The point about antilock brakes is nonetheless valid. GA aircraft are in too many ways analogous to automobiles of the 1960s (engines, brakes, lack of energy-absorbing passenger zones, mixture/prop/throttle not electronically interconnected, rudder pedals at all, etc, etc). Wolfgang Langewiesche would be so disappointed.

From Stick and Rudder by Wolfgang Langewiesche, page 9, published 1944:

> The main fact of all heavier-than-air
> flight is this: the wing keeps the
> airplane up by pushing the air down.
>
> It shoves the air down with its bottom
> surface, and it pulls the air down
> with its top surface; the latter
> action is the more important. But the
> really important thing to understand
> is that the wing, in whatever fashion,
> makes the air go down. In exerting a
> downward force upon the air, the wing
> receives an upward counterforce--by
> the same principle, known as Newton's
> law of action and reaction, which
> makes a gun recoil as it shoves the
> bullet out forward; and which makes
> the nozzle of a fire hose press
> backward heavily against the fireman
> as it shoots out a stream of water
> forward. Air is heavy; sea-level air
> weights about 2 pounds per cubic yard;
> thus, as your wings give a downward
> push to a cubic yard after cubic yard
> of that heavy stuff, they get upward
> reactions that are equally hefty.
>
> That's what keeps an airplane up.
> Newton's law says that, if the wing
> pushes the air down, the air must push
> the wing up. It also puts the same
> thing the other way 'round: if the
> wing is to hold the airplane up in the
> fluid, ever-yielding air, it can do so
> only by pushing the air down. All the
> fancy physics of Bernoulli's Theorem,
> all the highbrow math of the
> circulation theory, all the diagrams
> showing the airflow on a wing--all
> that is only an elaboration and more
> detailed description of just how
> Newton's law fulfills itself--for
> instance, the rather interesting but
> (for the pilot) really quite useless
> observation that the wing does most of
> its downwashing work by suction, with
> its top surface. ...
>
> Thus, if you will forget some of this
> excessive erudition, a wing becomes
> much easier to understand; it is in
> the last analysis nothing but an air
> deflector. It is an inclined plane,
> cleverly curved, to be sure, and
> elaborately streamlined, but still
> essentially an inclined plane. That's,
> after all, why that whole fascinating
> contraption of ours is called an
> air-plane.

In the case of these pilots, I think he was fair. If you haven't read his father's "Stick and Rudder" you might understand where he's coming from.

Try not to worry about it too much. There are plenty of resources to learn this stuff. :)

Here's my list:

• Art of the Kill | It's a little dated, but there's still some really good information here.
  
• Fighter Combat: Tactics and Maneuvering | This is the book to learn from. Fantastic information here.
  
• In Pursuit | I personally also liked this book on the subject. However, it's important to note that it focuses on WW2 war birds and there are a few important differences between WW2 air combat and modern air combat.
  
• Stick and Rudder | This isn't really a book on air combat so much as a book that teaches the basics of flying. There's some dated, and in some cases, supposedly outright wrong information, but it's very often sited as a great introduction to energy efficient, coordinated flight.
  
  Edit: Some additional resources of varying quality.
  
  
• Offensive Tactics Against Enemy Fighters in World War 2
  
• Pilot Training youtube channel
  
• WarBirds of World War II : Fighter Tactics 101
  
• Ape of the Year's Combat Moves/Tutorials playlist
  
• Grmlz War-Thunder Maneuver Guides

It's embarrassing that no one has mentioned Stick and Rudder yet, so I'll go ahead and do it. It's more "art of flying" than "stories about flying," but there's no excuse for a pilot to have not read it!

...all the FAA handbooks are available for free.

I suggest you start with:

• Airplane Flying Handbook
  
  
• Pilot Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge
  
  
• Aeronautical Information Manual
  
  
• if you really get into it and want to know more about how things work, and are not afraid to get technical, The Aerodynamics For Naval Aviators is awesome;
  
  
• and one of my favorite See How It Flies by John S. Denker;
  
  
• and get yourself a copy of Stick And Rudder by Wolfgang Langewiesche while you are at it!
  
  When you are done reading this, you'll know more than many pilots out there! :-)
  
  

Stick and Rudder: http://www.amazon.com/Stick-Rudder-Explanation-Art-Flying/dp/0070362408

You need to read Stick and Rudder. It will tell you everything you need to know about that rudder.

You're welcome :-)

Sure, its more aligned with "applied" aerodynamics, but Stick and Rudder is a good read that goes into how airplanes work (and how to fly them apply aerodynamics in a real-world environment).

You can do an online ground school like Kings or Sportys and read/study the PHAK and AFH. Maybe get a copy of and read Stick & Rudder.

Stick and Rudder would go well as a supplement to the PHAK. Cheers!

Stick and Rudder

Stick And Rudder - Google Books

Stick And Rudder - Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Stick-Rudder-Explanation-Art-Flying/dp/0070362408/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1481303934&sr=1-1&keywords=Stick+and+rudder

I would also recommend picking up "Stick and Rudder" by Wolfgang Langeweische. Written in the late 30's, but breaks the complexity of aerodynamics and airplane flying down to the basic level and with a great writing style that makes it easy to read.

Stick and Rudder: An Explanation of the Art of Flying https://www.amazon.com/dp/0070362408/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_8YJMDbMG8TQC5

The Microsoft flight sim line has always had a handful of tutorial lessons. I would start there, as it will teach you the basics of many of the things you are likely to learn/practice using what /u/loveofphysics linked to you.

Lesson one starts with straight and level flight, but by the end of all of them, you'll know how to fly the pattern, a VOR approach, shoot an ILS, land jets, ect, ect, ect...

Also, I always recommend this book to anyone interested in flying who is not very well educated in this complex field yet. Stick and Rudder is a must-read for student pilots and simmers alike.

Feel free to PM me if you run into any questions. 'Fly' safe!

Should you wish to learn how airplanes work,

http://www.amazon.com/Stick-Rudder-Explanation-Art-Flying/dp/0070362408

I ran across this book in the early-mid 1980's when I couldn't keep from crashing "Microsoft Flight Simulator II" on my Commodore 64 :)

The book was oldie but goodie even then. In fact I found it so helpful and interesting that I went on to get my pilots license and instrument rating.

Might not be what you were thinking, but Stick and Rudder (itself perhaps historic) is a great overview of flight from the perspective of the past

I'm not sure about this book, but if you're looking for something to help understand the principles and physics of flight, pick up a copy of Stick and Rudder: An Explanation of the Art of Flying It's one heck of a book filled with great information.

How about Stick and Rudder by Wolfgang Langewiesche?

A cheap subscription to Kitplanes is a great way to get into this whole plane-building thing in a measured way. I think you also get free online access to their past articles?

http://www.kitplanes.com/

I'm unaware of a "Kit Planes For Dummies" type book. But maybe the best, most general aviation book is one from 1944 called "Stick and Rudder." Most pilots end up reading it at some point.

https://www.amazon.com/Stick-Rudder-Explanation-Art-Flying/dp/0070362408

I found that Stick and Rudder is a good book on actually flying the plane. There are some technical inaccuracies (I'm an engineer so this bothers me, but others it might not so much) but it is a great for pilotage and helping with getting a feel for the plane. It's also a very good introductory book for flying, nothing too technical, just flying.

You can always study and take your written exam, many people think this should wait till you have some flight experience and that definitely helps, but you could still take it. The FAA manuals linked by /u/theygoup are good and free but boring. Rod Machado's PPL Book has similar information but is a little easier to read and has lots of really corny jokes, only $40 or $60 bucks, I refer to it much more often than the FAA manuals.

Sims could never hold my attention very long but I imagine there is some benefit to them, even if it's just instrument prep.

EDIT: I forgot, get a copy of the FAR/AIM from sporty's or someone (I prefer a print copy) or just refer to the online version. A lot of good information is there

I haven't done TW but this is good for all flying, esp stick and rudder https://www.amazon.ca/Stick-Rudder-Explanation-Art-Flying/dp/0070362408/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491856814&sr=8-1&keywords=stick+and+rudder

If you're looking into aircraft side of things, then I would strongly recommend picking up Stick and Rudder

It's not a text on the engineering aspect, but it's good to have a grasp on how pilots will be using the aircraft you work on.

If my CFI were a redditor, I'd have you thank him.

In lieu of that, I'd suggest you get this book. It will teach you a lot about aerodynamics and basic flying skills.

Why your plan is awesome

I know I'm a little late to the party, but I really like this topic. Hopefully this isn't so late that it's useless.

Most people will tell you that a home simulator is useless or worse than useless for PPL training. I disagree, provided you use it correctly. Let me break it down a bit. When you're flying, this is basically what's going on:

1. Every 10ms: Adjust control inputs in response to the feeling of the controls.
   
2. Every 100ms: Adjust control inputs in response to the sight picture of the cowling and wings relative to the horizon.
   
3. Every 1-5s: Adjust the sight picture you're trying to achieve based on the information on your instruments.
   
4. Every 1-5m: Check engine instruments, navigation, talk to ATC, etc.
   
   So, that basic model isn't exactly accurate in all phases of flight, but it's a reasonable approximation. Here's the thing. A good desktop sim can teach you all of those but the first one. Why wouldn't you want a tool that can mostly teach you how to fly for $0/hr after setup costs? I did this for my PPL training and had excellent results.
   
   

   How to use a sim effectively
   

   
   You can definitely build terrible habits in a home sim, and that's why they have a bad reputation for PPL students. However, there are some easy things you can do to avoid that.
   
   

• Get your feet wet with the XPlane Learn to Fly tutorial. You'll make lots of mistakes, but starting with something fun will keep you motivated.
  
• Read the PHAK.
  
• Read the AFH. The AFH details all the maneuvers you'll need to learn during PPL training. Learn how to do them in your sim!
  
• Learn how an airplane actually flies. I recommend Stick and Rudder and See How it Flies.
  
• Do not fixate on your instruments! Practice maneuvers with the instruments covered or failed, then check to see how you did. E.g. cover the instruments, do a 360 degree 30 degree bank turn, and then uncover the instruments to see if you gained or lost altitude. Do this until your error is < 50ft. You MUST learn to fly by looking outside.
  
• Don't fly with trim. This is hard in a sim because our yokes are dumb. In a real airplane, you set the yoke where it needs to be and trim until the pressure goes away. The yoke never moves. In a sim, it's a tricky dance where you hold pressure and then slowly ease it back to the center while trimming. It sucks, but it's way better than flying by trim, which will cause endless pitch and altitude oscillations.
  
• Once you can fly a pattern without embarrassing yourself, get online with PilotEdge. Trust me, it's a fantastic training experience and just plain fun.
  
• Once you start real flying lessons, ask your instructor what you'll be covering in each lesson a few days before. Then practice those tasks in the sim beforehand. This will save tons of time in the air because you'll be polishing and transferring skills instead of learning them fresh. For bonus points, practice until you can meet the Airman Certification Standards in the sim where applicable.
  
• Use the sim to practice things that would be unsafe in real life. Engine failure on takeoff? No problem in the sim. Elevator failure? Sure, why not. Lost coms procedure? Hop on PilotEdge and do it.
  
  

  Hardware recommendations:
  

  
  

• Yoke / Joystick: If you'll be flying something with a yoke, I'd get a yoke. I 100% agree with XPlane's recommendation of the CH Eclipse unless you're ready to drop $1500 on an Iris. Saitek's yokes look nicer, but their pitch axis sticks, which is infuriating. It basically makes precise pitch control impossible, which is the single most important part of a yoke.
  
• Rudder pedals: I have the CH rudder pedals and have no complaints except I wish they required a bit more force. I've also used the Saitek pedals, and they're fine too.
  
• Trim Wheel: Unfortunately Saitek discontinued their trim wheel, and it's now a bit pricey used. You definitely need one. I don't have experience with other options.
  
• Throttles: The Saitek throttle quadrant is great, and I love the fact that it comes with a nice row of buttons underneath. Alternately, you can use the throttles built into the yoke. I did that for a while, but found that reaching over the yoke to adjust the throttle was causing strain on my shoulder and giving me headaches.
  
• Head tracking: Not sure if you'll need this with 6 displays. I've got 3 set up for a 180 degree FOV, and I definitely need it. For pattern work, you really need a 270 degree FOV so you can look back at the runway. Also, it's really helpful to be able to lean forward, backward, and side to side so you can spot things that are behind the pillars. Obviously you won't go wrong with a TrackIR, but I've had great success with the DelanClip which is much cheaper.
  
• Switches and radios: Once again, Saitek makes some reasonably nice gear here. IMO this is completely optional for PPL practice.
  
• ATC: A subscription to PilotEdge is AMAZING for learning radio work and how to navigate airspace.
  
  Since you said money is not an issue, you might consider some more expensive hardware options. I have no experience with any of those, but they sure look nice :)

Heres the link for anyone interested.

I assume you downloaded these;

Pilots Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge

Airplane Flying Handbook

Aeronautical Information Manual

Another book that helped me out is Stick and Rudder.

This?

https://www.amazon.com/Stick-Rudder-Explanation-Art-Flying/dp/0070362408