Ernest K. Gann's Flying circus
by Ernest Kellogg Gann
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Ernest K. Gann began his love affair with flight in 1953, barnstorming in various wood & fabric bi-planes. Later, as an airline pilot, he flew to many parts of the world in a wide variety of the aircraft, from lumbering trimotored Fords to the latest jets. He shared the world's skies with many of the gallant airemen he writes about here.Gann traces the development in American of the commercial use of airplanes through the early days of airmail, air cargo, and the first passenger airlines. He show more takes the reader aboard such planes as the United Air Lines Boeing 40-B-4 delivering newspapers to the ranger station in Oregon; the 'Flying Brooklyn Bridge,' the 1936 Condor for which pilots developed an almost maudlin affection; the 'Tin Goose,' Ford's incomparable trimotored 4A-T; the incredible DC-3, which has cruised every sky known to mankind, and many others...Internationally, there are stories of Aeropostales' flights across the Andes and in Saint-Exupery country; Sabena in the Congo; Imperial Airway's deluxe flights in Scipios when Britain ruled the skies; BOAC's Lockheed, known as 'Bashful Gertie,' which shuttled bravely from Scotland to Sweden for essential ball bearings during WWI; and other aeronautic history.Little known anecdotes about legendary fliers abound -Juan trippe & Glenn L. Martin; Charles Lindbergh; Prof. Hugo Junker; whose firm built4,832 'Iron Annies' in Germany; and Count von Zeppelin.The final chapter finds the author back in a DC-3 after 19 years, this time piloting the Savaii from San Francisco to Apia in Western Samoa, with a crew of three.A dossier of the planes, in the order of their appearance in the narrative, appears at the end of the volume, with vital statistics on span, power, passenger load, gross weight, range, cruising and landing speeds. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
In this volume, Gann gives us an overview of the history of manned flight from his personal experiences as an aviator. He starts by telling the story of a fellow flyer from the barnstorming days who is killed doing a show. He concentrates on chronicling the lives of important airmen and aircraft and aircraft designers. Names that appear in the narrative include Tripp, Saint-Exupery, Fokker, Ford, Farman, Boeing, Lockheed, Noorduyn, Martin and McDonnell.
Each chapter includes a coloured painting by Robert Parks of the aircraft that is the focus of that chapter. The final chapter covers the delivery of a DC-3 to an airline in Samoa. Gann was asked to fly it there and after some serious thoughts about the risks, he agreed. It had been 19 show more years since he had last flown a DC-3. His description of the trip is a wonderful conclusion to his history of flight as he witnessed it since he was sent back in time flying a plane that most people would consider an antique. It lacked modern navigation equipment and its speed would turn a four hour trip in a modern jet into a 14 hour marathon. show less
Each chapter includes a coloured painting by Robert Parks of the aircraft that is the focus of that chapter. The final chapter covers the delivery of a DC-3 to an airline in Samoa. Gann was asked to fly it there and after some serious thoughts about the risks, he agreed. It had been 19 show more years since he had last flown a DC-3. His description of the trip is a wonderful conclusion to his history of flight as he witnessed it since he was sent back in time flying a plane that most people would consider an antique. It lacked modern navigation equipment and its speed would turn a four hour trip in a modern jet into a 14 hour marathon. show less
A thrilling read from an early flight pioneer and a master skipper of deep-sea sailing (see his wonderful "Song of the Sirens". This is real 'seat of the pants' flying when you "felt' your 'plane's behaviour. mail runs, barn-storming, commercial - a true circus of flight.
Thoroughly recommended.
Thoroughly recommended.
In this volume, Gann gives us an overview of the history of manned flight from his personal experiences as an aviator. He starts by telling the story of a fellow flyer from the barnstorming days who is killed doing a show. He concentrates on chronicling the lives of important airmen and aircraft and aircraft designers. Names that appear in the narrative include Tripp, Saint-Exupery, Fokker, Ford, Farman, Boeing, Lockheed, Noorduyn, Martin and McDonnell.
Each chapter includes a coloured painting by Robert Parks of the aircraft that is the focus of that chapter. The final chapter covers the delivery of a DC-3 to an airline in Samoa. Gann was asked to fly it there and after some serious thoughts about the risks, he agreed. It had been 19 show more years since he had last flown a DC-3. His description of the trip is a wonderful conclusion to his history of flight as he witnessed it since he was sent back in time flying a plane that most people would consider an antique. It lacked modern navigation equipment and its speed would turn a four hour trip in a modern jet into a 14 hour marathon.
His descriptions of Juan Trippe, founder of Pan Am Airlines, as a tough operator confirms what I have read in other sources. show less
Each chapter includes a coloured painting by Robert Parks of the aircraft that is the focus of that chapter. The final chapter covers the delivery of a DC-3 to an airline in Samoa. Gann was asked to fly it there and after some serious thoughts about the risks, he agreed. It had been 19 show more years since he had last flown a DC-3. His description of the trip is a wonderful conclusion to his history of flight as he witnessed it since he was sent back in time flying a plane that most people would consider an antique. It lacked modern navigation equipment and its speed would turn a four hour trip in a modern jet into a 14 hour marathon.
His descriptions of Juan Trippe, founder of Pan Am Airlines, as a tough operator confirms what I have read in other sources. show less
Essays about various planes told in a personal way.
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The author of The High and the Mighty surveys the seat-of-the-pants flying scene of the '30's and reminisces about the early days of air mail, cargo transports and the first passenger lines. There's a lot less of the controlled hysteria of Richard Bach's A Gift of Wings (KR, p. 655) but just as much passion in Gann's nostalgic recall. The book features eighteen paintings by Richard Parks of show more old planes -- which accounts for the steep price. Gann strives for general interest as well as to hook aviation buffs, and spools out the John Wayne manliness with modest enthusiasm. The principal characters really are the crafts, but there are also many mute, inglorious airmen who strongly captured Gann's heart. show less
added by John_Vaughan
Author Information
49+ Works 2,859 Members
Ernest K. Gann is the author of numerous books. He lives in Anacortes, Washington, and continues to write and publish prolifically
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, Biography & Memoir, Travel, General Nonfiction
- DDC/MDS
- 629.13 — Technology Engineering Other branches of engineering Aviation Aviation engineering
- LCC
- TL515 .G25 — Technology Motor vehicles. Aeronautics. Astronautics Motor vehicles. Aeronautics. Astronautics Aeronautics. Aeronautical engineering
Statistics
- Members
- 67
- Popularity
- 463,875
- Reviews
- 4
- Rating
- (3.38)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 3
- ASINs
- 4
