Best selling author Captain Desmon Butts tells it how it is. From Bush flying in Alaska to the Jungles of Costa Rica. They call it living the Dream!! Well, sometimes we have good dreams and others can get a little crazy! Tales from the Cockpit shares stories of all kinds ranging from dangerous close calls to fun facts and airline hacks. This collection covers events that span many years of flying. It starts with the early stages of discovery, to flying with the airlines. All events are real and told from the author's perspective.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A fascinating fear of flying book from a commercial airline pilot and author of the popular website askthepilot.com. For millions of people, travel by air is a confounding, uncomfortable, and even frightening experience. When you go behind the scenes, however, you can see that the grand theater of air travel is actually fascinating. From the intricate design of airport architecture to the logistics of inflight service, here is everything you need to know about flying. Commercial airlines like to hide the truth from customers and do nothing to comfort nervous fliers. And what's scarier than the unknown? In this aviation book, pilot Patrick Smith breaks down that barrier and tells you everything you need to know about flying, including: How planes fly, and a revealing look at the men and women who fly them Straight talk on turbulence, pilot training, and safety The real story on delays, congestion, and the dysfunction of the modern airport The myths and misconceptions of cabin air and cockpit automation Terrorism in perspective, and a provocative look at security Airfare, seating woes, and the pitfalls of airline customer service The true colors and cultures of the airlines we love to hate Cockpit Confidential is a thoughtful, funny, and at times deeply personal look into the strange and misunderstood world of commercial flying. If you liked other books about airplanes for adults, including Soar by Tom Bunn or Skyfaring, you'll find reassurance, humor, and guidance in Cockpit Confidential. "Anyone remotely afraid of flying should read this book, as should anyone who appreciates good writing and great information." —The New York Times, on ASK THE PILOT "Patrick Smith is extraordinarily knowledgeable about modern aviation...the ideal seatmate, a companion, writer and explorer." —Boston Globe

"50 Tales of Flight" captures the magic of flight from the ground up. The flight deck door has now been opened, taking the reader aloft in everything from biplanes to Boeings. From the alarm clock buzzing to begin the airline pilot's day to the threatening sound of silence when a light aircraft's engine fails and all that lies beneath are trees and cliffs. There are moments of pulse-racing tension and others of humorous relief to be found amongst this collection of stories from Owen Zupp's thirty years of flying. Interspersed are tales of combat veterans of wars passed and of those who lost their lives pursuing their passion in times of peace. For anyone interested in the world amongst the clouds, or just intrigued by this amazing field of endeavour, there is much to be seen through these "50 Tales of Flight."

When pilots sit around an airport or get together at a hotel lounge for beers or cocktails, theyre almost certain to regale each other, and anyone else who will listen, with embellished tales of their greatest aviation exploits. The longer these stories continue, the more the similarities grow between the pilots war stories and fish stories. As the night wears on, the exploits they share are likely to grow more and more elaborate and outlandish. In the spirit of those war stories, author Jim Lewis, who has worked as a professional pilot since the mid-sixties, offers his share of stories from his experiences. Many of these short stories are the result of mistakes in judgment, while others arose from deliberate decisions to proceed made from ignorance. A few were simply experiences that came with being a professional pilot, and two or three were blatant rule breaking. Lewis recalls landing in a soybean field, buzzing a nuclear submarine, flying under a bridge, running low on fuel, and tasting life in the cockpit of a jet liner. Some of his tales are humorous, while others take on a more dangerous nature. All of them, however, offer a lesson for others to learn.