Pilot Reads - What's Your Favorite?

Once again I am in my traditional pre-vacation routine. My best laid plans of pass travel have been replaced by a last minute panic and 'flinch'!  As most can relate, things were looking good, but then as I repeatedly checked the loads on a daily (hourly) basis, my confidence was replaced by nervousness and imagined 'left behind' scenarios. Before I knew it, credit card out, mouse clicked, confirmed tickets bought! That behind us, bags packed and now it's time to purchase this years vacation read.

I downloaded the 4th book in Karlene Petitt's "Flight For" series - Flight for Sanity.  I have read the previous 3 books and am looking forward to this book. Karlene is an airline pilot and an avid blogger who is using her novels to address industry topics that fellow airline pilots can relate to. 

Karlene Petitt : http://karlenepetitt.blogspot.com

While deciding what to read on this vacation, I found myself looking through our bookshelves. I discovered quite a variety of aviation themed books: fiction, non-fiction as well as professional development books. As I reflected on the numerous titles, I found myself remembering the impact they had. Some were just trivial entertainment, some well written, and others not, and some helped develop skills I try to use today. Then there are some that you remember as special, that you will read again and again and that will always be part of your personal library. The cover may be tattered but it will never find its way to the used book store. 

Two books that fit in this category for me are classics. First is 'Airman's Oddyssey' by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. It is a collection of 3 adventure stories, about both the romance and struggles of the pioneer days of aviation: Night Flight, Sand and Stars and Flight to Arras. The second is 'Fate is the Hunter' by Ernest Gann.  It describes his years working as a pilot from the 1930s to 1950s: starting at American Airlines when civilian air transport was in its infancy, moving onto wartime flying in C-54s, C-87s, and Lockheed Lodestars, and finally at a short-lived upstart airline and various post-World War II 'non-scheduled' airlines. If you are a pilot and haven't read either of thes, I highly suggest you do.

These are both exceptionally written and transport you into the cockpit during these early aviation years. I would also suggest that in today's digital world of downloading books and reading off devices, that you go 'old school' and buy a hard copy. These classics are widely available in paperback or hard cover and if you want a copy with some character many used copies can be found online. 

I'm sure that we all have our favorites that we have read over our careers. I am always looking for new great aviation books so please feel free to add your classics or favorites to the comment section.