The Bush Pilots

The Epic of Flight

by Dale Brown (Editor), Lee Hassig (Editor), David S. Thomson (Editor (text))

The Epic of Flight, The Bush Pilots volume. Printed in 1983. This is the brown, leather like hardcovers with gold gilt lettering on the front and spine. The pages are also gold on the closed edges. This book is in like new condition.

Genres: History, Aviation, Nonfiction

176 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1983

About the author

Dale^^Brown Time-Life editor/author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

After World War I, bush pilots, taking advantage of the glut of surplus warplanes and service-trained pilots, flew over unmapped terrain without radios or weather reports. They were tough and independent . . . and a lifeline to the outside for miners, trappers, missionaries, and others far from civilization. They flew in the Outback, in New Guinea; they flew north to the frozen wilderness, south to Latin America. And during World War II at bases in places such as Nome, Alaska, they were the only fliers skilled enough to land when the ceiling was less than two hundred feet and the visibility was less than a quarter of a mile.

Here are the stories of aviators such as Harold Gillam, one of Alaska’s first bush pilots. Gillam and fellow bush pilot Ben Eielson were the first men to cross the Arctic Ocean by air. But the flying was treacherous, often claiming the pilots in a deadly crash. Nevertheless, these dedicated pilots persevered, driven by the needs of others and their own insatiable passion for flying.

Filled with photographs of the pilots and the planes, “The Bush Pilots,” part of The Epic of Flight series, tells the stories of these brave pilots and their daring exploits. Readers interested in the achievements of early aviators and the evolution of aviation will find much to appreciate here.

Recommended.

[Henry Kline · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great collection of the great Bush Pilots of the world!

[Professor · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was a kid I didn't know any better, so I ended up buying an entire set of these Time Life Epic of Flight books. I loved reading the first few, but of course the one-a-month pace was a bit much for me at that point and I got behind, and, inevitably, just looked at the pictures. I also tended to not want to bother with the books that weren't about "War". Because I loved the books as a kid I held onto them, and that is why I still have, 20 years later, the full set lying about my apartment. I decided that they would be great bathroom reading, as they aren't very portable and I don't care what happens, and they are simple reading with short chapters and good stopping points. Not to mention lots of illustrations and photographs.

This particular volume was about Bush flying from it's early days. It takes an area-centered rather than time-centered approach, for the most part and it is maddeningly incomplete and general-at just under 200 pages it's not a very long book, especially with the largish print and plentiful illustrations and side bars you can't really expect it to be. What you do get are some interesting stories of men pioneering, both in technological terms and in "no white man has been there" ones and the tales range from comedic to harrowing. This could definitely be a subject to find more comprehensive books on. Great bathroom reading if you stumble on one of these.