We gave you our top 3 books on aircraft that every aircraft enthusiast should read. Here are the final 4 in our top 7. Happy reading and let us know your favorites in the comments below!
Squawk 7700, by Peter Buffington, self-published.
This amazing book is the personal account of the author’s career as a pilot, including his early days of learning to fly, and the sacrifices, focus and emotions of being a young aviator. If you are thinking about a career in aviation, or if you fly on airlines, this is a must-read. This book is endorsed by Jeff Skiles, who was the first officer on U.S. Airways Flight 1549 which ditched in the Hudson River on January 15, 2009.
Aviation’s Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of Winged Wonders, Lucky Landings, and Other Aerial Oddities, by Steven A. Ruffins, Potomac Books, Inc.
Besides having one of the longest titles in history, this book is a compilation of top 10 lists about aviation oddities and wonders. For example, Will Rogers died in a plane crash in Barrow, Alaska. At the time of the crash, he was working on an article. The last word he typed was “death.” This book is full of interesting, fun and bizarre history and facts, making it a must-have for any aviation buff.
The Cannibal Queen, by Stephen Coonts, Pocket Books.
Stephen Coonts is known for several books about flying. To his credit are such well-known classics as Flight of the Intruder, Under Siege and Cuba. In The Cannibal Queen, he turns from fiction to storytelling in this tale of flight that takes place in 1991. It is the story of flying across the United States and touching down in each of the 48 contiguous states in a 1942 Stearman vintage biplane. Upon completion of the book, it is highly recommended that one take a cross country flight… somewhere. This work is magical to read and masterfully written. Aviation enthusiasts will want to read it again and again to experience the flight.
Johnathon Livingston Seagull, by Richard Bach, Macmillan.
No writing of books on aircraft would be complete without mentioning Richard Bach. Picking one of his books to mention above the others is a difficult task. The book chosen was chosen as it is about flying, perhaps not in a craft, but the pursuit of excellence in doing what the main character was meant to do. Nothing this writer knows could be more descriptive of the spirit of an aviator. The story is about a seagull that learns to fly faster than any other. At first it is to dive deeper into the water to catch the bigger fish, but as he continues to perfect his craft, it becomes the art of the performance that is paramount. This is another magical read for an aviator of any age.
This list of must-reads for aviators and aviation fans is brought to you by some of the biggest fans there are.
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