Headwinds: a memoir

by Edna Bell-Pearson

Headwinds is the true story of one family's experiences set against the exciting and exuberant early days of the "Air Age." Pearson's memoir relates her life in the aviation world after World War II. Her husband had served as a pilot of B-24s and B-29s during the war and joined the ranks of returning veterans. But he was not the only one in the family involved in the aviation industry!

"World War II was in full swing when I did what I considered my patriotic duty and joined the Kansas Civil Air Patrol. We wore crisp, khaki uniforms and jaunty caps, piped in red, and drilled on the athletic field north of the high school before most folks were out of bed in the morning. Not one to do things halfway, I enrolled in a private pilot course and started taking flying lessons in a 1939 bright yellow, 65 horsepower, Piper J-3 Cub." -- Edna Bell Pearson, back cover of book

337 pages, Paperback

First published July 24, 2019

Reviews

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5
Enjoyed much of this memoir, but a large portion of the story was repetitive, it was windy, muddy, can't fly today, etc. I felt if the author would of just stuck to the "stories" it would of been a better read.

[Mark Carman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and unlike so many books I have read I remember it after many years. It was an amazing time for personal aviation and their story is the story of many others during a glorious period of optimism and growth.

[Kathy KS · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was interested in this memoir for various reasons: post WWII life, Kansas small town life, and the growth of the aviation industry through the lens of one small town business. Since most of my own family has been in more public service occupations, reading about building this small, newfangled, business in a small town (by young entrepreneurs!) was definitely of interest.