Stick and Rudder was one of my favorite books learning to fly. Yes we all needed to know what to do and that book was very helpful. Most of my flying through commercial pilot was reading books, no ground school. I taught my self aerobatics by reading Roll around a Point by Dwayne Cole. I ended up teaching Art Scholls aerobatics class at Flabob airport in Riverside California with a one hour brush up with Art. He did the inverted spin scene or tried to in Top Gun when Goose was killed. He crashed into the Pacific off of San Clamente doing the filming. Notice at the end of Top Gun this is dedicated to the memory of Art Scholl.
Bob Hoover was a good friend of Art's. He would land at Flabob on one wheel in his Shrike just because he wanted to see him. What a great guy Bob is. We see him every year at the Reno Air Races.
I have been blessed with many legends in aviation knowing them personally.
I couldn't be happier with how my aviation career went from crop dusting to aerobatics to corporate jets and finally wide body international flying.