"C J Campbell" wrote in message news:
...I realize that criticizing Langewiesche is an attack on a basic religious
belief, but the truth is that some progress in understanding aviation has
been made in the more than sixty years since the book was written, even if,
as is sometimes claimed, the basic principles of aerodynamics have not
changed....

Yup, that's certainly true. When I read the book as a student pilot,
I was aware of it's age and took much of it with a grain of salt.
That being said, I enjoyed it and found it of some use. The style of
explanation in that day is sometimes more straightforward and works
better with me than some of the more modern textbook styles today. I
was able to get a concept better by reading Jeppeson, getting puzzled,
reading Stick & Rudder, getting the idea, and re-reading Jeppeson to
get the modern corrections.

Yeah, I read a lot. Works for me, your mileage may vary.

I'm reading some aerodynamics stuff now and understand the wing
better, but for many purposes the idea that "the wing flys because it
pushes air down" is good enough. If you're going to build wings or
such that's clearly too weak, but for knowing how to fly it works.

Perhaps I'm just a young old fart?

-Malcolm Teas