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The Sky Beyond
Many aviation enthusiasts have found the book 'The Sky Beyond' by Sir Gordon Taylor highly inspirational. With his evocative writing style he brought the reader into the cockpit with him, sharing his adventures as he pioneered trans-ocean flights, with only the sun and stars to guide him. On one memorable occasion Sir Gordon saved an aircraft from ditching in the Tasman Sea by his brave actions, for which he was subsequently awarded the George Cross.
376 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1963
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 25, 2011
An excellent book about the experiences of an aviation pioneer in war and peace. Beautifully written, this is surely a classic of aviation literature.
April 19, 2025
Thoughts on The Sky Beyond by Sir Gordon Taylor.
Off I went joyfully down another aviation rabbit hole at the top of the year which culminated, somehow, in purchasing this particular book off someone on eBay.
I thought it might be intensely interesting as an historical travelogue (my favourite) and for an aviation infodump. It turned out also to be wildly exhilarating, poetic and philosophical. The author’s frequent descriptions of his private enjoyment and refuge in the place beyond the currents of earthly realities poured over my soul like a tempering salve. Each moment was more delicious than the last.
“We had passed beyond earth and no longer belonged with any world. Solitude was absolute, but inhabited by the fundamental source of life. There was no life itself, nor death, nor any passing state, but only eternity without time, distance, nor any dimensions. There was no aircraft with engines and propellers thrusting their way through the air- and no crew. I was momentarily conscious only of the source of all things of which we were part. Here in this new sky, colored with strangely beautiful lights, was the revelation which could not be named or expressed in terms of reason, but only as a sublime consciousness which I recognized, in its fulness, as something which before had touched me with a quick impression in the solitudes of the air. “
Off I went joyfully down another aviation rabbit hole at the top of the year which culminated, somehow, in purchasing this particular book off someone on eBay.
I thought it might be intensely interesting as an historical travelogue (my favourite) and for an aviation infodump. It turned out also to be wildly exhilarating, poetic and philosophical. The author’s frequent descriptions of his private enjoyment and refuge in the place beyond the currents of earthly realities poured over my soul like a tempering salve. Each moment was more delicious than the last.
“We had passed beyond earth and no longer belonged with any world. Solitude was absolute, but inhabited by the fundamental source of life. There was no life itself, nor death, nor any passing state, but only eternity without time, distance, nor any dimensions. There was no aircraft with engines and propellers thrusting their way through the air- and no crew. I was momentarily conscious only of the source of all things of which we were part. Here in this new sky, colored with strangely beautiful lights, was the revelation which could not be named or expressed in terms of reason, but only as a sublime consciousness which I recognized, in its fulness, as something which before had touched me with a quick impression in the solitudes of the air. “
March 10, 2019
Good read about pioneering aviation in Australia.
October 24, 2017
Wow! What an interesting read. Very enjoyable.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews