ALASKAN AVIATION HISTORY 1897-1930 (2 Vol. Set)

Through extensive research, the author has compiled an extremely detailed history of early day aviation in Alaska. Presented in a sequential fashion by time and location, the author recounts what airplane, pilot and in most cases the passenger carried on each flight. He includes details, where available, about the reason for the flight; taking a miner or government official to inspect a project, retrieving an ailing resident, etc.,and records the flight time, delays due to weather and other information.

It is extremely detailed, and therefore can be tough going for the casual reader. But through these accounts, one can clearly see the impact the new technology was having on the Territory of Alaska, where travel could take weeks or show more months due to the lack of surface transportation networks (still the case today in much of Alaska). It also illustrates the challenges encountered by the pilots and mechanics who struggled to keep the early day airplanes operating, and developed the modifications to make they work in this challenging climate. He also describes who the backers were, that financed these early day businesses. Volume 1 covers from the start of aviation in Alaska up to 1928. Volume 2 covers just the activity in 1929-30. A wealth of information about this era of aviation in the 49th state. show less