Good books don’t end on the last page. Jim Fallows excellent “Free Flight” pointed me to “Inside the Sky” by his fellow Atlantic correspondent William Langewiesche. There’s nothing about Cirrus Design there, but it’s well worth reading. ATC, ValuJet, the “aerial view”, all great stuff. The chapter on deliberately chasing bad weather and flying through a thunderstorm in a Bonanza is hair raising.
Jim Fallows excellent “Free Flight” pointed me to “Inside the Sky” by his fellow Atlantic correspondent William Langewiesche. There’s nothing about Cirrus Design there, but it’s well worth reading.
‘Inside the Sky’ is a fabulous book.
I’m assuming that William Langewiesche is the son (grandson?) of Wolfgang Langewiesche of “Stick & Rudder” fame. Great genes if it’s true…
Chris (<60 days to an SR22!!)
Jim Fallows excellent “Free Flight” pointed me to “Inside the Sky” by his fellow Atlantic correspondent William Langewiesche. There’s nothing about Cirrus Design there, but it’s well worth reading.
‘Inside the Sky’ is a fabulous book.
I’m assuming that William Langewiesche is the son (grandson?) of Wolfgang Langewiesche of “Stick & Rudder” fame. Great genes if it’s true…
Chris (<60 days to an SR22!!)
William is in his mid 40s, and is Wolfgang’s son. Many readers would be surprised to know that Wolfgang, whose Stick and Rudder was published in the 1940s (and has never been out of print), is still alive, well into his 90s. He lives with William’s family in northern California --and is not in great shape, but is still here.
Considering that English was not Wolfgang’s first language, it is all the more impressive that Stick and Rudder is such a marvel of clean, vigorous, wonderful prose.
He’s the son. Learned how to fly before he could walk :-), and then discovered he could write as well as he could fly. His style is reminicent of Saint-Exupery.
One of the best pilots-turned-author, IMHO, is James Slater. If you’re looking for almost Nobel quality prose, try “Cassada”, or his autobiography “Buring the Days”.
(Of course, the best of the authors-turned-pilot is our own Jim Fallows!)
I’m assuming that William Langewiesche is the son (grandson?) of Wolfgang Langewiesche of “Stick & Rudder” fame. Great genes if it’s true…
I’m assuming that William Langewiesche is the son (grandson?) of Wolfgang Langewiesche of “Stick & Rudder” fame. Great genes if it’s true…
Chris (<60 days to an SR22!!)
William is in his mid 40s, and is Wolfgang’s son. Many readers would be surprised to know that Wolfgang, whose Stick and Rudder was published in the 1940s (and has never been out of print), is still alive, well into his 90s. He lives with William’s family in northern California --and is not in great shape, but is still here.
Considering that English was not Wolfgang’s first language, it is all the more impressive that Stick and Rudder is such a marvel of clean, vigorous, wonderful prose.
Jim, Not to go REALLY OFF TOPIC too much, but what do you think of Richard Bach. I really liked most of his books, including A bridge through forever, One, Biplane. As far as I know he is living somewhere in the west coast and flyes a Lake. Do you know where is he based?
Jim, Not to go REALLY OFF TOPIC too much, but what do you think of Richard Bach. I really liked most of his books, including A bridge through forever, One, Biplane. As far as I know he is living somewhere in the west coast and flyes a Lake. Do you know where is he based?
I have read some of Bach’s flying books (not Jonathan L. Seagull) and liked them. Unfortunately I don’t know anything regarding his whereabouts now. Sorry.
One of the best pilots-turned-author, IMHO, is James Slater. If you’re looking for almost Nobel quality prose, try “Cassada”, or his autobiography “Buring the Days”.
James SALTER is almost appallingly well-regarded in the World of Writers. Really, really fine master of prose. Intriguing given that: he went to West Point in the 1940s, was a genuine combat pilot in Korea, then turned to novel-izing. He’s probably in his late 70s now; I was on a panel with him a year ago at the Univ of Texas and was really thrilled to see him.
FWIW, I think his best flying-related book is The Hunters, more coherent than Cassada (which I recently read). His all-out best book, one of the best novels by anyone anywhere, is Light Years. Barely a word about a flying machine, but poignant and perfect.
Jim,
Just curious, but why do you find it intriguing that a West Point grad might be good writer?
Joe (USNA '68)
One of the best pilots-turned-author, IMHO, is James Slater. If you’re looking for almost Nobel quality prose, try “Cassada”, or his autobiography “Buring the Days”.
James SALTER is almost appallingly well-regarded in the World of Writers. Really, really fine master of prose. Intriguing given that: he went to West Point in the 1940s, was a genuine combat pilot in Korea, then turned to novel-izing. He’s probably in his late 70s now; I was on a panel with him a year ago at the Univ of Texas and was really thrilled to see him.
FWIW, I think his best flying-related book is The Hunters, more coherent than Cassada (which I recently read). His all-out best book, one of the best novels by anyone anywhere, is Light Years. Barely a word about a flying machine, but poignant and perfect.
Jim,
Just curious, but why do you find it intriguing that a West Point grad might be good writer?
Wasn’t what I said! I don’t know anyone besides Salter who “went to West Point in the 1940s, was a genuine combat pilot in Korea, then turned to novel-izing.” And, hey, the best-known writer the USMA has produced, EA Poe, didn’t finish – just like the richest person Harvard has produced, W. Gates, didn’t finish either.
Jim,
Just curious, but why do you find it intriguing that a West Point grad might be good writer?
Joe (USNA '68)
One of the best pilots-turned-author, IMHO, is James Slater. If you’re looking for almost Nobel quality prose, try “Cassada”, or his autobiography “Buring the Days”.
James SALTER is almost appallingly well-regarded in the World of Writers. Really, really fine master of prose. Intriguing given that: he went to West Point in the 1940s, was a genuine combat pilot in Korea, then turned to novel-izing. He’s probably in his late 70s now; I was on a panel with him a year ago at the Univ of Texas and was really thrilled to see him.
FWIW, I think his best flying-related book is The Hunters, more coherent than Cassada (which I recently read). His all-out best book, one of the best novels by anyone anywhere, is Light Years. Barely a word about a flying machine, but poignant and perfect.
Joe,
I didn’t realize there was another USNA on the Forum. Drop me a line at doug.powell@rushgroup.com
Doug Powell USNA '62