PilotGEEK Blog

This month we will look at Capt. Jepp and the Little Black Book. This book is one which really made an impression on me. I can honestly say that this book changed the way I think about flying. I really have a whole new outlook on aviation because of this book.

Before I get into the story of this great book I want to tell you why it has made such an impression on me. In October I left the flight line as a full time flight instructor and took a full time job. I was sad to not be at the airport everyday but I was very excited about my opportunity at a new company. I work for a company called SOLIDFX and we sell e-readers which are capable of displaying Jeppesen charts. Our FX10 product is the only way a pilot can display Jeppesen charts electronically in the cockpit other than on an aircraft screen or a full-blown laptop computer. I was very excited to be working at an aviation related technology business and this book really motivated me. The gentleman who founded our company, who himself is an instrument rated private pilot, asked me one day, “Matt have you ever read Capt. Jepp and the Little Black Book?”

I replied, “No, I’ve never even heard of the book before.” A long conversation ensued about how it was a great story. Within a few days a copy of the book was delivered to our office and I was off-and-reading! Just like the few other books I really enjoy I read through this book in just a handful of days. After reading it I had a renewed motivation at work. I realized how important what I do really is, how important approach plates really are to pilots. For this reason the book has earned a special place on my bookshelf.

The book features the life story of Elrey B. Jeppesen who truly was an aviation hero in every sense of the word. Mr. Jeppesen did it all and the story from his humble beginnings to an illustrious aviation career is really a portrayal of the American Dream. Elrey started out by living in a small hangar and flying for an aerial circus. From there he went on to do many things and eventually build one of the most well known aviation businesses in the world. This book is not just about Mr. Jeppesen though, it is really three stories in one. The life of Elrey is the main story and tied with that are the history of aviation in the United States as well as the history of aeronautical charts.

As someone who collects charts, one of my prized possession is the sectional chart from when I started taking lessons, this story peaked my interest continuously. The stories of Elrey climbing mountains with altimeters on his back pack to make enroute charts really took me into the story of his life. Then there were the stories of Elrey pacing out how far farm silos were from runways so that he could make safe descents into airports when the visibility was low. I could write on and on about everything from this book or I could just say go order the book and read it. Also, please order the book directly from Jeppesen, do not buy a used copy online or in a bookstore. The reason why I feel so adamantly about this point is because Jeppesen donates a portion of the profits from the book to the Jeppesen Aviation Foundation. In hard economic times the number of new pilots is very low and as flight schools struggle across the country this is a great thing. The Jeppesen Aviation Foundation provides scholarships to young aspiring pilots. Not too long ago I was an aviation student in a college program and I have seen a good deal of really skilled young pilots drop out of a flying programs in school because of a lack of funding. So please, for me, if you want to read this book, buy it directly from Jeppesen.

At the end of the day whether or not you are an instrument rated pilot and whether or not you have ever used Jeppesen charts the story of Elrey B. Jeppesen will keep you turning the pages. Just like the two previous books I have reviewed I can say this is a great read. I will rate Capt. Jepp and the Little Black Book as a five out of five stars of my aviation book review scale. If you can read this book through and not want to go hop in a plane, even just for one lap around the pattern, I’d be very surprised!

Matthew Elia earned his instrument rating with Delta Connection Academy at Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts. As a young college student he would tell his parents he wanted a one-year subscription for the New England states from Jeppesen for Christmas. Now because of his job he has an FX10 chart viewer with the entire world of Jeppesen charts included, but he still keeps his genuine cowhide binder of the six New England States. If asked he will admit that he likes to have the binder on his aviation book shelve because it adds a classy look with his Delta Connection manual binders. For this reason we have Matt writing book reviews for the PilotGEEK blog!

If you would like to recommend a book for reviewing email Matt at:EliaAviation@gmail.com or leave a comment below.

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