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Customer Reviews (1)

Information, exhilaration, and high aviation
Some of the best information out there. I have one for myself and willorder one for a friend. Maybe two. Great for conversation and super for theaviation enthusiast. ... Read more

Book Description
Told in anecdotal form, Vulture's Row tells a fascinating story about an important period covering nearly one half of the entire history of U.S. naval aviation. "Vulture's Row" is an area dubbed by naval flyers, on the island structure of an aircraft carrier where pilots who aren't flying can overlook carrier launchings and recoveries on the deck below.This new book by acclaimed author Paul Gillcrist is a series of true stories about the U.S. Navy carrier aviation from the perspective of a Navy pilot who spent thirty-three years directly involved in that exciting profession. The book begins with a series of vignettes in the period of the mid-1950s when the U.S. Navy introduced swept wing, jet-powered fighters into the aircraft carrier navy, flying from straight-deck carriers whose flight decks were made of teak wood. The thread of stories follows the author's career in chronological sequence, in various venues throughout the Navy. There are accounts from his first carrier deployment to the western Pacific, followed by events as a weapons delivery instructor at the predecessor to TOPGUN in El Centro, California. Some of his experiences as a Navy pilot are recorded in a section about Patuxent River, Maryland, the Navy's test center. Additional episodes include an unforgettable wing-walking flight. flying Japanese Zeros in the movie TORA!TORA!TORA! and the author's subsequent tour of duty in Pentagon conducting proficiency flights from our nation's capital. There are also accounts of combat missions over Vietnam and the author's experiences in both wing commander jobs, flying the F-4 Phantom II and the F-14 Tomcat. The last story is about his two flights, as a fifty-two year old Admiral, in thecontroversial F-20 Tigershark. These vignettes combine humor, hair-raising excitement and tragedy. Rear Admiral Paul T. Gillcrist, a U.S. Navy fighter pilot, served also as a test pilot and weapons delivery instructor, and actively flew from sixteen aircraft carriers for over twenty-seven years. The author writes with authority as a former fighter squadron commanding officer who recorded 167 combat missions over Vietnam flying the F-8 Crusader. Subsequently, he commanded a carrier air wing and finally served, the rank of Rear Admiral, as the wing commander for all pacific Fleet fighter squadrons. His pilot's logbook includes over 6,000 hours, in seventy-one different types of aircraft from 1952 to 1981. He retired in 1985 as Assistant Deputy Chief of Naval Operations(air Warfare). He is also the author of TOMCAT!The Grumman F-14 Story, and CRUSADER! Last of the Gunfighters(both titles are available from Schiffer Publishing Ltd.). , over 100 color and b/w photographs, 6" x 9" ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

As the author, I felt aneed to describe carrier aviation
(Author) Flying from sixteen different carriers over a 27 year carrier flying career, I have seen some amazing things, participated in events and with people whom the reader might find hard to believe. These are vignettes intended to bring those experiences to readers in terms they can appreciate. Enjoy!!! ... Read more

Book Description
This intimate biography describes an independent young woman who rejected societys traditional female role and overcame that stigma. Amelia Earhart inspired many to reach for the skies. Her indefatigable spirit is still an inspiration. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

"An Attentive Portrayal of Amelia Earhart"
"Amelia: A Life of the Aviation Legend". D. Goldstein and K. Dillon, Brassey's, Washington 1999, ISBN: 1-57488-199-X, PC 288 pages, plus 10 pgs. Notes, Glossary, Biblio., Index and 33 suitable B & W photographs.

Both authors are well-published, and are excellent writers.Whilst a thorough coverage on Amelia is provided, emphasis is primarily focused on her character, but the book covers the usal A to Z's previously reported, thus nothing new was forthcoming.The Book is new enough to discuss some of the more recent searches including those by TIGHAR.The book is divided into 3 parts:I-Takeoff, II-High Flight, & III-Flight Into Mystery - and each part has chapters for easy reference.

I did not detect any especial errors or omissions or novel features in this writing, but it is a somewhat tedious, neutral-ground read: in short, a truly wordy but accurate and lengthy overview, one appearing to be largely a straight-forward journalistic compilation or recitation of everything reported in previous works.Fortunately, not too great of space was provided to the immediate search attempts as the explanation of the radio communication attempts, etc. is best left to technical expert's interpretations.

Comments on Amelia by Goldstein and Dillon
This is book worth reading because it incorporates for the first time in any published book the unpublished and uncompleted manuscript on Amelia and her disappearance entitled "Flight into Yesterday, the Amelia Earhart Enigma" by Laurence Safford, CPT USN (Ret). Safford was a famed cryptographer and a US Navy Intelligence Officer who gained fame for his role in intercepting Japanese codes prior to Pearl Harbor and for his insistance that Roosevelt and others had received the decoded "East Winds Rain" message signifying the imminent attack by the Japanese.

They also include for the first time in any book, significant information provided by Earhart researcher John Luttrell.

The book by Goldstein and Dillon makes good use of both Safford's manuscript and Luttrell's information and correspondence, but also incorporates several mistakes that Safford and Luttrell made and their (Goldstein and Dillon) book should be read with an awareness that it is not the final authority and that there are other books published concerning Earhart's disappearance that should be read for a balanced opinion of any conclusions.Those would include "The Search for Amelia Earhart' by Fred Goerner,"The Sound of Wings" by Lovell, "Amelia Earhart, The Mystery Solved" by Long and Long, "Amelia Earhart, The Final Story" by Loomis with Jeffrey Ethell, and "With Our Own Eyes, Eyewitnesses to the Final Days of Amelia Earhart" by Campbell with Thomas E. Devine.

Amelia: a woman of independence!!
(...) As soon as I started to read this book I couldn't set it down. It was really and truly inspirational, it shows you don't have to be a man, to do something thats considered a man's job, all you need, is determination and to have your heart in soul in it... but most of all do it for fun, do it becasue you love it! I read a lot of books and I know that you always have something to say or a lesson you get out of the story. Out of this book I've gotten knowledge of women heroes, of women leaders, and it also showed me to do what i want to do, when I want to do it, because you will regret it later. That's why I gave this book review 5 stars and 2 thumbs up!!

It's How You Live NOT How You Die That Matters
What makes a person become a pioneer? What was it like to be the FIRST PERSON to fly solo from California to Hawaii? The 1930's were a time verydifferent from ours, but people still have to reach for the best withinthemselves. This is were this book reaches new ground. The authors havestripped the layers of myth away to reveal the wonderful and gifted humanbeing that Amelia created. Trusted and respected author/historiansGoldstein and Dillon (those wonderful folks who gave us the Pearl Harborbooks, Photohistories of D-Day and Battle of the Bulge,etc) turn theirtrained and impartial eyes on this most enigmatic person. (The book hasextensive notes and a bibliography). Amelia believed a women's place wasequal to that of a man's, in not only aviation, but in all areas ofAmerican life.

Doesn't solve the mystery
I read this book with high expectations, being familiar with Goldstein and Dillon from their earlier works with Prof. Gordon Prange on the Pearl Harbor attack.As a short biography of AE it passes muster; however as aserious attempt to investigate her disappearance in 1937 it falls short. The authors rely almost completely on an unpublished manuscript by Capt.Laurence Safford USN (famous to Pearl Harbor conspiracy buffs from his rolein the "East Wind Rain" controversy).In the few places wherethis source is quoted directly, serious errors can be detected.Forinstance on p.236, Safford rejects the generally accepted theory thatEarhart's 157-337 line of position was a sunrise observation by Noonan, onthe grounds that she was using magnetic bearings and "A discrepancy ofnine degrees is hard to swallow".On p.239 we learn that thedifference between true and magnetic bearings near Howland Is. is exactlynine degrees!It is clear from this that Earhardt and Noonan werefollowing the standard practice in celestial navigation of working in truebearings.Evidently none of the authors or editors had even a cursoryknowledge of air navigation.These kinds of errors make me doubt all theinformation in this book. ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Naval Aviation News, published by Thomson Gale on September 1, 2005. The length of the article is 719 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Remembering VAdm. James Bond Stockdale, 1923-2005.(Obituary)(Biography)
Author: John Sherwood
Publication: Naval Aviation News (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 1, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 87Issue: 6Page: 29(1)

Article Type: Obituary

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
From dustjacket comments fo Clifford W Henderson... It should be told that aviation historians will forever be obligated to Professor David D. Hatfield for the competent and deicated manner in which he has assembled this pictorial progress and growth of aviation in a photo-biography format. This is not a simple accomplishment because much of this material was the personal property of individual pilots and builders. Much had been neglected as worthless. Fortunately, through Prof. Hatfield's efforts, a vast library covering every facet of past aviation has been assembled and classified for ready reference, and is now placed in Northrop University's American Hall of Aviation History. ... Read more

Book Description
Amelia Earhart - Portrait of an Aviation Pioneer is a biography of Amelia Earhart, the world's most famous female aviator.Earhart was a pioneer in American aviation, set records, wrote best-selling books about her aviation experience and was a womens' rights advocate.Earhart's accomplishments in life, as well as her mysterious disappearance while circumnavigating the world still captivates and inspires fans all over the globe.Amelia Earhart - Portrait of an Aviation Pioneer is highly recommended for those interested in the history and life of Amelia Earhart.This book is also recommended for those interested in the theories concerning the mysterious disappearance of Amelia Earhart, one of the world's most inspirational figures in aviation. ... Read more

Book Description
This book is the most complete, up-to-date collection of aviation poetry ever published. Its sole purpose is to consolidate all of the best in aviation poetry and inspirational verse. Helmut Reda examined over 115 books and magazines in the United States, England, Canada, France, and Australia. He also investigated over 42,500 hits on the Internet. From his exhaustive research, 170 poems were selected covering the period between 1869 and 2001.

This collection of poetry serves as an exciting introduction to the experience of flight. These poems will fascinate your family and expose them to an expanded world with new dimensions, freedoms, and even the beauty and dangers of flight. For the pilot, the poems will take your spirit aloft to rekindle your bond with other airmen. This collection will help others understand pilots and why they do things in a different way. If you are truly intrigued by flight, this book is for you! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

This is how it feels, your thoughts as print.
Everyone who has experienced flight (and those who long to) can relate to the sheer emotion that it evokes, sometimes from deep within ones soul, often pleasant, sometimes not. As you are experiencing the sensations you may frequently be too caught up in the moment to express yourself with words, well, here they are. Yes they are others experiences, but you will find very many which match yours close enough to be called your own. Flight as many other "Romantic" adventures has it's way of engraving itself on your heart. These are exceptional expressions of a wide variety of flight forms, there's something here for everyone. A must for the enthusiasts bookshelves.

Should be on every pilot's bookshelf
What a great collection! This is a wonderful read. I've heard many aviation poems before - but, this compilation has them all. Enjoy!

Must Read for Aviator Families
At the end of a Naval Aviator-Commercial Pilot career, I wish I had this volume for my family (and myself) during all those years. It puts into lyrical words the thoughts and feelings of "being a bird" and why I am what I am. A good read and a bedside book. We owe Reda one at the bar.

For the poet in all of us that love aviation
An excellent collection of aviation poetry that contains something for everyone.I recommend keeping the book bedside for some enjoyable light reading every night.The variety and notoriety of the authors is impressive.

An awesome anthology
Col Reda has done a truly impressive job in colecting and selecting poems for this marvelous anthology. All the classics are included but it the quality of the lesser known poems that sets this book apart. A must have book for every pilot, and for those who love them. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Best reading of the year!!
Tell tale adventure of a career pilot. Great reading. My book of the year.
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Customer Reviews (3)

there are better books on the subject
In my opinion this book is appropriate reading material for perhaps a fifth grader who wants to do a book report. In fact, I read it and returned it.

If one is serious about the disappearance of Ms. Earhart disregard this book and order Amelia Earhart: The Mystery Solved by Elgen M. Long and Marie K. Long. The Long's book goes into much greater detail and makes for better reading.

Amazing! Spectacular! The truest book on Amelia Earhart.
A fantastic, true book that tells about Amelia Earhart

Detailed account of the disappearance of Amelia Earhart
Spring .. 1937.A specially prepared, "State of the Art" Electra L-10e twin engine aircraft.Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan attempting their flight around the world. A well detailed and documented book, by authors who worked with and know the limitations of the Electra L-10e.The exact route, written in a format easy to understand and follow.Amelia Earhart's disappearance has been researched by many, but Mr. Walter Roessler, Leo Gomez, and Gail Lynne Green have done an excellent job, if you "Really" want to know what happened in 1937. ... Read more

Book Description
Among the many technological advances of this century that have shrunk our country, few have had as great an impact as aviation. Technologies evolve and national priorities change, but the qualities necessary to design aircraft, fly them in war and peace, and manage airlines remain constant. In this, his second book about pioneers of Canadian aviation, Peter Pigott brings a richness and understanding of the individuals themselves to the reader.Flying Canucks II takes us into Air Canada's boardroom with Claude I. Taylor, to the Avro Arrow design office with Jim Floyd, inside the incredible career of Aviation Hall of Fame pilot Herb Seagram, on C.D. Howe's historic dawn-to-dusk flight, and with Len Birchall in a Stranraer seaplane before he became, in Churchill's phrase, "The Saviour of Ceylon." It includes the story of how Scottish immigrant J.A. Wilson engineered a chain of airports across the country, how bush pilot Bob Randall explored the polar regions, and the ordeal of Erroll Boyd, the first Canadian to fly the Atlantic. The lives of "Buck" McNair and "Bus" Davey, half a century after the Second World War, are placed in the perspective of the entire national experience in those years. Whenever possible, Mr. Pigott has interviewed the players themselves, and drawing on his experience and contacts within the aviation community, has created a multi-faceted study of the business, politics, and technology that influenced the ten lives explored in depth in this book.C.D. Howe, wartime Canada's absolute government czar used to say that running the country's airline was all he really wanted to do. With a rich aviation heritage such as this, Flying Canucks II depicts the elements and the enemy at their worst and the pioneers of Canadian aviation at their best. ... Read more

Book Description
When first printed in 1992, this book was a milestone in aviation publishing. Now, fully revised and updated to bring it into the new millennium, it is the most comprehensive record of aviation history available. Presented in a lively journalistic style, Aviation Year by Year contains a wealth of fascinating information. Thousands of contemporary photographs and illustrations, and facts and figures bring the history of aviation to life. New features for this updated edition include a timeline of the development of flight, a fully illustrated and revised introduction, and new pages covering the history of aviation up to the year 2000. Aviation Year by Year also includes a photo-gallery of each year's most significant aircraft and developments in technology, important flight records, and an encyclopedic cross-reference system to link articles throughout the months and years. More than a unique reference guide to the world of aviation and flight technology, Aviation Year by Year also chronicles the social and political events that have surrounded the amazing development of flight. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A great book for all aviation enthusiasts!!
I recently purchased this book and I love it. I am a huge plane fanatic and enjoy many books, flight sims, websites, etc. on planes. I can say that out of all my books this is by far my favorite. It has planes, airports, important dates, crashes, almost anything that has to do with aviation. It is very comprehensive. It is literally a dictionary of events that occured in avation history. It starts in the year 1500 with da Vinci, begins in large detail in the year 1900 and stays that detailed until the year 2000. It is a must for anyone who enjoys planes and aviation in general as much as I do. A terrific book. ... Read more

Book Description
Charles Lindbergh flew across the Atlantic, as the world remembers, and Amelia Earhart, who never completed her round-the-world flight with navigator Frederick Noonan in their twin-engine Lockheed, became a legend. Yet the contemporary of these two pioneers in early aviation, Wiley Post--the pilot who circled the earth alone in a single-engine plane, who flew at sub-stratospheric altitudes and discovered the jet stream, and who designed the prototypes for astronauts' space suits--has been largely, and perhaps officially, ignored in history and American folklore. Until now. Based on thirty years of research, this biography by Bryan and Frances Sterling reconstructs the adventurous life of Wiley Post from his poverty-stricken boyhood on a farm in Texas to a certificate from the Sweeney Auto School in Kansas City, Missouri, to a brief career in armed robbery that sent him to prison in 1921. It was in the oil fields of Oklahoma that ex-con Post lost his left eye, a handicap that he did not allow to impede his career as a parachute jumper, stunt pilot, barnstormer, and record-setting ace aviator. Post's incredible career ended in 1935, with a fatal crash in Barrow, Alaska, that also killed his passenger, the great American humorist Will Rogers. As in their comprehensive account of the enigmatic Wiley Post's life, the Sterlings leave no official record or government file unturned in their thoroughgoing investigation of the mystery that has long surrounded this maverick aviator's death. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A very thorough account
This biography is carefully researched, with the footnotes where they belong--at the foot of the page.The authors have done a lot of research and their telling of the dramatic life and feats of Wiley Post makes for a fascinating book.The account of the two round-the-world flights is full of awesome momnets.There is a lot of technical flying data, and for the non-flyer this gets a bit long, as does the exhaustive account of the events following the crash on Aug 15, 1935.From the time that Wiley Post dies there are still 120 pages in the book, but much is interesting and the account of the world-wide grieving is poignant and well-done.There are good illustrations, tho also I would have liked a map of the the area where the crash occurred.But overall, this book tellsthe story well, and is well worth reading if you are interested in the life of a daring and gutsy early flyer, who should be remembered. ... Read more