EDR wrote

"Yeah, Bill Thompson sometimes got a little sensational to sell his
books. sigh"

That's a potentially litiguous statement for a barrister, isn't it
Rick? I think you owes us a more complete explaination.
You have opened the door on this topic, now walk us through it.

First, let me say that I know neither Mr. Thompson nor Mr. Durden. I
find on web sources that Mr. Durden worked for the Cessna Aircraft
Company in their legal department for about eight years. Mr. Durden is
also the holder of numerous airman certificates including an ATP.

I post the following from the back cover of Mr. Thompson's book.

"The author learned to fly in college in gliders and airplanes in 1940,
and continued his advanced flight training in St. Louis while working
for Curtiss-Wright Airplane Company until 1942. In the war emergency he
trained Army Air Corps and French Cadets for a Civilian Contract School
in South Carolina. Returning to Purdue University in 1945 and switching
to an aeronautical engineering curriculum, he graduated in February,
1947. For the next 28-years, he worked for Cessna Aircraft Company as an
engineering test pilot and, later, as the Manager of Flight Test &
Aerodynamics. He is a Fellow in the Society of Experimental Test
Pi-lots, and at Cessna was a long-time member of the SAE Cockpit
Standardization Committee and the sole representative of the General
Aviation Industry on NASA's Aerodynamics/Aeronautics Committees.
Presently, he owns Thompson Aeronautical Consultants and is an FAA
Engineering Representative for flight test pilot/analyst assignments."


I now ask myself.....self, who has the most credibility when it comes to
discussing the aerodynamic effects of various flap settings on a Cessna
172 airplane? :-)

Bob Moore