Reviews:

Julie Boatman, Senior Editor of AOPA PILOT , says -

“CHECKLISTS, CHARTS EXAMINED IN 'PILOTING WITH CONFIDENCE'
James Spudich has published Piloting with Confidence, an instructional book for students and pilots with an interest in developing a more in-depth checklist protocol for their airplanes, as well as a greater understanding of procedures in general. It features a good, thorough process for creating your own checklist and explains in great detail why you do some of the things you do in the airplane. There are also some solid tips on flying with the Garmin GNS 430 and 530 and the Garmin GPSMap 196 handheld GPS receiver.”

Julie Boatman, Senior Editor of AOPA PILOT,
and published in AOPA ePilot Flight Training Edition
(Volume 5, Issue 16 • April 22, 2005)

“Looking for a book filled with good tips to start your own checklists, get organized, get solid basic information on GPS navigation? In Piloting with Confidence James Spudich has compiled a series of good tools put to the test throughout many years of experience that will allow you to fully enjoy your flying experience and help make you a safer pilot.”

Dominique Marais, CFII, MEI, ATP, Palo Alto Flying Club

“This is a concise and easy to digest treatment of those critical aspects associated with safe and effective flying. It is loaded with helpful hints, suggestions and useful templates. Finally you can design your own checklists and create your personal weight and balance calculators in a matter of minutes. A must for all serious GA pilots!”

Channing Robertson, 1500 hr instrument rated pilot and
Senior Associate Dean, School of Engineering, Stanford University

Excerpts:

Preface

Organization in the cockpit is essential to safe flying. A good pilot is never finished improving his or her organizational skills. The point of this book is to instill into young pilots’ minds the importance of generating their own charts, checklists and other helpful aids that reflect their own personal needs and habits. Examples of such charts, checklists and cockpit tips that I have generated for myself over the last thirty years of flying are illustrated in this book.

I find the charts and checklists that I describe invaluable for every flight that I take. I love flying in the West, and scattered throughout the book are selected photographs from various trips. These are a reminder of how spectacular and magical flying can be.

While a major point of this book is to stimulate you to create your personal charts and checklists, you may find mine useful as basic templates. The more you indulge in this activity, the more confidence you will have as a pilot and the safer you will be. And the safer you are, the happier you and your passengers will be.

In the process of creating checklists, you should constantly be asking why you are checking the things that you do. That is, be sure that you understand the airplane systems. The second chapter emphasizes this and gives brief descriptions of a variety of systems in your airplane. Understanding the systems makes you a safer pilot.

Additional chapters include methods for easily checking your weight and balance before every flight, getting started with the use of GPS equipment, and mastering and remembering the diverse rules and regulations associated with flying. Making use of your computer and personal digital assistant (PDA) is emphasized throughout the book.

Keep the skies safe and enjoy the magic of flying!