What's your favorite aviation book?

[tangocharlie]

Too many to pick just one favorite... But here are a couple of recents...


Fiction- Piece of Cake- Derek Robinson

Nonfiction- Chickenhawk- Robert Mason

tc <><

[Bob Axsom]

I read these books at least a couple of years ago and have them on my bookshelf.

Pobererezney the Story Begins. This is a very special book, especially for EAA members, because it gives a look into aviation during its formative years, the aviation and life experiences that shaped the man and woman who went on to develop the EAA and the emergence the organization through years of "always forward - never doubt the need" work. These people, Paul and Audrey Poberezney, are what make the book so special. This is not just a little pump-up propaganda book about an organization.

Aiming High by Jon Johanson, about him and his RV-4. A very inspiring personal book about a very unique man and his homebuilt plane. This book is so good you would think it a novel if you didn't know it is true. Young people (and not so young people) with inferiority complexes should read this to show them that their situation is not unique and seemingly insurmountable obsticles can be overcome from within. For the over the hill gang like me, well, it is just an amazing true story.

Fool's Errand by Marc Norman, a novel that I read more than 20 years ago and involving Ford Tri-motors with flight operation sequences that I still remember. Inside the cover I wrote "Great Story".

Bob Axsom

[fodrv7]

Here's an the update of recent additions to the original list I posted.
A complete list, as a WORD document, is available from rvseven@bigpond.net.au
Pete.

?Aiming High? by Jon Johanson
?America from the Air: An Aviator's Story? by Wolfgang Langewiesche
?First Light? by Geoffrey Wellum. (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, NJ. 2002).
?First Man, by James Hansen, biography of Neil Armstrong.
?Flight of Passage?: A Memoir by Rinker Buck
?Fly for Your Life,? by Larry Forrester
?Fool's Errand? by Marc Norman
?Gabby, a Fighter Pilot's Life,? by Francis Gabreski.
?Mirage, by James Follet.
?Pilot - by Tony? Le Vier
?Pobererezney the Story Begins? by Paul Pobererezney.
?Propellorhead? - Antony Woodward
?Sigh for a Merlin? - Alex Henshaw
?The Dangerous Skies? - A. E. Clouston
?The Flight of the Mew Gull? - by Alex Henshaw
?The Pre-Astronauts - manned ballooning on the threshold of space? - Craig Ryan
?They Gave Me a Seafire? - R Mike Crosley
?Think Like a Bird? by Alex Kimbell
?Up in Harms Way?- R Mike Crosley

[N55CU]

Biplane / Richard Bach / forgot what he traded for a Fleet Biplane but he picked up the Fleet in Lumberton, N.C. and proceeded to fly it back home (west coast) via Myrtle Beach, S.C. Lots of repairs and off airport landings (fields) / it was a good read 30 years ago / wish I could find it again!
Randy Utsey
N55CU reserved
RV-7 Charlotte, N.C.
Finish kit

[Bob Axsom]

Originally Posted by N55CU

Biplane / Richard Bach / forgot what he traded for a Fleet Biplane but he picked up the Fleet in Lumberton, N.C. and proceeded to fly it back home (west coast) via Myrtle Beach, S.C. Lots of repairs and off airport landings (fields) / it was a good read 30 years ago / wish I could find it again!
Randy Utsey
N55CU reserved
RV-7 Charlotte, N.C.
Finish kit

The plane he "traded in" was a 1946 Fairchild 24 according to the book. I bought a copy in Crown bookstore in 1990. I would be surprised if you can't get it through Amazon.com. I agree it is very good.

Bob Axsom

[Todd]

"Bored Nothing to Do"
Not one for adults really but if you have young kids with an interest in aviation they'll love it.

[mlw450802]

While "Stick and Rudder" is supposed to be ooohed and aahed over by every pilot, I have to admit it didn't do much for me.

-mike

[Ironflight]

When this thread first appeared, I wasn't at home. Now that I am sitting here in my study, here are a couple I have that aren't on the list....

"The Sudden Sky" - B. Michelaard - two German brothers, both learn to fly in gliders after WW1, one becomes an aeronautical engineer as well as a pilot, the other joins the Luftwaffe...follows them all through their lives - outstanding story, and lots of good flying stuff!

Maybe these Lindbergh books have already been mentioned - "We" and "The Last Hero". Growing up in Minnesota as an aviation nut, there is no way that Lindbergh wouldn't be high on my "hero" list!

Now don't laugh....but there was a children's book that I remember called "Ann Can Fly". I remember looking at the pictures before I could read. Very well illustrated story about a girl being taken across the country by her father in his Cessna float plane - covers the flight planning, flying, etc.....Got a kid you want to hook at an early age? Find a copy!

Oh, and Pete, yes, I have a signed copy of Gene's book ("Failure is Not an Option"), and Chris's (Flight)..... Of course, we all had to pay for our copies - retired civil servant authors can't afford to give them away!

Paul

[lucky]

Without a doubt, Piece of Cake. Get the BBC produced movie while you are at it. No better footage of Spits anywhere even though the book was based on a Hurricane squadron.

Lucky

[JoeG]

Kelly...More than my share of it all.

The autobiography of Clarence L Johnson; the father of the skunkworks. Designed and built the F-80 in 143 days.

A great read.