The rainy season isn’t exactly the best time to go out, so I’ve been staying home reading. I thought I’d record a few aviation-related books I’ve finished or am currently reading over the past two or three months. I generally buy used books, either from second-hand bookstores or via auctions on Amazon or Yahoo Japan. Since the quality of used books here in Japan is excellent—clean, with no writing or marks, and printed on good paper—even books from a decade ago look brand new. Lately, I rarely buy new books. (Also to save money.)

Books Read Aviation Meteorology

I highly recommend this book. First, the author is a renowned meteorologist, arguably the top authority on Japanese aviation meteorology. The backstory is interesting: there used to be an informal internal study group comprising the Japan Pilots Association, the Ministry of Transport, airline dispatchers, airport staff, and university meteorologists. Everyone knows that flight operations are heavily influenced by weather. Experts from different fields studied everything from theory to practice on how to fly safely and schedule flights safely, ultimately compiling this book. Hence, its high value. However, one drawback is that it is a very difficult read because the veteran expert often uses mathematical formulas to describe meteorological phenomena. For example, when discussing wind shear, he starts right off with calculus formulas to analyze it theoretically. While good in principle, I haven’t touched this stuff since college, so it was quite a grind to read.

Unexpected Crashes The author is a Professor Emeritus of Aeronautics at the University of Tokyo (one of Japan’s top engineering universities), and I have read several of his other books. This book analyzes aircraft accidents and uses quite a bit of professional jargon, so it is not exactly a popular science primer. I developed an interest in accident books following the MH370 incident and bought this one by chance while browsing a second-hand bookstore. It analyzes over a dozen aircraft accidents from the last decade. The two cases of depressurization left the deepest impression on me. The pilots and passengers died from hypoxia, yet the aircraft, controlled by the autopilot, continued to fly like a ghost for several hours before finally crashing due to fuel exhaustion. Reading the part where the US Air Force pilot flew to over 40,000 feet and saw the cockpit windows iced up, while the aircraft was still climbing and accelerating at high speed, gave me the chills.

Future Aviation Communication Networks This is an internal publication without even an ISBN, published by a company called Aviation System Services. It covers aviation communication network technology, discussing everything from traditional AFTN and ACARS to the new generation of ATN and data links. It explains domains, routing, address allocation principles, communication protocols between networks, and application requirements. As a dictionary of sorts, it explains many professional terms and serves as an excellent reference book.

Encyclopedia of Plane Trivia The author is a freelance writer and aviation enthusiast who holds a Private Pilot License. This is a popular science book for the general public, but because the author has piloting experience, it contains many tidbits of flying knowledge and offers a unique perspective, making it quite valuable for reference.

Illustrated Helicopter: Mechanism and Piloting Methods The author is an expert with decades of experience in helicopter maintenance. The book covers the internal structure of helicopters and an overview of piloting methods. I bought this to learn how to simulate flying helicopters in X-Plane 10, and later wrote a blog post: X-Plane 10 Helicopter Flying Tutorial.

Books Currently Reading Introduction to CRM This is the Japanese translation of the Federal Aviation Administration’s “Aeronautical Decision Making for Instrument /Commercial Pilot”. From analyzing pilot personalities to overcoming stress, I feel this book offers valuable lessons not just for pilots, but for ordinary people as well.