Books

There comes a time in every pilot’s life when he or she has the urge to fly — and later buys — an aircraft with retractable landing gear. The pilot who is serious about the experience would do well to read “Flying the Light Retractables,” by LeRoy Cook. The 130-page book contains information about a […]

In 2002, Clinton Frederick returned to his grandparents’ house for a family wedding. Remembering from his childhood that the attic contained Japanese swords, a parachute and other World War II memorabilia, he decided to look around up there. In an old trunk he found more than 100 letters written by his father, Capt. George Frederick, […]

“The Few, The American Knights of the Air Who Risked Everything to Fight in the Battle of Britain,” by Alex Kershaw, details the exploits of American pilots who risked criminal prosecution, not to mention their lives, to fight in the Battle of Britain. At the time America was neutral, and those who joined in the […]

“The Story of the Boeing Company,” by Bill Yenne, is a massive book, nearly a foot square and weighing an impressive four pounds, which tells the story not only of Boeing itself, but of the many other firms that have combined to become the world’s largest aerospace company. Its 35 chapters are supplemented by helpful […]

“Wings of Paradise, Hawaii’s Incomparable Airlines,” by Peter N. Forman is a fascinating tale of the human courage, underhanded plots, dirty politics, brilliant imagination, chicanery and other intriguing elements that went into the formation and operation of the airlines serving the Hawaiian Islands. Most of the book is devoted to airlines that were born, grew […]

You are on the grounds at AirVenture — or any other air show — and trying to impress your traveling companion with your aircraft knowledge. Your companion points to a particular aircraft and asks what it is. You have no idea. You can avoid this particularly nasty form of aviation embarrassment by carrying “A Field […]

“Things My Flight Instructor Never Told Me” is filled with excellent advice, delivered with humor. “Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want.” Author Michael Leighton says that summarizes his personal experience with general aviation. This rather slim volume is filled with excellent advice, developed from just such “experience” during a […]

“Success on the Step” tells the history of Kenmore Air, started in 1946 by a pilot and two mechanics who wanted to “be our own bosses and be involved in aviation.” It was a one-plane operation based at Kenmore Air Harbor, basically a mud bog near Seattle. None of them had ever heard of a […]

During World War II, bomber pilots called the easier missions “milk runs,” but did you know there were also ice cream missions? That’s one of the side notes in “Pilot from the Prairie,” the memoirs of Edgar J. Allen. Allen, who now lives in Burien, Washington, flew 30 missions as a B-24 pilot. The book […]