May 2008

May 2008

Flight Attendants by Alix Browne and Brian Finke (powerHouse, 2008, ISBN: 9781576874271). Flying the friendly skies, Brian Finke began photographing flight attendants as he crisscrossed the country on the airlines. In London, he visited a flight attendant school, complete with emergency rafts and billowing smoke. For the grand finale of his two-year trip, Finke traveled the illustrious Icelandair. The result is this vibrant document of those adventurous souls who choose to work at 40,000 feet. With an eye for the iconic as well as the absurd, Finke seamlessly blends the glamorous with the casual, offering a memorable look at the men and women of air travel.

Spinning Through Clouds: Tales from an Early Hoosier Aviator by Max E. Knight (Indiana Historical Society Press, 2008, ISBN: 9780871952561). 1930s aviators flew by the seat of their pants, climbing into open cockpits, braving the elements and sitting in narrow flimsy cabins. Knight began flying in 1936, at age 10, and met and learned to fly from many of Indiana's aviation pioneers. This book is intended not just for experienced aviators, but also for young adults who are just getting into the sky.

Fly the Engine by Kas Thomas (ASA, 2008, PN 13-05395). Back in print for the first time in over a decade, the ultimate book on aircraft engine operation has been fully revised and updated for 2008. Fly the Engine takes you through all phases of engine operation, showing you how to spot engine discrepancies on preflight; how to troubleshoot a rough runup; how to recognize valve sticking; and much more. Hailed as a modern-day classic when it first appeared in 1993, this book is essential reading for any pilot, of any skill level.

Glenn Curtiss: Pioneer of Aviation by Alden Hatch (The Lyons Press, 2007, ISBN: 9781599211459). Viewed by many as the most important figure in the development of aviation, Glenn Curtiss was a thrill seeker and mechanical genius. Starting his career as a bicycle maker, he became the world's leading manufacturer of high-performance motorcycles. Curtiss then began to build lightweight aeronautical motors and propellers. In 1909 he defeated the greatest flyers in the world and won the first airplane race in history. Curtiss convinced the U.S. Navy of the importance of naval aviation, and his planes performed the first landing on and takeoff from the deck of a ship. His "Jenny" set the standard for WWI aircraft, and his NC-4 "Flying Boat" crossed the Atlantic eight years before Lindbergh.

Fly Utah! A Pilot's Guide to Exploration and Discovery in the Red Rock Country by Galen L. Hanselman (Q.E.I. Publishing, 2007, ISBN: 9781884915079). This is a treasure trove of information on Utah's backcountry and recreational airstrips. There aren't many asphalt-covered trails and cutesy little signs here: The Red Rock Country is vast and largely unexplored. Hanselman gives pilots the tools to plan dozens of exciting adventures, safely. Each airstrip is photographed to aid identification from overhead. This two-volume book comes in a slipcase and features a total of 950 pages with 83 airstrips (57 previously uncharted), 332 color illustrations, 172 color photos, a Relative Hazard Index (RHI), color Terrain Elevation Models (TEMs) and Runway Elevation Profiles (REPs).