ETLB Squawk Forums — Archive

After being inspired by the "Flying Movies" thread I thought I would start this one about books.  Having just finished Flight of Passage I have been motivated to share this challenging and heartwarming story with other pilots who could identify with it.  Below is my review:

The book "Flight of Passage" could easily have been titled Flight of Passion.  This true life story of two teenage brothers preparing for then actually flying their self-restored Piper Cub PA-11 coast to coast in the mid 60's is far more than a documented flying story.  At ages 15 and 17 the maturing brothers are wrestling with their own identity, wanting to do something significant & memorable for their personal growth while coming to grips with how to deal with their eccentric & dominating father.  

However different the boys' personalities, it soon became apparent to them that they must capitalize on their strengths, cooperate and become a team for their plan to succeed.  The task of completely rebuilding their $300 airplane and flying it to California was too difficult for it to be an individual project.  

The story deftly creates the total atmosphere of sibling conflict, parental overbearing, family ties, school responsibilities, absurd antics and problem solving all intertwined with preparations for and actually flying the California trip.  It is at times both heartwarming and a tear-jerker to anyone who has accomplished similar long sought after goals in their youth.  The boy are really two gutsy kids who know how to think and have learned self-discipline and responsibility.  This book cements their growth and widens their perspective of how ornery and pleasant people can be.

Although their original goal was to prove themselves and get away from their father, they accomplished much more than that and in the process set a flying record that has yet to be surmounted.

Paul Fiebich

Sounds like a good read. One I read long long ago (one of many) was "By the Seat of my Pants" It was a cross country and totally seat of the pants. Think it was a Jenny.
Just read Flyboys by Bradley (also wrote "flags of our fathers") Non fiction account, WW2 airmen shot down, GW senior was one. Hermit

Someone recently on this board also recommended the book "Propellerhead", I ordered it together with the DVD "Cloud Dancer".....still waiting impatiently on it though!

Most any book by Richard Bach is also very good.........Illusions, Stranger to the Ground, Biplane, There's no such place as far away, A gift of wings, and of course probably his most famous of all, Jonathan Livingston Seagull

“FOREVER FLYING” a bio by Bob Hoover.  Amazing story.  The guy should have died about ten times over.  He even escaped from a German POW camp, stole a German aircraft and flew it to safety.  A great book about a fantastic pilot and a true gentleman.

The best books i have run across is by Richard Bach, Biplane and Stranger to the Ground.
Tom

OK...I have read " ."Flight of Passage"...yes did enjoy it....too bad about the water bag...!! But thats what fathers are for. ( a comment for those that have read the book.)

Top of my list is Propellerhead...the only fiction book I own, however it is stated that all the events are true...to protect flying licenses.

Good books to read are : Forever Flying , Bob Hoover.

Yeager

The Big show...Pierre Closterman (WW2 French fighter Pilot)

Samurai ...Saburo Sakai   ( WW2 Jap Fighter Pilot)

Sagittarius Rising by Cecil Lewis ( WW1 RFC pilot ace)

So you want to be a ferry Pilot, by Spike Nasmyth. A modern day ferry pilot with some great stories

Phantom over Vietnam By John Trotti.....self explanatory title

A great Chopper story, which is a must have item for your libary is a book by Robert Mason...Titled ......Chickenhawk....read it if you have the guts....it is quite graphic. A great read.

Flak....By Michael Veitch...True stories from WW2

The Happy Bottom Riding Club....the life and times of Pancho Barnes by Lauren Kessler

Nicky Barr...an Australian Air Ace by Peter Dorman

An excellent book...North Star over my Shoulder by Bob Buck...right up there with Forever Flying, ChickenHawk and Propellerhead.

One More Hour...Desmond Scott....Best selling author of Typoon Pilot

And also if you like carnage of aircraft...but not a great book...By the skin of your Teeth....a crop dusters story... by Bill Robinet

I have read these books and you can find reviews on Amazon Books for those that may be interested.

regards Arthur........the book worm.?

And for the purists...Saint-Exupery .....Flight to Arras, Wind, Sand and Stars and Night Flight..all in a book titled Airmans Odyssey.


I didnt like it much as it was very wordy and descriptive....but most do like it....maybe Im different.

regards  Arthur

I reread "Flight of Passage" a couple of weeks ago. It really is a great book!

A few others:

"Samurai" by Saburo Sakai

"Baa Baa Black Sheep"; Greg Boyington's autobiography

"Fate is the Hunter" By Ernest K. Gann.  

"I Learned about Flying From That" from Flying magazine. I have a couple of the compilation books from the magazine column, and they make for great short reads...you know... when you are looking for something that you can sit down and read for five to ten minutes.....  

I sold the Pietenpol a couple of years ago and Richard Bach's son Rob came down and flew it back for the new owner in Mn. It was a real treat to meet him as ,even tho he is an airline captain, he got his love of old open cockpit wood airplanes from Richard. Said his dad was doing fine, but i wasnt able to ask him if he still flew. Probably 20 years ago I had a tape copy of the actor Richard Harris reading J L Seagull. He did a wonderful job and you could close your eyes as he read and could see Jonathan flying and curving the feathers just so for a light landing on the shore. There is a lot of people out there that love airplanes just like we do. Hope it wont end shortly, but I fear it might. Flying is a sport for the rich people after all.
Tom Mathes

Has this Thread died or is every one out reading ....?

Im currently finishing a book titled 'Dream aircraft' The most facinating airplanes Ive ever flown by Barry Schill...if your a pilot and like flying this book will be on your shelf...ask Airbike Ace

The books I've purchased and still need to read are:

Low Level Hell...scout pilot in the big red one..veitnam chopper story

PAK SIX.....G.I Basel...Blistering account of the airwar over north vietnam

Flying the Alaska Wild....Mort Mason..adventures and misadventures of an alaska bush pilot

Flying the Alaska Gold, Grizzlies, Gold, Gangsters by David Horner....recommended by Charlie Harris, as a very good read.

Fly....true stories of courage and adventure from airmen of WW2...by Micheal Veitch

Rattler one seven...a vietnam helicopters war story

Flying Old Planes by Frank Tallman....pilot reports on at least 22 aircraft, forward by Ernest K Gann. Frank Tallman was a hollywood stunt pilot, and made many an avaition movie...he was partnered with Paul Mantz who died in a crash while filming the 1960's version of Flight of the phoenix....This is a good book printed in 1973.(have read a couple of chapters,,,so far very good)

The reason I have so many books to read is 98% of these book have come from the USA....Just 2 months ago our Aussie dollar was at 98 US cents, which means most books cost me 12-40 dollars....NOW the Aussie dollar is hovering just above 60US cents....!!!! Almost twice the price.

So hopefully I have stocked up until this world economic crisis is over..?

regards Arthur

Quoted from Arthur Withy Has this Thread died or is every one out reading ....?

My secondary's senior year reminds me of the flying books handled notoriously by our English/Literature old maid teacher along with used chalk eraser! Sad to say I'm not reading. I only heard a real flying story from a book once, it was told by my elder brother (a detailman, now missing) The book written by Saburo Sakai a japanese ace. While riding with his company's service car, white Volkswagon 1967 beatle into his coverage area deep south of the Philippines. It was August 5, 1976, travelling along rough road highway,  9hrs. sitting inside the car, story told the  value of dicipline, courage and honor. Unfortunately, we were stopped by a group of MNLF, kidnapped. I was released but my brother who told the stories never make it.

A couple more

Under a War Torn Sky- fiction- story of a B-24 pilot shot down over german occupied france

WWII Bombardier's story- Non Fiction- autobiography of a bombardier flying B24s in Itally

Chris

Just remembered a book I read many years ago called "The Man Who Rode the Thunder" by William H. Rankin. Great true story about a Marine pilot who lost the hydraulics in his F-8 Crusader and bailed out directly into a thunderstorm. The parachute deployed and he was trapped, riding the updrafts and downdrafts for 45 minutes (I think that's how long it was). He thought the 'chute would fail, nearly drowned, once believed he was thrown inside the parachute. The book included photographs of his plane's crash site (nothing much but a crater in the ground) and a picture while he was in the hospital (beaten black and blue from the storm). I would love to find the book again!    

Did a search on Amazon books

try this link

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb.....er&x=16&y=17

Sounds like a good read

regards Arthur

If you want flying excitment and real life adventure, you must read Don Sheldon's book "Wager With the Wind".

To quote a book review:
"The book description states "Don Sheldon has been called 'Alaska's bush pilot among bush pilots'", but he was also just one man in a fragile airplane who, in the end, was solely responsible for each mission he flew, be it a high-risk landing to the rescue of others from certain death in the mountains of Alaska or the routine delivery of supplies to a lonely homesteader."

The Seattle Times wrote "We'll wager this is one book you won't be able to put down!" I can attest to that! I think every anyone would enjoy this book but it is an absolute must read for any pilot."

Check out these links:
Book review:  http://www.myflightblog.com/archives/don-sheldon-bush-pilot-extrordinaire.php
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obi.....21&link_code=as1

(If I knew how to make these links clickable I would do so)

Paul Fiebich

Great book.  Fantastic stories.

Its on the list..Thanks Paul


.....Just need the Aussie dollar to crawl back...at 67 cents it's an expensive read, however I did pay $80 for "By the skin of your teeth" by Bill Robinet...and it really is only a 15 dollar book....certainly not a great book but an interesting read on cropdusting and carnage of aeroplanes, people and bugs in the 1950's in open cockpit biplanes.

regards Arthur

I just finished "Flight of Passage" deffinately a good read.

Chris

And Now to read Pauls (Airbike Ace) Copy of Dream Aircraft....!!!!

Glad you like the read....and now you know all about the waterbag.....it's certainly a fathers concern.....

regards Arthur

So many books, so little time!

Glad you liked the book "Flight of Passage" Chris, any one of us can ride right along with those two kids.  They had a lot of guts to make that trip and then fly it back home.

Arthur, can't you get those books at a library?  You must pay some pretty dear prices to have them added to your list.  I really enjoyed and treasure the book you sent me: "Dream Aircraft".  The way it is written with each "chapter" being about a different airplane one an pick and choose to read chapters at random and in no particular sequence. I particularly like the comment you made on the accompanying card.

I am currently reading another book that should be added to all of our lists, it is titled "Reflections of a Teenage Barnstormer" by Peyton  Autry.  Written in the first person, Peyton describes his two month adventure as a 16-year old helper who goes on tour with a barnstormer in a Waco during the early '30s.  Although sometimes it diverges into excessive local historical background of the places they visit one can still participate vicariously in the entire barnstorming experience with him.  The book includes many B & W photos.

Make time to read, it will enrichen your lives.

Paul Fiebich

Just finished Flight of Passage.  Good recomendation.  This book may have cured my desire for a tandem - two hole bug smasher.

I remembered a reference to “St Ex” while reading FLIGHT OF PASSAGE, and went looking on the web.  I found and read WIND, SAND AND STARS by ANTOINE DE SAINT-EXUPERY.  One of the better books I have read in some time.  Published in 1939, St Ex, a Frenchman, flew mail routes through uncharted territory in the early 1900s.  Really well written – first hand experiences; Being blown out to sea without enough speed to come back to land.  Muslim slave traders.  Crashing in the dessert.  If you ever wondered what it would be like to die in the dessert, you will wonder no longer after reading this book.  I enjoyed the book so much, I bought another by the same author.

I'd like to add the following books to the list that have yet to be mentioned:
"We" by Charles Lindbergh
"Voyager" by Dick Rutan and Jeannie Yeager  
"Reach for the Sky" the story of Douglas Bader by Paul Brickhill
"Fly For Your Life, The Story of Bob Stanford Tuck"  by Larry Forrester
"The Blonde Knight of Germany: The True Story of Erich Hartmann the Greatest Fighter Pilot of All Time"  by Raymond F. Toliver and Trevor J. Constable
"Ace of Aces: The Dick Bong Story" by George C. Kenney
I've read every paperback book available on WW I and WW II fighter pilots that I could get my hands on. I don't remember all the titles but there were several that recalled the stories of the Hellcats, Wildcats and P-38's in the Pacific theater, I just wish I could remember the titles.
I've read (and collected) everything Richard Bach has written, several are autographed by Richard who was a regular at Oshkosh. I also had a copy of "Baa Baa Black Sheep" that Pappy Boyington autographed for me, but I can't find it anywhere.  
As mentioned by others, Saburo Sakai's "Samauri" is a standout.
I like to recommend a book that had a limited printing titled "Pacific Air Race". If you think Lindbergh had it tough finding the Irish coast, you need to read how tough it was finding the Hawiian Islands in aviation's early days.
Lastly, the author Nevil Shute was mentioned to me long ago. I started reading his novel "Pastoral" but have yet to finish it. Perhaps I'll get back to it soon. This tread has me watering at the mouth for a good aviation related book to read.

Quoted from Arthur Withy
The books I've purchased and still need to read are:

Low Level Hell...scout pilot in the big red one..veitnam chopper story

regards Arthur

That is a great book.  Hugh Mills, the author of Low Level Hell, is a friend of mine.  He and I served together in a tank battalion in 1970 just after he finished a tour in Viet Nam.  We both commanded the same tank company in succession.  His personality was just as "big" as you would gather from the book...a very unforgettable character.

Some more Hugh Mills anecdotes:
- One night in Viet Nam his friend Rod Willis drew a bullseye on Hugh's "chicken plate" (the armor plate that pilot's wore over their chest".  The very next day Hugh was wearing that plate and a small caliber bullet hit dead center in the bullseye!  You can see a picture of this in "Gunslingers in Action by Lou Drendel".

- Our tank battalion was having a games day and it rained on the sports field the night before and it was a soggy mess.  Hugh got a helicopter and hovered over the field until it was "blow dryed".

- Hugh's helicopter "Miss Clawd IV" is hanging in the Army Aviation museum at Ft. Rucker.  The name came from his girlfriend "Claudia".

Charlie

Book Review
Fokkers At Six O'clock!!
by Paul Fiebich

If you are a pilot who loves those little replica WW  I  airplanes and have heard of Dick Starks and the Dawn Patrol you will enjoy this collection of reprinted Kitplanes Magazine articles.  If you are uninitiated, “Fokkers At Six O'clock!!”, is a wonderful way to become so.

Dick is a master at making himself look inept, weaving convoluted stories out of the situations he finds, or gets, himself into and generally having a grand time pursuing his dreams of flying with his buddies and his pilot wife.  All the stories are based on some element of truth which in turn are embellished (a gross understatement) making for hilarious situations anyone who has ever tried to accomplish something can identify with.

All the stories are reprints of previously published articles except two that are addendums to his first book “You Want to Build and Fly a What?”  and a chapter involving his wife Sharon's Moraine in a movie about Amelia Earhart.

According to Dick,  he has over the past 20 years converted the Graham Lee designed Nieuport 11 from a docile flier to a mean, snorting, snarling, fighting killing machine used for downing the Huns in his plane “The Grey Falcon”  while defending the Western Front as a member of the Lafayette Escadrille.   Between sorties Dick and his buddies from Liberty Landing “International Airport” entertain air show crowds as red-headed nurses swoon and throw themselves at his feet.

The book is an interesting read, one of those favorites to have on your shelf next to the Poly Brush, pinking tape and burned pistons.  If you don't like lots of words in a book, this one is for you because it is illustrated with Sharon Starks' drawings and many Nieuport action photographs.  This is one of those books that you accompany when loaned out just to make sure you get it back. Better yet, tell your buddies to buy their own.

Contact Dick Starks at this address to order your own book and be sure to get his bonus DVD of the Dawn Patrol's antics.  http://www.kcdawnpatrol.org/bookhtm.htm and see how much fun can be had with a $3,000 airplane.  

this thread has been dead for a long time so I figured it needs bringing back......

I just finished reading "The Sky My Kingdom" by Hanna Reitsch. It is the memoir of an aspiring glider pilot in 1930s germany who becomes a test pilot at the start of WWII. a great read with lots of info on early gliding expirements and german WWII tech. Hanna flew everything from germany's first helicopter to the V1 Reichenberg. It is packed with info but is a page turner from beginning to end.

Chris

Good work Chris on the return of this thread...there are some exceptional and excellent reads listed above....Fact.

Currently reading fire in the sky

"Fire in the Sky is a book about individuals in a way that the story of soldiers can never be. Sure, stories such as those of Albert Jacka tell of remarkable episodes of individual bravery and initiative. But even Jacka, holding his trench alone, needed support from those around him and those behind him with the guns. Step into the rudimentary aircraft Michael Molkentin is writing about and you are on your own. There may be others around you in the sky, but your life and your contribution to the attack and defence is entirely in your own hands. This is a book that captures the excitement, the danger and the creativity of that. It is a book you will find hard to put down.

Who were Australia’s first airmen? They were young. So young that this first-time author who tells their story can claim, although he is now only 27, that he “too old to be a scout pilot in the AFC”. I don’t know whether I’m more surprised by the youth of the pilots or the youth of the author, but both appear to have done an excellent job. The pilots were also predominantly middle class, from private schools, and better educated than those on the ground.

Molkentin’s method is to follow the action first in the desert and then on the Western Front. Following Charles Bean and Bill Gammage, he wants those involved to speak for themselves and, given that he is writing more than 90 years after the events, at first sight this ambition seemed likely to be thwarted. Yet he has brought it off with an extraordinary amount of detailed research. More than once as I raced through this book I asked myself, “How could he know that?” But the endnotes tell how wide-ranging is the research. Molkentin has found just the phrase or expression that can make you think he personally interviewed those about whom he has written. It is a striking achievement.

(Sir) Richard Williams, who died in 1980, joined the Central Flying School at Point Cook just as war was breaking out in Europe. He was 24; there were three other classmates in this first-ever intake of pilots, the oldest of whom was 26. The Central Flying School was “an old tin shed and some lean-tos”. Eventually 3720 men would serve in the AFC during the war; 205 of them were killed. Williams survived to have a distinguished air force career, retiring (against his will) in 1946. An early, but relatively minor character in Fire in the Sky, Williams was a prickly, even difficult character. It is impressive how Molkentin tells his story. “Father of the RAAF” he might have become: in this book he is one of those who fought, whom we come to know as an individual, warts an all. “An airman’s life is one of comparative ease interspersed with moments of intense fear,” Williams most memorably wrote.

Ground crew knew no such ease. It is another strength of this book that Molkentin is as determined to tell their story as much as the story of the pilots. Ground crew, he tells us, were skilled tradesmen, recruited specifically for their expertise, though not, of course, having previously worked with aircraft. There were fitters who would entirely rebuild each engine after five hours of flying time, riggers who would maintain the aircraft’s frame, wood, fabric and wire. It was a delicate matter- of life and death – to correctly balance the airframe. This was time consuming work and never-ending. Armourers had perhaps the most difficult job of all, for a misfiring bullet would smash the propeller. The precision required was remarkable.

Yet, as the years went on and the aircraft improved, perhaps the dangers only intensified. Aircraft, it was thought, would fight only to obtain an uninterrupted view of the enemy’s affairs. But by 1918, at Hamel for example, they were integrated with the soldiers on the ground to provide General Monash with a smashing victory. So much had equipment and communications improved. Though more directed than before, even so, war in the air remained a matter of individuals.

George Mills, now an airman, was an observer on a reconnaissance mission at Gaza in 1917. Coming through the clouds he, and his pilot Eric Roberts, found that those on the ground had been waiting for them: “They had our exact height and track…” Somehow through all the bursting shells the aircraft managed to keep flying, though Mills was badly hit, severing an artery. For him, the war was over and he was sent back to Australia as AFC’s No. 1 Squadron’s first invalided battle casualty"

regards Arthur

A couple of great novels I've recently read are:
Gone! by S. Featherstone
Equal time point by Harrison Jones
Both are great reads.

Pete
Leander, TX

No one mentioned "North Star over My Shoulder" By Bob Buck.  Don't miss it  guys, its one of the best.  I think Arthur has read it. Charlie