Growing Up Boeing: The Early Jet Age Through the Eyes of a Test Pilot's Daughter

by Rebecca Wallick, Dana Delamar (Editor)

Growing Up Boeing gives an insider’s perspective of the Boeing test pilots and engineers who regularly risked their lives as they tested and certified the early commercial jets, 707s through 767s, at the dawn of the jet age. Passionate about flying, Boeing test pilot S. L. “Lew” Wallick and his Flight Test colleagues lived lives full of risk and adventure while raising their families in the Puget Sound area of Washington State, a region strongly influenced by Boeing and aviation. Using personal interviews of the pilots and engineers, Lew’s daughter Rebecca weaves the accounts of many key test pilots and flight test engineers of this Golden Age of aviation into a narrative full of aviation history, behind-the-scenes drama, some well-kept secrets, and personal insights about how they worked, lived and raised their families. Growing Up Boeing offers the human side of Boeing’s flight test history. Sit down, buckle your seat belt, put your tray table up, and prepare to take off on a nostalgic flight back in time, when the best test pilots flew by the seat of their pants, putting new commercial jets through tests that stressed and pushed the edge of performance envelopes, discovering their limits and tolerances and making them even better. Fly along on demonstration and proving flights as the test pilots help Boeing sell the airplanes to airlines around the world, meeting a few celebrities along the way. By the end of your flight, you’ll have a greater appreciation for the risks the crews took to ensure that we, the traveling public, can fly safely and comfortably to almost anywhere in the world today.

Genres: Nonfiction, Aviation, History

354 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 6, 2014

About the author

Born and raised in Seattle, Washington by Kansas-born parents, I'm the youngest of four and the only girl. My father was a Boeing test pilot, which meant my childhood was full of aviation and adventure. My first book, Growing Up Boeing, chronicles his career and the early jet age, mixing stories shared by my father and his flight test colleagues, regional history, and my own memories.

I obtained a degree in history from the University of Washington in 1980, and a law degree from Seattle University (formerly Univ of Puget Sound) in 1983. I practiced law for over 30 years, and was a freelance writer and contributing editor at The Bark magazine for nearly 20 years, but my first loves have always been dogs and the outdoors.

My second book, Wild Running: Lessons from Dogs, Wolves, and the Natural World, shares the sense of joy and awe running trails in forests has given me. It also provides a history of wolves in the US because they're an animal I've always admired, helping me better understand the Alaskan Malamutes I've chosen as my wilderness guides for four decades. Unfortunately, wolves are feared and hunted, which too often leads to close calls for my dogs, who can easily be mistaken for wolves. It's a tension felt throughout much of the West as wolves reestablish their traditional territory.

Reviews

[George S · Rating 5 out of 5]

I purchased the book at an airport and was fascinated by the author's stories collected from her father's colleagues at Boeing aircraft. Loved the way she interwove her own perspectives as a girl in the thick of the test pilot family with the interviews decades later from test pilots who were still alive. A fascinating book that digs into the underbelly of Boeing's history, including triumphs and tragedy. Highly recommend.

[PaulY · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some good history with an insiders view. The narrative is simplistic and endlessly repeats "my dad was my wonderful hero".

[Scott Reeves · Rating 5 out of 5]

A life well lived

WOW. An amazing story of a member of the greatest generation. While he did serve in the Navy and the story is ostensibly about his career at Boeing, the real meat of the story is his relationship with his daughter. What a great story of how to have an important and fulfilling career yet not losing the work life balance needed to raise a really interesting and successful human.

The glimpse of the world of the test pilots was really interesting (especially since I fly a Boeing airplane for a living). However, the story of Mr. Wallick’s career is vastly overshadowed by the strong and healthy father-daughter relationship seamlessly woven into the story. The author praises her Dad’s flying skill but I find myself envying his parenting skills.

A very good, well written story!

[Brett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent reading for any pilot or commercial airline fan!! Great perspective of what it takes to be a test pilot at Boeing! Lots of info I never knew about what goes in to a new Aircraft before it is delivered. Absolutely a page turner for me great job!!

[Terence Lionel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome tribute to your father

Dear Ms. Wallack this was excellent book and it was a awesome tribute to your father, his friends and your family. I was well written and one of the best aviation books, I read in a while.

[Chng Beng Guan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nostalgic reading

It's not about boeing it's also about father daughter relationship,hard to find such an excellent combination,read two books in one

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lew Wallick was a top airplane test pilot for most of his career years, and, later in life, he spent a lot of time telling his adult daughter about his experiences. It's a job I'd never thought about, and was intrigued by the ins and outs of what test pilots do. I did skip through a bit of the stories about family life, but the majority of the book was really interesting!

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some good history with an insiders view. The narrative is simplistic and endlessly repeats "my dad was my wonderful hero".

[Jerry Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read for anyone who enjoys aviation. I only wish it had more flying stories than it did.