If you’re debating on what aviation headset to buy, you probably know that Bose has a strong offering. They are arguably the industry leader in aviation headsets. You probably also know that you will pay for the premium quality, but might have a hard time deciding between what Bose has to offer. Take a look at this comparison, and consider buying with the affiliate links in the comments section of the video if you found this review comparison helpful.

Sometimes it feels like you have to be a lawyer if you want to be a pilot. There are so many rules to remember and different situations and places where different rules apply. The FAA expects us to know and abide by all of the applicable rules at the right time and in the right place, but it is confusing because there are dozens of publications with different information. This is on top of everything you need to know about the aircraft, flight planning, and good decision making, etc. One of the most daunting things is to be able to figure out all the things you need to know without having to sift through mounds of FAR’s, legal interpretations, and unique applications for your operation. For years I looked for something that would put everything I need to know together in an easy to interpret format.

That is when I finally discovered the book “Everything Explained for the Professional Pilot” by Richie Lengel. Richie is the publishing author, but there are many people that have made contributions to make this book the most thorough collection of easy to read regulations and rules of thumb from piston to jet. This is by far the best aviation book you can buy! It’s no wonder this is the #1 best selling aviation reference book in the world (according to the website).

Why Spend The Money?

If you are a pilot, or looking to be a pilot, take a look at this book. Money becomes scarce, especially when you’re trying to pay for your flight training on your own. Everything from a headset, books, tools, and most expensive: aircraft rental with fuel. You can spend tens of thousands of dollars just to get your training completed. If time is money, then buying this book for under $100 is well worth the cash you spend. 

If you are just starting your flight training and want to invest in the best tools, this is my retrospective spending priority list in order of must have.

1. Headset (don’t rent if you’re in it for the long run; I use Bose)
2. iPad with Foreflight
3. Everything Explained for the Professional Pilot

There are other things you may want in between these like a hard copy of the FAR’s for highlighting and tabbing, fuel strainer/measuring, good sunglasses, kneeboard, etc. This book is by far the cheapest thing in the list, so for a conservative budget, get this book first.

Digital or Hard Copy?

If you have an iPad already (to use with Foreflight, which I also recommend), then the digital version is especially helpful. You can search for specific terms, highlight words or sections, add arrows, and bookmark pages for quick review. 

This is not a paid endorsement and I will give it to you straight. There are down sides to the digital version of this book: your highlights and bookmarks don’t forward on when you buy the new edition. You can sync it to the cloud and see both versions in your app, but it’s not all roses and rainbows. There are still technological limitations to what can be done. Perhaps in the future there will be a recurring update that will forward bookmarks, annotations, and highlighting, but for now, this is just a digital book with some great features.

If I Started Over

My only regret about this book is not discovering it sooner. If I had this book as a private pilot, my studies would have been so much easier, and I definitely would be a smarter pilot than I was. This book would be invaluable in teaching my students. Sometimes students have random questions that take some research to remember. Now it’s easy to find. Remember to check the most current FAR’s: lucky for us, the references are in this book. How convenient!

A smarter pilot that is always learning is a better pilot. If you already have this book, share your comments of how it has helped you. You can find it in the Apple App Store, or from www.aviation-press.com in soft cover copies.