Your local library can sometimes obtain a physical copy of the 3rd edition. You can then scan it yourself (for personal use only).
Do not pay for random "instant download" websites that spam you with ads. The authentic Handling the Big Jets.pdf is often hosted for free by retired pilots on personal blogs, but verify the source. Handling the Big Jets.pdf
Another pillar of Davies’ essay is his skeptical view of automation. Writing at the dawn of the digital era, he predicted the "automation paradox." He argued that as flight decks became filled with computers, the pilot’s manual handling skills would atrophy. He coined the concept of the "automatic pilot syndrome," where crews trust the flight director blindly, even when the instruments fail. Your local library can sometimes obtain a physical
Davies insisted on a "raw data" philosophy. He taught that a captain should be able to fly an ILS approach with the flight director switched off, using only the raw localizer and glideslope needles. The essay uses a powerful analogy: the autopilot is a servant, not the master. He was deeply concerned that pilots were becoming "systems managers" who could program a flight computer but could not feel the aircraft approaching a stall. For Davies, handling the big jets meant maintaining a kinetic connection to the machine—feeling the control forces lighten as speed bleeds off, and feeling the inertia shift during a turn. Another pillar of Davies’ essay is his skeptical
If you are enrolled in a flight school (e.g., Embry-Riddle, CAE Oxford), check your library portal. Many universities have a digital copy licensed for student use.