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Windward: Flying cargo out of Miami's Corrosion Corner
A FUN, EXCITING PILOT PROCEDURAL SET IN THE 1980s.
The further adventures of young pilot Ray Van Leeuwen as he spends a winter at Miami Airport's Northwest corner, where aging radial-engine transports haul cargo down to Caribbean islands and South America. He falls in love with Florida's natural world but struggles to make a living flying one at a time trips for sketchy pirate outfits. There are hairy flights and adventures in tropical islands. At a blue collar pilot bar, Ray is offered a job hauling munitions and told that it's legal "If the right side wins."
This is an easy reading, picaresque novel full of off-center characters and colorful flying stories.
The further adventures of young pilot Ray Van Leeuwen as he spends a winter at Miami Airport's Northwest corner, where aging radial-engine transports haul cargo down to Caribbean islands and South America. He falls in love with Florida's natural world but struggles to make a living flying one at a time trips for sketchy pirate outfits. There are hairy flights and adventures in tropical islands. At a blue collar pilot bar, Ray is offered a job hauling munitions and told that it's legal "If the right side wins."
This is an easy reading, picaresque novel full of off-center characters and colorful flying stories.
250 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 16, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 6, 2025
Just finished Windward, Flying Cargo out of Miami’s Corrosion Corner by Scott D McDonald.
I REALLY enjoyed this book!
I was a bit wary after seeing a mention of this title on Facebook, as I had never heard of this book or the author, but I decided to give it a chance and I’m glad I did!
I’ve been fascinated by Miami’s Corrosion Corner since very early in my flying career, after seeing scores of propliners and first generation jets parked haphazardly on the oil soaked ramps along the northside of the airport in the mid-eighties. It’s a colorful chapter in the history of Aviation, but unfortunately overlooked by most.
Ray, the young protagonist, is a twenty-something pilot who has had a short but checkered career thus far and sets out to build more flight experience in large piston aircraft.
Without going into more detail and giving a lot of the book away, I’ll just say that the characters are very relatable, the flying portions accurate and the descriptions of the settings are spot on. The backgrounds also seem to correspond to things I’ve heard or read over the years as well.
This book isn’t high “over the top” adventure. It won’t ever be made into a movie. But it will be a highly satisfying read, especially to anyone who has an interest in that time and place or has been a struggling pilot at one time in their career.
I’ll definitely check out the author’s other works as well!
I REALLY enjoyed this book!
I was a bit wary after seeing a mention of this title on Facebook, as I had never heard of this book or the author, but I decided to give it a chance and I’m glad I did!
I’ve been fascinated by Miami’s Corrosion Corner since very early in my flying career, after seeing scores of propliners and first generation jets parked haphazardly on the oil soaked ramps along the northside of the airport in the mid-eighties. It’s a colorful chapter in the history of Aviation, but unfortunately overlooked by most.
Ray, the young protagonist, is a twenty-something pilot who has had a short but checkered career thus far and sets out to build more flight experience in large piston aircraft.
Without going into more detail and giving a lot of the book away, I’ll just say that the characters are very relatable, the flying portions accurate and the descriptions of the settings are spot on. The backgrounds also seem to correspond to things I’ve heard or read over the years as well.
This book isn’t high “over the top” adventure. It won’t ever be made into a movie. But it will be a highly satisfying read, especially to anyone who has an interest in that time and place or has been a struggling pilot at one time in their career.
I’ll definitely check out the author’s other works as well!
May 1, 2026
I wanted to like this book. I really did. I mean, flying old piston airliners out of Miami? Great set up.
But I'm sorry, the story just fell flat. I mean, there wasn't even much of a story. Much of the book was just about the main character's living arrangements, his car problems, driving around the city learning where things are, hanging around in bars, and doing home renovation projects.
With a little bit of flying thrown in. But the thing is, the flying scenes are so brief that you blink and they're over. Literally some take place in the span of one paragraph. There is no "big emergency" the pilot has to face, or really any big conflict he has to resolve. There is no "rising action" as it was called in my high school English classes. The guy just goes about everyday life looking for pilot jobs and finding some. With a lot of hanging out talking to coworkers and friends.
The one potentially interesting plot line about flying for some black ops is brought up with great excitement but is then just abandoned without him ever getting hired. So why even include it?
I kept waiting for something exciting to happen, something that I'd care about, but it didn't. Ultimately, the story just continued, and continued, until all of a sudden, it ended.
But I'm sorry, the story just fell flat. I mean, there wasn't even much of a story. Much of the book was just about the main character's living arrangements, his car problems, driving around the city learning where things are, hanging around in bars, and doing home renovation projects.
With a little bit of flying thrown in. But the thing is, the flying scenes are so brief that you blink and they're over. Literally some take place in the span of one paragraph. There is no "big emergency" the pilot has to face, or really any big conflict he has to resolve. There is no "rising action" as it was called in my high school English classes. The guy just goes about everyday life looking for pilot jobs and finding some. With a lot of hanging out talking to coworkers and friends.
The one potentially interesting plot line about flying for some black ops is brought up with great excitement but is then just abandoned without him ever getting hired. So why even include it?
I kept waiting for something exciting to happen, something that I'd care about, but it didn't. Ultimately, the story just continued, and continued, until all of a sudden, it ended.
May 28, 2024
Pretty good flying stories!
The book was well written and kept my interest because I was a freight dog for several years and it was a pretty accurate account of how things were done back in the day. I believe I’ll read the other books in the series!
The book was well written and kept my interest because I was a freight dog for several years and it was a pretty accurate account of how things were done back in the day. I believe I’ll read the other books in the series!
May 18, 2026
A view from the cockpit
Interesting read on the “wild-west” of Flying under FAA section 91. Good story from the young pilot’s perspective. You feel like you are flying with the crew.
Interesting read on the “wild-west” of Flying under FAA section 91. Good story from the young pilot’s perspective. You feel like you are flying with the crew.
February 23, 2025
Too mechanical
Too much mechanical and aeronautical terms and descriptions and not enough plot and storyline. If you're interested in aeronautics you might like it.
Too much mechanical and aeronautical terms and descriptions and not enough plot and storyline. If you're interested in aeronautics you might like it.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews