (SELCAL)
• Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS)
• Transponder Modes and Codes
• Voice Position Reports
• Appendix: Analog Communications
• Appendix: Digital Communications

"Communicate" will be available at Amazon on July 1, 2025.

"Relate" is the fourth volume in a set of four, proceeded by "Aviate," "Navigate," and "Communicate." As most professional aviators know, it is easier to accomplish these priorities if you know how to get along with everyone else in the cockpit, the airplane, and on the ground. It is more than Crew Resource Management (CRM) and leadership, it involves the physiology and psychology needed to survive. Each chapter of "Relate" is based on decades of experience and the inputs of hundreds of aviators:

• Being Better
• Compartmentalization
• Complacency
• Crew Resource Management
• Criticism
• Dealing With Change
• Decision Making
• Desynchronosis
• Fatigue
• First Officer to Captain Upgrade Training
• Flight Department Succession Plan
• Followership
• Goals, Plans, Focus
• How to Chief Pilot
• Hypoxia
• Leadership Course: Leadership 101
• Leadership Course: Leadership Styles
• Leadership Course: Leadership Secrets
• Leadership Course: Leadership Applied
• Learning From Experience You Don't Have
• Memorization Tasks
• Mentoring Leadership
• "No," The Art of Saying
• Normalization of Deviance
• Oxygen
• Panic
• Situational Awareness
• Slow Onset Hypoxia
• Spatial Disorientation
• Startle Response
• Appendix: Case Studies

"Relate" will be available at Amazon on October 1, 2025.

The "International Flight Operations" book has been one of my best sellers but is due an update. I have covered about half the topics in the "Professional Pilot's Notebook" series, but not all. I'll plan on covering the rest in this book. More details to follow.