About

The author of these books, William K. Kershner, soloed an Aeronca Defender at the age of 16. In the next 60 years he acquired over 11,000 hours of flight time with an estimated 50 hours on autopilot. The aircraft he flew ranged from a 40HP Piper Cub to 2,000HP Corsairs, Hellcats and Bearcats in the U.S. Navy, along with jet fighters such as the Grumman Cougar.
Bill flew as a corporate pilot after the Navy then worked for Piper Aircraft in the early 1960’s, testing new airplanes like the Comanche 400 (PA-24-400) and the never-produced PA-29 Papoose, Piper’s experimental composite (fiberglass) airplane. When he became more successful as a writer, he moved his family to Sewanee, Tennessee to write and flight instruct at the Franklin County airport (airport code of UOS – lettered for the nearby University Of the South).
His first book, The Student Pilot’s Flight Manual was published in 1960 and to date has about 900,000 copies in print. The second book, The Advanced Pilot’s Flight Manual (originally The Private Pilot’s Flight Manual), deals with aerodynamics and performance for the Commercial certificate applicant. The Instrument Flight Manual was written after moving to Sewanee, followed by The Flight Instructor’s Manual. Bill’s last manual is The Basic Aerobatic Manual, which is geared towards the Cessna 150 or 152 Aerobat models, but has information useful in a wide range of aerobatic planes. In 2001, Logging Flight Time was published, a collection of stories and reminiscences on his decades in aviation.

I didn’t develop an interest in aviation until in my 20’s. I soloed at 26 in a Cessna 152 under the instruction of my father. When I developed a desire to fly for a major airline, I acquired my Instrument, Commercial, multi-engine commercial, CFI and CFI-I over one summer. I was lucky to flight instruct for Genie Rae O’Kelley at Volunteer Aviation of Knoxville at TYS, Knoxville, Tennessee, then fly Embraer Bandeirantes for Tennessee/Iowa Airways. I flew Metroliners for Nashville Eagle, then was fortunate enough to get hired by American Airlines in 1989. I got to fly 727’s, MD-80’s, Fokker 100’s and Boeing 777’s as first officer and Fokker 100’s and 737’s as both captain and check airman. Having been an airline pilot (versus a crop duster or full-time flight instructor) I’ve spent the bulk of my flying at high-altitude cruise in jets, but the sights I’ve been able to see and the great people I’ve flown with has been amazing- all thanks to a career in flying.

The Flight Manual Series have been updated since William K. Kershner’s death in 2007. With the help of a very patient editor at the publisher ASA, the newest editions are the Student, 12th; Advanced, 9th; Instrument, 8th; Flight Instructor, 6th; and the Basic Aerobatic Manual, 3rd. These are all available from the publisher, Aviation Supplies and Academics (ASA2FLY.com) and many other sources such as amazon.com as soft cover books, ebooks, and bundles with both formats.

Visit William K. Kershner’s Cessna 152 Aerobat, N7557L, at the Air and Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles International Airport near Washington, DC.

Remember to Aviate, navigate, then communicate.

Safe and enjoyable flying!

William C. Kershner
Sewanee, Tennessee