Byron Edgington

The latter part of this book is the only thing I've ever read or seen that made me want to visit Hawaii. That might sound like an odd statement, but I've been to French Polynesia where it is reportedly less commercialized than Hawaii, and I like that about places I visit. Unfortunately for me, Byron Edgington, the author, isn't still flying in Hawaii and I don't know who I'd trust to take that flying tour after reading Byron's remarkable and interesting memoir.

This delightful, educational and fascinating book tells many stories about facets of a career most of us will never know -- flying helicopters for 40 years. I flew in a helicopter once. Looking at the earth from high places is always wonderful and mesmerizing. Byron's charming and soulful way of looking at things makes the book more memorable.

I enjoyed the small part about St. Louis, since I lived in that area for a long time. Part of the book is about flying the Vietnam War. I've read works about Vietnam before but never from this point of view, and every different bit one reads about a place or event brings another piece of a puzzle for a more complete picture. Byron flew medical helicopters in the US for a long time and flew tourists on tours of Kauai. He's flown businessmen and treasure seekers.

The stories are about people and weather, mechanics, soaring, quirks of flying machines and quirks of co-pilots and learning and passengers. Some situations will touch your heart, some are about people you know.

The Sky Behind Me is an unusual book because of the subject matter, and Byron does his usual good work telling his stories. This book gave me the gift of another place I want to visit. Maybe the book holds some gifts for you. It's a gift to all of us to have such an honest, heartfelt peek into a world most of us don't know.

Byron, my husband has those same stars and that whole situation. No diagnosis. He's had several episodes, so once again, your instincts were perfect regarding flying with that.

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Lift Off for a Sweeping Tour of One Man's Remarkable Life

When you're unable to do the thing you love most (and that paid the bills for forty years), what do you do next?

Byron Edgington found himself in that position. A helicopter pilot trained for dangerous missions in the Vietnam War who turned to commercial pursuits after being discharged, Edgington essentially grounded himself after suffering from a "spell" that almost made him black out during a tour with a chopper full of tourists.

The Sky Behind Me, a Memoir of Flying and Life covers a lot of ground as if the author is giving us the scenic tour of his life - and not in one straight line. He writes with the mobility of a chopper pilot, able to veer a little here and there before righting his course, and he does this masterfully.

Edgington did not create a self-laudatory, pat-himself-on-the-back memoir. This isn't an effort to boost his ego. He crafted the writing so that the reader can see what he saw.

For me, a memoir must accomplish two things:
1. Maintain interest in the events of the person's unfolding life.
2. Create likability - an alignment - between me and the memoirist.

On the first count, the events are very interesting - life-and-death interesting. Every flight could have been his last, and yet he jumped back in the pilot seat like a dog on a bone every day. He provides a wealth of real-life stories that brought me into these events - each one potentially a novel in and of themselves - and then we fly off together, patient secured and being treated en route to the hospital in Iowa City on a clear, cold winter night.

On the second count, Edgington is a very likable person. As his life progresses, I learned how he ticks; came to understand his thoughts on the human condition, his active compassion for others, and his love of flying. I enjoyed how he was able to help me understand some of the technical aspects of flying without losing me in detail and jargon.

My one complaint was the near absence of his personal life, outside of the cockpit. This may have been by design to help readers stay focused on flying, but I would love to have known how his crazy schedule and stories of mechanical mishaps and near-misses and torn-up patients affected his family. There is a brief section toward the end in which we are introduced to his new wife.

I highly recommend this book if you enjoy flying, Vietnam War history, medical drama, Hawaii, and seeing a boy's dream come true.… (more)