What is your favourite aviation novel?

[Robert Lees]

Let's see what favourite aviation novels we have amongst the tribe.

If you respond, it would help to give a reference to the book...and a VERY brief précis.
But they must be Novels, not books of academia or factual accounts or text books.

I'll start off with:

"Round the Bend", Nevil Shute, 1951, ISBN 0 330 02018 8

The story is of a young Englishman setting up an air taxi service in the Middle and Far East immediately after WWII, and the business grows very fast, with drug dealers giving him a break.

[Pearson]

Re: What is your favourite aviation novel?

#1 Flight of Passage, Rinker Buck - Two brothers learn about life when they rebuild a Piper Cub and fly it across the country.
#2 The Shepherd, Frederick Forsyth - British fighter pilot has malfunction and unable to find his way back to base until rescued by another plane.

[TimHicks]

Re: What is your favourite aviation novel?

"Illusions, The adventures of a Reluctant Messiah" Richard Bach

I connected with this book like no other in my life.

[flyguy]

Re: What is your favourite aviation novel?

You said it couldn't be factual so I am not going to list "Stranger to the Ground" by Richard Bach. Chuckle. There is just something enchanting about flying at night. OK, OK I'll conform; "Fate is the Hunter." Ernest Gann. Long time ago, but I think the novel's point was of being always on the edge of disaster. It is about commercial flying. It is more than a bit biographical also.

[Garry Crookham]

Re: What is your favourite aviation novel?

Any of Ernie Gann's novels especially Fate is the Hunter, Gentlemen of Adventure, and A Hostage to Fortune.
03Bravo by Mariana Gosnell. The story of a young lady going solo across America in a Luscombe.
Biplane by Richard Bach, the narrative of a journey across time and space.

[jim cooper]

Re: What is your favourite aviation novel?

Ernest gans fate is the hunter, ringer bucks's flight of passage are both autobiographical ( they prove fact is often better than fiction!) both are great reading. Jeffery quill , head test pilot for the spitfire in WW 2! Another amazing fellow who flew the first ones with lower horsepower and wooden props to the final, much higher HP, metal prop edition that became Legend! Then there's Douglas bader, the spitfire pilot with artificial legs who's entire career was unreal! I think the book is called reach for the sky. Bob Hoover should be included, chuck Yeager, on and on. Things to consider as you blast off in your t craft with all 65hp snarling, and both legs intact. Amazing reading! JIM C. P.S. Ed Jablonsky's book "B17" which includes descriptions of the 19-20 year olds who flew 17s for the BLOODY 100TH B.G. Out of England, of which BIG frankValesh was the pilot of "Hang the Expense" his and other pilots exploits are not to be missed! I close with the passing of my uncle Lt. Col.Dick Simmons 3 weeks ago at 92 years. At 20 he was shot down over Polesti, was in Stlag luft for a year, went on to fly in B50's, B47's and finally B52's. He raised 6 good kids, one also rose to Lt Col. And flew non stop in same S/N B52 his father flew, to Bomb Saddam Husein in first gulf war.( from Barksdale afb. La.) BEST, JC

[VanDy]

Re: What is your favourite aviation novel?

The Cannibal Queen by Stephen Coontz, him flying a stearman around the country.

[jim cooper]

Re: What is your favourite aviation novel?

The Cannibal Queen by Stephen Coontz, him flying a stearman around the country.

YES! Great story, also factual. Landed at my home airport W42. He also wrote a great novel about flying intruders in Vietnam. GOOD! May have been FLIGHT OF THE INTRUDER.Then there's:
Harry Crosby! Flew pathfinder Navigator for the BLOODY 100th 1943-45 wrote great factual account of missions over the worst targets of the time. See Amazon as the name of the book escapes me. He came home, got a doctorate in English and taught at Harvard. High decorated and apparently very kind and like " Rosie " Rosenthal never spoke alot about it. (Google Bloody 100- Thorpes Abbott) Incidentally....the fellow who wrote the GREAT preflight of the Skyraider on this site! I thought it was great! The gentleman from Arkansas. Any more? Best, JC

[Bird]

Re: What is your favourite aviation novel?

I have to go with "Space" by Mitchner (not spelled right) but I also have to name and this is from the 1st grade that almost got me caught stealing more books from the series (didn't have the money to buy more in 2nd grade) "Tom Swift and his Flying Machine", but this book alone got me interested in reading and science fiction. I am pretty sure that the bookstore I was "trading in old books" pretty much knew that I was treating them as a library. I mean if a 2nd grader wanted to bring 1 in and sneak 1 out just to read on a weekly basis-what would you do but smile?

[jim cooper]

Re: What is your favourite aviation novel?

I recently read "A Question of Honor" which is factual and deals with the RAF and the Battle of Britain etc. It describes in detail how the Polish pilots arrived in England, how the heads of the British Air Force discounted their worth and then, once allowed to fly, how they became a tremendous asset and were a major factor in the Battle of Britain and on thru the war due to their superior training and higher combat hours. They thought the British rules of air combat were foolish, and proved it! It goes on to tell how Poland and its pilots got screwed by the allies at wars end. Very interesting book with much research done by the authors. J.C.

[Dano"T"]

Re: What is your favourite aviation novel?

Flight of passage
Wager with the wind
In the company of eagles
Alaska Justice (good)
Alaska and beyond ( better) these are both written by Mike Kincaid. Thriller fiction
Two steps from glory . About a colored liaison pilot in ww2 good depiction, enjoyed it.
Flying the Alaska Wild

[Nefj40]

Re: What is your favourite aviation novel?

Chickenhawk

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/listing/2688312561099?r=1&cm_mmca2=pla&cm_mmc=GooglePLA-_-Book_15To24-_-Q000000633-_-2688312561099

[ddrewry]

Re: What is your favourite aviation novel?

Might be out of character with many in this thread but definitely "Rolling Thunder" by Mark Berent. Absolutely spot on for the times and memory lane. Be careful though he developed it into a series of I think 4 books each picking up where the other left off. The only bad thing is he stopped writing them. Doug

[Mark Julicher]

Re: What is your favourite aviation novel?

I liked Chickenhawk.
Autobiography, non-fiction

[Nefj40]

Re: What is your favourite aviation novel?

I liked Chickenhawk.
Autobiography, non-fiction

You're correct, which goes against what was asked. I was never too big on fiction, even though I've read a lot of it. Flight of the Intruder was good, and I think I read every Louis Lamour (sp) novel ever printed. Somebody received a care package that was nothing but LL books. I was flying NVG crew so the rotors would stop turning just after sun up. I'd sleep for a while then get a new LL book to read before the sun went back down. I could read one a day, actually zipped through "About Face" by Hackworth in less than a week...now that was a good book.