avcanada book club?

[wxguy]

"Flying Overloaded" by Donald Hamilton (?). It's about a guys life bushflying - some of his stories are pretty hairy.

[R1830]

A Thousand Shall Fall, by Murray Peden is great. It covers his training and flying for the RCAF during World War 2. It is my personal favorite.

Another good one is North Star Over My Shoulder by Bob Buck, he started at TWA on Dc-2's and retired seniority number 1 on the 747.

[Chuck Ellsworth]

"Flying Overloaded"

Interesting title for a book about aviation.

Must have been written before there were any rules.

[wxguy]

...and you better believe that he did in fact fly overloaded. At one point he writes about a time he landed in a 180 (?) on floats that was so heavy it sunk - luckily the water was only a few feet deep. I think he mentioned how he did a loop in every aircraft he flew that was smaller than (but including) a beaver - but don't quote me on that. See http://www.flyingoverloaded.ca/ I can't decide whether he was an incredibly good pilot, or just had absolutely no common sense.

[Carrier]

Any "Biggles" book by Capt. W. E. Johns.

[Chuck Ellsworth]

More so, when you realize he overloaded most of the time and flew in bad weather because there was no other choice.

I obviously must have been very naive during my career because I thought you had a choice in how you operated an aircraft.

I wonder if I should maybe get a copy of that book and read it?

[Lost Lake]

You should get a copy. It's about a time in aviation, when you did the job because it needed to be done. It is a facinating story about a man who did what he had to do. Luck? yeah, but like a golf pro once said, the more I practise, the luckier I get. He did shit that only some people today could only imagine. I.E. using only a compass and watch, calculating drift, using an astro compass to travel long distances. Oh yeah, and unless you forget, every writer uses a little drama to add to his story.

Believe it or not, for you young guys, there were no seat belts in cars, smoKing while flying was expected, gas was 19 cents a GALLON. I have flown with his son. They were/are both great pilots.

Unless you've flown in the high Arctic, in those conditions, don't make assumptions.

[Chuck Ellsworth]

Believe it or not, for you young guys, there were no seat belts in cars, smoKing while flying was expected, gas was 19 cents a GALLON. I have flown with his son. They were/are both great pilots.

Unless you've flown in the high Arctic, in those conditions, don't make assumptions.

Are you directing those comments at my post?

If you are I think I'll get a copy of his book and read it.

[Lost Lake]

Are you directing those comments at my post?

If you are I think I'll get a copy of his book and read it.[/quote]

Yeah, sort of. It's not a bible for flying, just a true account of an arctic pilot's flying experience. I don't condone what he did, but I do respect and am awed by what he did. Like I said, in those days things were a lot different.

Definetely worth the read!!

[Chuck Ellsworth]

What years did he fly in the Arctic?

I did a fair amount of flying up there and don't recall meeting him, he probably flew there before I did.

I am going to get the book because it sounds like it would be entertaining.

[Snowroller]

"Bush and Arctic Pilot" by A.R.(Al) Williams is a good read as well.

[Lost Lake]

Hey ., he flew in the 50's , 60's etc. Cambridge Bay, Yellowknife, Goa Haven, etc. Worth the read!

[BD8]

I'm going with "Blind Trust" - John Nance. It was my bible in the '90's. it's been on the shelf too long - time to give it a re-read.
If you're into human factors, this should give you a buzz.

[Chuck Ellsworth]

Hey ., he flew in the 50's , 60's etc. Cambridge Bay, Yellowknife, Goa Haven, etc. Worth the read!

ahh, I didn't fly there until the 60's and 70's.

Mostly DC3 but some DC6 and Twin Otter stuff towards the last.

[Airtids]

Geoffrey Wellum's First Light
This is a personal memoir of a young Battle of Britain pilot.
Very well written.

I'll second that. I think I might have broken a nervous sweat a time or two! He puts you right there!

[visual approach]

thanks for all of the suggestions. Looks like the winter will go by pretty quickly!

[Shiny Side Up]

To War In a Stringbag is pretty interesting, I can't remember the author off hand.

Pak Six is also pretty good, a book about a pilot's experiences flying the F-105 in Vietnam. If you get a chance pick up "Thud" as well, full of a lot of short stories about the F-105.

[V2-OMG!]

North Star Over My Shoulder, by Bob Buck.
Good memoir by a pilot who started out on the DC-2, and retired on the 747.

Flight of Passage, by Rinker Buck (no relation to Bob)
Tale of two teenage boys who restore a Piper Cub and fly across America in the 1960s.

Disaster on Mt. Slesse, by Betty O'Keefe and Ian MacDonald
Interesting story about the 1956 crash and recovery efforts involving the TCA Northstar in Chilliwack, B.C.

[Vimana]

Stick and Rudder - An Explanation of the Art of Flying by Wolfgang Langewiesche A very entertaining look at the basics first published in 1944. His style of writing is quite funny.

[jadedash]

Check out www.flightlevel390.blogspot.com for a good weekly reading from a A320 Captain for US air. Great writer and a look at the airline world. Other good blogs through his site. Enjoy.

[airliner]

Good day to all.

Aside from the required reading crap. What are good aviation book.

EG. 1. Fate Is The Hunter
2. Bush Pilot With A briefcase

Please continue with other options.

[trampbike]

Weather Flying - Robert Buck
Stall and Spin Awareness - Rich Stowell
Emergency Manoeuver Training - Rich Stowell.
Forever Flying - Bob Hoover

[airliner]

pretty funny.....

[RenegadeAV8R]

"So you want to be a Ferry Pilot", Real seat of the pants flying stories by Spike Nasmyth (2003)

"HIJACKED", the real story of the heroes of flight 705 (Hijacked Fedex DC-10), Dave Hirschman (1997)

[loopy]

Spitfire Command
Airwar in the Falklands