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The Sky Beyond. - 1963

by Taylor, Sir Gordon

  • Used
  • Hardcover
  • first

Description

London: Cassell, (1963). First Edition. Octavo, photo. illus. boards (hardcover), gilt letters, v, 366 pp. Near-Fine, with former-owner bookplate and darkening to pages; in a Very Good, mylar protected dust jacket with lightly rubbed edges. From dust jacket: This is a rich personal chronicle of flying during the years 1916 to 1951, written by one of Australia’s brilliant pioneer aviators, Sir Gordon Taylor. The author’s first plane was a little Sopwith Scout fighter which he flew on the French Front in 1917. Twenty-five years later, in 1942, he flew Liberator bombers across the Atlantic for theR. A. F. -- one of the few pilots to fly actively in both World Wars. But the heart of this aviator is in pioneering flying. In The Sky Beyond hetells of his perilous exploratory flights -- many of them in the great Catalina flying boats -- across the Tasman Sea and the Indian and Pacific Oceans during the 1930s and 1940s. As recently as 1951 he commanded Frigate Bird II on its historic return flight between Australia and South America. Such pioneering flights were as dangerous and demanding as they were compelling. On the first West-East crossing of the Pacific from Australia to the United States in 1934, the Altair, of which Sir Gordon was navigator, spun uncontrollably in a dive of over 10,000 feet. Even more appalling was a 1935 trans-Tasman flight during which the author repeatedly had to crawl out onto the wibng struts of the Fokker Southern Cross and, using an improvised container, transfer oil from the dead starboard engine to the failing port engine. Almost a decade later, on a 1944 exploratory flight of the Central Pacific from Mexico to the Marquesas, the Catalina Frigate Bird was trapped by a hurricane in the lagoon of isolated Clipperton Island. And in 1951, in the process of a rocket-assisted take-off from rough open ocean, Frigate Bird II veered directly toward the sharp cliffs of Easter Island, where she had just refuelled. The Sky Beyond is an important addition to aviation history and an exciting testimonial to human ingenuity and courage. The author’s love of flying shines through every page. Sir Gordon honestly appraises himself and his fellows as men incapable of living any other life without withering and dying. Anyone wh has ever shared or felt the attraction of the sky beyond will find his story impossible to put down.
Used: See description
NZ$100.57
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Lighthouse Books, ABAA is a family-owned and operated book shop located in downtown Dade City, Florida, celebrating more than 40 years of business. We're open to the public Tuesdays through Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Our specialties include Florida history and literature, Americana, literature of the South, military history (including, but not limited to, Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, Vietnam, Korean War), children's literature, antique maps, leather bindings and rare & unusual items. We have a wide variety of general stock, including a large landscape/gardening section, a great selection of Christian/church history/Bible study titles, Beat literature, fishing, aviation, maritime, Asian history, African history, European history, South Pacific, British history, archaeology, psychology, philosophy, Latin American and Caribbean history, Canadian history, discovery & exploration, art, antiques & collectibles' reference, pop-up books, railroads, hunting, fire arms, etc. About 25 per cent of our total stock is listed in our online inventory. If ever you're in the area, we invite you to come in and browse; to show our appreciation, we'll offer a 15 per cent discount off any purchases made on your first visit. The proprietor, Michael F. Slicker, is one of about 450 qualified members of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America, Inc., and its affiliate the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers. He was also the founding president of the the Florida Antiquarian Booksellers Association and is still an active member and committee chairman. In addition to keeping regular hours at the storefront location, Lighthouse Books participate as a vender in about a dozen book fairs, antiques shows, map fairs and related events each year. One such show is The Florida Antiquarian Book Fair, an annual trade show/charity benefit held in downtown St. Petersburg in the spring, that has become the oldest and largest antiquarian book fair in the Southeast; Slicker has served as Chair since its inception thirty years ago. Please contact us for more information regarding our certified appraisal services. Please visit our website: www.OldFloridaBookStore.com. Bibliophiles might also enjoy our blog, featuring articles on unusual books, author biographies, and other book related subjects:.OldFloridaBookStore.blospot.com.

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