The lasting popularity of this classic book is aptly demonstrated by the fact that this is the eleventh edition. This is also the third time that the current reviewers have undertaken the task of updating it, and we hope that the changes will be as well received this time as previously.It would be unreasonable to try to include details of all recent developments, and furthermore, we wanted to retain as much as possible of the practical detail that Kermode supplied. This detail nowadays relates mostly to light general aviation and initial training aircraft, of the type that will be encountered by anyone who wishes to learn to fly. However, transonic, supersonic and even space flight are given their place.The late A. e. Kermode was a highranking Royal Air Force officer responsible for training. He also had a vast accumulation of practical aeronautical experience, both in the air and on the ground. It is this direct knowledge that provided the strength and authority of his book