World War I Aviator's Pocket Manual

How the first military pilots learned to fly—and fight: guidance from Great War training manuals.

Aviation was still in its infancy when World War I broke out—and newly formed air forces produced manuals to help pioneers heading for the skies as they took warfare into a new dimension with reconnaissance missions, primitive bombing attempts, and attacks on enemy aircraft.

Pulling together information from British manuals such as A Few Hints for the Flying Officer and Practical Flying, as well as American, German, and French training guides, this book shows the type of information the pilots were given, such as:

· The basics of how to care for, start, and fly an aircraft
· Tactics and strategy in the air
· Identifying whether vehicles below were friend or foe
· Interacting with mechanics
· Coordinating with army or naval forces, and more

This fascinating time capsule opens up the world of the Great War aviator and includes introductions to the manuals by Chris McNab, setting them in context and providing background.