Recently I’ve been reading a book by Malvern (Mal) Gross titled “Nine Lives – Adventures of a Lucky Pilot.” (See the first part of the review here.) Gross started his career as a CPA and during his many years he set world records in his Cessna 210, headed up a couple of national and international […]
Books
Book review creates flood of memories
Every now and then I get a call from the office and the conversation usually goes something like this: Ben: Hi dad, what’s going on? Me: Nothing much just watching the Olympics or working on some Rotary stuff but nothing critical … what have you got in mind? Ben: How about coming into the office. […]
Jungle Flight: Missionary flying at its best
Book review: “Jungle Flight, Spiritual Adventures At The Ends Of The Earth” By Dane Skelton. When it comes to adventure and human fulfillment, few aviation careers stack up to missionary flying. The pilots who opt for this route have to have both skill and passion, along with a great deal of resourcefulness as they are […]
‘Navy Wings of Gold’ published
Navy Lieutenant Willard ‘Robbie’ Robinson recounts first-hand experiences and stories of true love, ferocious combat, and survival in his new book, “Navy Wings of Gold.” Robinson offers readers personal, untold stories of infamous World War II battles and encounters, including President George H. W. Bush’s miraculous survival story. As a test pilot for Cal Tech, […]
‘The Lonely Sky’ chronicles test pilot’s story
“The Lonely Sky,” reprinted by iUniverse, shares the story of Bill Bridgeman, who joined Douglas Aircraft as an engineering test pilot after a stint in the Navy. Soon he was asked to take over the final stages of the testing program for the Skyrocket, a javelin-shaped experimental rocket-powered ship. The story of his day-by-day life […]
DC-3 photo book celebrates 75th anniversary
In his seventh aviation history book, “DC-3: A Legend In Her Time,” Bruce McAllister brings together a collection of photographs of the DC-3. The book’s release date of April 1 is timed to the aircraft’s 75th anniversary. Hundreds of DC-3s are still in service today, almost 75 years after the first one rolled off the […]
ASA debuts new composites textbook
ASA’s new textbook on composite materials, “Essentials of Advanced Composite Fabrication and Repair,” runs the gamut, serving as a comprehensive primer on composites, yet also working as a resource for long-time composites professionals, according to company officials. Advanced composite technology is constantly changing and embracing new developments daily, yet the basics needed to successfully design, […]
‘The Rescue of Streetcar 304′
BOOK REVIEW By J. DOUGLAS HINTON Even for non-military pilots, “The Rescue of Streetcar 304, A Navy Pilot’s Forty Hours on the Run in Laos,” by Kenny Fields is a real page-turner. The scenario is the Vietnam War in 1968. Flying A-7 Corsairs, Naval Aviator Lt. Kenny Fields (call sign: “Streetcar 304”) and his wingman […]
‘Stop the FAA and Save General Aviation’
BOOK REVIEW By DAVE SCLAIR In the many years that I published General Aviation News (under a variety of names), we enjoyed having a variety of individuals write columns for us. One of those columnists was the late Peter Bowers. He did a regular column on historical aircraft for us for many, many years. I […]