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Re: Best Float Flying Read

Posted: Wed May 17, 2017 7:40 pm
by Siddley Hawker
There's a couple of books by Jack Schofield that are a must, Flights Of A Coast Dog and No Numbered Runways.
They're probably available from Amazon, or barring that Larry Milberry at CanAv Books. Jack should be on AvCanada but I don't know his handle.

Re: Best Float Flying Read

Posted: Sat May 20, 2017 7:12 pm
by Antique Pilot
The best float flying book I have read unfortunately does not involve Canada or Alaskan Aviation.

The book is fairly rare and titled "A Dream of Eagles" by Ralph O'Neill. Mr. O'Neill after a great deal of adversity started a route from New York City to Buenos Aires, 9000 miles long. The airline was called NYRBA. This was in the late 1920's and early 1930's. Aircraft used for survey flights were Sikorsky S-38 Amphibians. Aircraft used once the routes were established were Consolidated Commodore's a direct ancestor of the PBY Catalina and Canso. The Commodore's were pure flying boats and could carry 32 pax on the shorter legs. At the time Pan American Airways only had a few small wheeled aircraft. Due to Pan Am and Juan Trippe's political connections with the Hoover Administration and the Post Office they were able to acquire the routes and assets of O'Neill's airline.

Only 14 Commodores were built at the Consolidated plant at Buffalo New York. One of them is in 100' of water just off Takla Landing BC. It was on a ferry flight from the lower 48 to Alaska in 1942. It caught fire during refuelling and sank.

AP