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"Fate is the Hunter" is scripture.
"Hard Landing" for airline buffs. But my sentimental favorite, "Pilot Jack Knight" by A.M. Anderson. It was written for elementary school kids and is quite dated, but this is the book who a kindly third grade teacher gave to me when she saw a seed of passion about flying in a dazed and confused little boy whose father had just passed away. Over 16k flight hours owe themselves to the first hour spent reading that book. |
Lindberg and Scott
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"30 Seconds over Tokyo" was an early life read for me and I have loved it ever since, along with "God Is My Co-Pilot" By Gen Scott. I also love one of Scott's other books, but cannot recall the name. Maybe it was "Damned To Glory." At one point in the book he realizes how dangerous coombat and flying is, and basically tells God "thanks for the great ride!" Sometimes when I'm flying, I get that same feeling. If it all ended here and now it was great to be alive and experience all the things I've been lucky enough to experience! The other two books in the 5-star category are "I Could Never Be So Lucky Again" (Doolittle) and "Kill Devil Hill." The former shows what a person of character can achieve, and the later was great for the insights into the Wright Brothers investigated and solved problems. I have lent it to several other engineers who loved the book even if they did not have a particular love for aviation. Others have already mentioned a lot of my favorites: Illusions Thud Ridge Rolling Thunder Flight of the Intruder Kill Devil Hill Any and all on bush pilots, especially in Alaska. I have quite a few - I'll try to add them in later. |
Stranger to the Ground by Richard Bach
The book that set the aviation hook in me... the first paperback I ever bought (and still have), in 1964. It's one of several favorites, most already mentioned.
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"Stick and Rudder," of course. I also liked "Cleared for the Approach" by F Lee Bailey.
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Jans-Joachim Marseille
If it hasn't been mentioned, I really got into this book:
German Fighter Ace - Hans-Joachim Marseille by Franz Kuroski There also are quite a few films of his exploits on U-Tube. He did not live past age 23 but had quite a full life with parties, women, American jazz and not the least, he was an outstanding fighter pilot. He was not killed in combat but came to his end when a new BF109 experienced an engine failure and the bail out a was delayed too cross enemy lines. This is a well written book on life on the other side during those terrible days. |
My favorite
I read " Round the Bend " as a fifth grader and gave a book report on it in class( 1949 ), and know I would enjoy reading it again today.
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"Orbit" by John Nance
I just read "Orbit". I think it was a best seller last year. Outstanding read. It's about a space tourist who gets stuck alone in orbit on a future-generation Yeager ship, when a micro-meteor puts a hole in the pilot's head.
The aviation stuff is all pretty accurate and it's a real page-turner. |
Big Friend, Little Friend: Memoirs of a WWII Fighter Pilot
Big Friend, Little Friend: Memoirs of a WWII Fighter Pilot by Richard Turner.
Perused the listings here and didn't see this one listed. It was one of the first aviation books I read, oh, about forty years ago. (age of ten, or so). I couldn't tell you if it's my favorite because it's been so long since I read it, but it had a profound affect on me at a young age. |
Since one of my flight instructors was a German ace (Rolf Prigge, ace in 109's and 262's,) I have always had a fascination about that side of the war. "Stuka Pilot" was an interesting read and I haven't seen it mentioned here. 2500 plus missions is a record never to be exceeded. Or at least I would hope!
Bob Kelly |
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