I haven’t bought many books recently, so I’ll just write a simple note.

1 空中航法入門 This is a textbook from the Japanese Aviation University, equivalent to the Chinese “Air Navigation”. I seem to have already bought 4 books on this subject, and the content is almost identical in each, with few new points of knowledge. However, the previous ones I bought are quite old, from the 80s and 90s, while this is a revised edition from 2009, fitting the times. After all, GPS is so prevalent now that content like Dead Reckoning has been reduced significantly. Buying such books is almost like collecting now.

2 Faded Glory: Airline Colour Schemes of the Past

This was a gift; the content is an aviation photo album. The author is an American aviation photographer, and the photos in the book were taken in the 1970s and 1980s, introducing many aircraft and liveries of airlines that have now vanished. We know that in the early stages of high development, European and American aviation had many small airlines. Entering the 70s and 80s, due to fierce competition, many went bankrupt, and many were acquired or merged, finally forming a few major giants. As a historical record, this book preserves photos of aircraft from airlines that are now unknown to anyone, which is quite precious. The aircraft types in the book are very nostalgic: Boeing's 707, 727, 737, 747, Douglas's DC8, DC9, DC10, the British Comet and BAC 1-11, the French Caravelle, etc., full of classical beauty. The liveries at that time were mostly silver, and designs with a line pulled along the cabin window line were prevalent, rich with the characteristics of the era.

3 An Illustrated Guide to USAF The Modern US Air Force This was also a gift, an old book published in 1986 introducing the then-equipment of the US Air Force. That was an era without B2s, C17s, or F22s; the F117 was still a top-secret weapon unknown to the public; the Cold War with the Soviet Union was in full swing; the F106 was still one of the main forces; the Thunderbirds were still using T38s; another nostalgic book. Speaking of which, I bought my first aviation knowledge magazine with my pocket money around ‘85 or ‘86. Information was scarce then; having this book back then would have been incredibly helpful.

4 コクピットイズム09：現代旅客機の操縦空間 This is a magazine specifically introducing cockpits. This issue contains a large number of photos of various airliner cockpits, as well as a lot of knowledge about airliner piloting. The printing is exquisite, and I bought it purely for collection purposes. This book even includes detailed piloting instructions for the MiG-29, which is just too cool.

End