What does Brian decide must be done to land the plane? Where did most of Brian's knowledge of the wilderness and animals come from?

Brian realizes that once the plane begins to run out of fuel, it will begin to slow down. His plan to land the plane is to tilt the nose down to keep it flying. He will then pull the nose up to slow the speed of the plane just before it hits the ground. To increase his chance of survival, he determines that he should attempt to land in the shallow part of a lake. Brian thought of his plan as trying to "fly the plane kind of onto the water."
Brian's knowledge about the wilderness and animals is gained through a combination of experience and trial-and-error. Brian makes many mistakes as he struggles to survive, and he learns from his mistakes. For example, it is through trial and error that Brian learns to catch fish with his bow and arrow. After many trials, he realizes that he must consider that water refracts light. For this reason, he must aim just below the fish. Brian also learns through an encounter with a skunk that he must create a more effective shelter to protect himself and his food.