Aviation Books

MikeOH58

Well-Known Member
$80 gift card to B n N. What are some must read aviation books? Would be more interested in some of the lesser known gems. The man who road the thunder type stuff. Things i'd most likely never have found without starting this thread.

thx in advance
 
Mavericks of the Sky:

The First Daring Pilots of the U.S. Air Mail


by Barry Rosenberg & Catherine Macaulay

To Fly and Fight

by Clarence "Bud" Anderson


These are two I have right here on my bookshelf I would recommend to anyone.
 
"Air Vagabonds" by Anthony Vallone. It's about guys who ferried small GA planes across the oceans. Fantastic read!
 
An absolutely incredible [true] story of a Pan Am 314 got set west-bound to NY from Hawaii. You think you've had a rough trip? Read about their trip from hell!

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http://www.amazon.com/Long-Way-Home-Ed-Dover/dp/061521472X/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1322796030&sr=8-6
 
Flying Drunk by Richard Balzer was pretty good. Let's not forget 4 Day Follies: The Not-Captain's Flight log either!
 
"Fait is the Hunter" By Ernst Gann - Really good read. Early days at American Airlines.

"North Star over my Shoulder" by Bob Buck - 1930s to 1970s at TWA. Really good and well written. Shows aviation's development from DC-2 to B747. Really good read.

"Air Vagabonds" by Anthony Vallone Also highly recommended....
 
I 2nd '4 Day Follies' - that was a very good read, I do hope he comes out with a sequel - especially now that he is flying under different colors. Also, Fate is a Hunter. That was a good read.

And... Doorknob 52 by Fredric Arnold. I met him and read his book a few years ago and that was a good WW2 read.
 
Tall Timber Pilots by Dale White, it's about one of the first pilots in the inland northwest who experimented with backcountry flying and was influential in using airplanes for delivery of US Forest Service equipment and supplies and the construction of many backcountry strips in Idaho. This can be hard to find.

I actually found it when I was ferrying my plane back from California and got forced down from scud and spent most of the day waiting in a podunk town eastern Washington and decided to walk to the library to kill some time and warm up, they had a copy in their tiny collection and I found it fascinating.

Another interesting tidbit about that day is when I saw a man sneaking around the crop duster mixing shed, then break in by busting off the padlock. I figured he was going to steal chemicals to cook meth, so I called in the cops and they came hauling in and took him down at gun point.... it definitely broke up the boredom of that day.
 
Besides what has been mentioned above, Calculated Risk: The Extraordinary Life of Jimmy Doolittle-Aviation Pioneer and World War II Hero by Jonna Doolittle Hoppes - excellent read.

Hijacked by Dave Hirshman about the hijacking of the FedEx DC-10.

Anything by Ernest Gann

Legend & Legacy: The Story of Boeing and Its People by Robert J. Serling.

Skystruck about an Alaskan bush pilot by Herman Lerdahl.

The Great book of WWII Airplanes- various authors - Random House.

Gift of Wings -- Richard Bach

West With the Night - Beryl Markham.
 
Calculated Risk: The Extraordinary Life of Jimmy Doolittle-Aviation Pioneer and World War II Hero by Jonna Doolittle Hoppes - excellent read.

I think anything that involves Jimmy Doolittle is required reading. That guy is literally a Chuck Norris of aviation.
 
"My Logbook" by Gunther Rall (A leading German ace in WW2) I have not read it yet, but after watching a number of documentaries and interviews with him, it's bound to be awesome.
 
As far as books not already listed...
Wager With The Wind-James Greiner
Fire Bomber Into Hell-Linc Alexander
Fate Is The Hunter... Of course
Moondog... is a great read as well
 
Thought of a couple more...

Pilots of the Line by Sky Masterson

Chosen to Live by Jerry Schemmel - it's the story of UAL Captain Al Haynes and the crash of flight 232

Hard Landing - The Epic Contest for Power and Profits That Plunged the Airlines into Chaos - Thomas Petzinger Jr

Flights of Passage -reflections of a WWII aviator, Samuel Hynes
 
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