The Flying Book: Everything You've Ever Wondered About Flying on Airplanes

Gordon C. Shaw is professor emeritus in the Faculty of Administrative
Studies at York University.

The Flying Book is designed to explain in lay language everything that a
prospective passenger might want to know about using commercial
aircraft.

The book comprises nine chapters with such titles as “How do
Airplanes Work?,” “Behind Cockpit Doors, “Behind the Scenes at the
Airline,” and “Building of Airplanes.” Chapter 1, the book’s
most technical chapter, explains why an airplane can lift off the ground
to fly. The following chapters deal with airline food, airport security,
what happens to checked baggage, the role of flight attendants, the
controversial deregulation of airlines, and airport security, among
other topics. The book finishes with a chapter on the history of flight
and an epilogue on the “future of flying.”

These varied topics are presented in an easy-to-read format, often with
a touch of humour. Recommended for novice and/or nervous travellers, and
especially for young readers who are just starting to develop an
interest in air travel.