Stick and Rudder; written by Wolfgang Langewiesche. The book showcases the first attempt at the analysis of flying. The ambitious claim from the author insinuates that a thorough reading of the book is equivalent to many flying hours in the air.
“A light airplane might have to sacrifice 75 feet of altitude in exchange for new speed and lift; in a heavy bomber the same thing might take several thousand feet of altitude. In any airplane, the pilot is extremely careful not to slow the airplane up too much unless he has enough air space under him for recovery from a stall – plus a big margin of safety. If he has a lot of altitude, on the other hand he may stall the airplane for fun; and he may safely try some maneuver that might possibly result in a stall, for he can always use his altitude to purchase new speed and lift. Thus, as one writer on the art of flying puts it, “Altitude is money in the bank”.” (pg. 81)
I chose this rather lengthy quote because the writer symbolizes how altitude and speed can be referred to as money in the bank; the more money in the bank you have (altitude), the more you can purchase (speed and lift). It is a very different thinking of how basic principles of flight can be referred to, and this is why this particular quotation caught my eye. With more money in the bank, comes more opportunities to practice your turns; even power-on stalls for future reference. The point being, always try to have lots of money in the bank, if possible. It is truly a skill to be able to fully master a smooth climb, bank, or even a smooth descent. It requires a specific amount of rudder, yoke, and pitch input to the aircraft.