Cessna Reviews

Outstanding reference book on Cessna Citation jets. From the early days through contemporary and future models, Szurovy details everything you need to know about these gorgeous hotrods of the sky. This book will join his others in the genre as the definitive primer for enthusiasts. Easy to read with stunning color photography. Historical and biographical info will really peak your interest. A valuable and necessary addition to any aviation library!

I believe that anyone with any interest in aviation whatsoever should read this book. Great information, excellent photos, tons of detail and loads of things even I didn't know :)

I can be forgiven for my enthusiasm over the publication of The Lovable One-Niner. I have long since been a fan of this remarkable little airplane. Anything that passed as a reference source for the history of this airplane would have been most welcome. What delighted me, however, was the meticulous nature of the contents. A writer could not attain this level of detail unless he loved his subject. Clearly Mr. Thompson did. With equal parts of this book given to both the technical and personal history of this airplane, I have been able to share it with non-pilot friends who enjoyed it from a purely historical perspective. I am very pleased with the results and have recommended it freely.

Walt did a very good job of making "Cessna Warbirds" a very readable,fact filled and enjoyable book to own.I'm doing two Web Pages about the T-50 Bobcat and Sky King and found this book very helpfull.The detail and many mostly unknown facts about the earlier T-50 were a great help to my research.The book will recieve an honored place on my shelf for future referance. Thanks Walt,looking forward to your next work.

I have waited a lifetime for someone to come forward with the dedication to Cessna Aircraft's military history. I am looking forward to reading in depth about Cessna's different models. Walt Shiel was a pilot, I was a mechanic, we were both involved, at different times, with the airplane that took fuel and converted it to noise. Long loved by the people who worked on and flew them, I am referring to the Cessna T-37. Walt has done an excellent job in preparing this book. Long past due, Cessna deserves the credit due its involvement with all phases of pilot and navigation training. Without Cessna, there would be no military pilots to fly the warbirds that often take all of the credit. And Walt derserves the credit for bringing this to light. I will cherish and use his book. Thank You Walt

Cessna Warbirds : A Detailed and Personal History of Cessna's Involvement in the Armed Forces by Walt Shiel is a great book detailing the military application of Cessna aircraft, including one Cessna helicopter. Cessna Warbirds is a pleasant blend of hard fact and personal anecdotes from the author and numerous military pilots interviewed while writing this book. It was fun to read about how the same planes I have flown in civilian aviation were used in military applications. It was also interesting to see how the planes were altered to fit their intended service.

Shiel's writing is clear and his anecdotes are relevant and, when appropriate, thoroughly amusing making what could have been a dry list of figures a very human story that's easy to relate to. Because Cessna Warbirds contains specifications and histories for each Cessna aircraft used in a military fashion this book is a great reference source as well. It is obvious to anyone who has read either this book or any of Sheil's many articles on military aviation that he is a thorough researcher who is immersed in his subject. Reading the author's bio, I can think of few people who are better qualified to write this book. I can't recommend this book highly enough to anybody who is interested in aviation.

If you own an airplane and have been wondering why your insurance company won't let you take it south of Mexico, this book will clear up the confusion. The risks of flying over unfamiliar territory, without intermediate weather reports, in the pre-GPS days are astonishing. The book starts off weak, with a lot of psychobabblish pondering that is unlikely to appeal to the pilots for whom the latter portion of the book will be interesting. Beautifully printed and bound. Unless you plan to be immortal, however, I wouldn't recommend the book to a non-pilot; there are better books with which to occupy your limited time on the planet.

I am not sure if this is a travel book, a flying book, or a book towards self discovery. It seems to be a little of each, but not enough of each. As a travel book, I get only a sense of the towns she visits, and the cultures she adores. She gives snippets, and I wanted more. As a flying book, she reveals the most about herself. She is (was) a poor pilot. She set aside her responsibilities as pilot in command and did whatever Doug told her to do, no matter the danger. Her go-no go decisions were terrible, and every novice pilot should learn from her example. As a journey into self discovery, the book was its strongest. How does the spouse of a famous and outgoing person carve out an identity of her own? This was very interesting, and here the author found her voice.

This book is a fascinating look into the world of the risk-taker and the cult of risk-taking. There is no doubt that Barbara Cushman Rowell took an inner journey. She lays all her fears before us and conquers them. Along with this journey are her husband Galen and fellow pilot Doug Tompkins, two wild adventurers who lead Barbara into risky decisions she usually regrets. In the process of wrestling with herself, her husband and Tompkins she puts us inside the cockpit during harrowing landings, inclement weather and her own demons.

I suppose for [the money] I shouldn't complain, but this bookis really not that helpful. It does cover many models but only givesa "quick and dirty" view of each. It contains little practicle info for those looking for specific information. It barely touches on AD's, SDR's, or other maintenance problems. It skips many model years. It provides no information about what to look for in any one year. (Such as the infamous " H " engines in the 77-80 model 172's) The photographs are simply publicity shots and are few. If you are looking for a brief overview of all of the Cessna models, this book is for you. If you are looking for more specific information about a particular model or series, look else where.

Good for people considering purchasing a used Cessna single engine aircraft. The dedicated books for the 172, 152, etc go into more detail than necessary to help you narrow down your search. I enjoyed the book and refer to it from time to time.

Although the prices are outdated, the remainder of the content is excellent and still applicable. This book emphasizes flying characteristics rather than lists of AD's and general specifications. The author provides a 'feel' for each plane in a review-like style. He also includes useful appendixes, such as a sales/year chart for each model and a nifty spotter's guide. Highly recommended for people in the market for a used single-engine Cessna.

The Cessna 150 / 152, by Bill Clarke, published by Tab Books

Bill Clarke has produced a full stop work of reference on the venerable Cessna 150 and 152. In the second edition of his book, Bill starts describing in clear language an overview of the history of the most prolific aircraft manufacturer since men took to the skies. He then catalogs all the model changes and consequent variations in performance from the first 150 that came out of Wichita in 1957 to the last 152, 28 years later. As with any popular airplane, many after market modifications became available over the years. Bill has collected the best catalog of these enhancements I have ever seen. For those who want to pamper their aircraft them selves, The Cessna 150 / 152 covers all you need to know to take the best possible care of the worlds most popular training aircraft. Bill Clarke has done owners, operators and 150 / 152 aficionado's a big favor by making all they ever wanted to know available in one admirably written volume. A truly must have!

This is a very good book for anyone planning to buy a 150/152. It describes all the model variations, and gives helpful shopping advice for those already sold on one of these planes, and the "Hangar Flying" section will only reinforce your decision. It has good technical info on maintenance and ADs as well. A few more good photos, and it'll be perfect.

I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the Cessna 150/152 series aircraft. It touches on the history of the design and provides detailed specs on each model year to 1985 as well as component descriptions . It also contains a good selection of interesting photographs. A list of maintenance/inspection procedures and current STC's (to 1993) are also provided. Includes hangar flying anectdotes from pilots, owners, and mechanics. NTSB statistics are compared with other light aircraft.

This book is for the renter as well as owner. Written a style similar to the owners manual you get with your car rather than the somewhat dry text of the Pilots Operating Handbook. It is not a substitute for the POH! I did not give it a full 5 stars because it only covers the 1977 onward models. If you are flying anything earlier than a Model N or one of the more "exotic" versions of the Skyhawk, this book will be of limited value.

A clear factual presentation of the C 172. Very useful for anyone who is learning this aircraft.

This book is great for those individuals looking for general as well as detail information on this oldy but goody. It doesn't get too detailed, but is useful for the layperson. You don't have to be a pilot to enjoy this book. Worth the $15 bucks!

I've been in the market to purchase an airplane for a few years. This book has been key in researching aircraft specifics. Recently I purchase a Cessna 207, and this book was extremely helpful in the aircraft purchase decision making process. The only negative is that the book is somewhat dated, listing average prices well below current market values. I would purchase a revised edition if it were available, especially at this low, low price.