Airline Passenger's Guide for Stress-Reduced Flying

Dorrance Publishing

Ratings and reviews

This review is from Kathy Wroblewski, Amazon Books and Google on: Airline Passenger's Guide for Stress-Reduced Flying (Paperback) “This small 109 page book from 2010 was remarkably interesting! Knowledge truly is power and this book is a great way to both entertain and inform you, while getting some of you through flight anxiety. Our author, John Macidull, has an impressive background of 30 + years as an aeronautical and aerospace engineer, test pilot, instructor, and domestic and international aircraft accident investigator for the U.S. Navy, among other experiences. By explaining how the aircraft flies, and related information, in a non-technical way, he hopes to reduce flight anxiety for the reader. Almost every page has at least one illustration to help visual folks like me to understand. Before I even got to page one, I learned something. .As a matter of fact, if you are reading this book on your flight, you will appreciate it very much. Not only is it written by an obvious subject-matter expert, but it is so interesting, you will likely be too involved in the book to be anxious about your flight. The book is good for someone with flight anxiety because it is easy to understand but involved enough to make you concentrate on what you are reading. You can read and watch things happen while on the plane (stabilizers, rudders, elevators, ailerons, reverse engines, etc.). You will better appreciate what is involved in your flight instead of taking it for granted. You will be smarter. The book begins by explaining how the Wright Brothers developed the airplane. Next, it explains all about air movement and pressure. By page 4, I learned about DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE and PSI in such a way that I could easily have explained it to someone else. Wow! I am impressed! John provides plenty of pictures to explain the different parts on the wings and tail and how they are used to direct the plane and airflow. A smile came to face as I read, remembering the airplane movies of the 70s and how an unskilled passenger always was talked through landing the plane. The book actually made me think that maybe I really COULD land one in an emergency. Of course, John discusses the safety laws and passenger comfort. You will also enjoy John's sense of humor as he sneaks a volunteer chicken into some of the illustrations. This book is PRICELESS for making you a subject-matter expert if you have a child flying with you. Read the book ahead and explain everything about the plane and what the plane is doing to the child. You will likely: 1) Keep the child interested and QUIET; 2) TEACH the child something; and 3) Make the child think you are BRILLIANT! :-) (and if you make a mistake, no one will likely notice anyway.) This book is small enough to slide into a purse or man-bag. I found the book pretty darned interesting, and I am well over flight anxiety. The next time I am on a plane, I plan to take the book with me, follow the illustrations, and check out what I learned.” * * * * *