Synopses & Reviews
After an exciting career flying dozens of different aircraft to destinations as near as midwestern cornfields and as far as Middle Eastern deserts, veteran aviator Jack Race regales us with his unique experiences in
Ill Fly Away, an engaging biography written with acclaimed novelist William Hallstead.
From his adventures flying for the Allies in World War II to his work as head pilot trainer for Ariana Afghan Airlines, Race has logged more than six decades in the air. Ill Fly Away tracks his travels around the globe, encompassing his post-war job as crop duster and bush pilot, his thirty-four years as a commercial airline pilot for Pan American World Airways, his consultancy to King Hussein for Royal Jordanian Airlines, and the eight years in which he served as lead pilot for Orbis, an eye hospital on wings that served thirty-one countries. In 1989 Race notably retraced Charles Lindberghs 1927 20,000-mile goodwill tour, flying his Spirit of Orbis biplane to all forty-eight of the continental U.S. states.
A remarkable and wholly readable biography of an American original, Ill Fly Away will be essential for the bookshelf of every aviation enthusiast.
Review
"An intriguing collaborative biography." Max Friedersdorf
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"Pilots and nonpilots alike will enjoy this engaging biography." Island Sun
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"Pilots and nonpilots alike will enjoy this engaging biography."--Aviation History --Max Friedersdorf - Island Sun
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"An intriguing collaborative biography."--Island Sun
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"An intriguing collaborative biography."--Island Sun --Mark Strand
About the Author
William Hallstead is the author of twenty-one books, including six suspense novels under the pen name William Beechcroft. He is also a flight instructor and a glider pilot, logging 1,100 flying hours. Jack Race is a World War Two veteran of the U.S. Army Air Corps, a retired commercial airline pilot, and lay Baptist minister. He has logged a total of 26,306 flying hours.
Table of Contents
1. The Germans saluted crisply2. "Speen!"3. Nothing is quite so silent as a dead engine4. Hired on the spot by the AAF5. Fierce acceleration glued me to the seatback6. A real handful of no-nonsense airplane7. Bluenose B8. Impressed by the trip but not by the captain9. "Release! Release!"10. Wear your Goggles! Don't look back!11. The Stearman slowed, then in a shower of sparks, it lunged forward12. From AOA's dark blue to Pan Am's black13. Brass bands and red-carpets14. "What are you doing in that thing, Jack?"15. Seconds after lift-off, number three engine died16. A sky full of aggressive fighter planes17. "Where did that come from?"18. "You'll have a special passenger"19. Quarantine or leave20. A colossal swindle afoot?21. Staring at me from my rice pile was an eye22. A visit to the Twilight Zone23. The worse news any parent could ever hear24. Flowers, bowls of fruit and champagne25. Three miles west of Wurtsboro the engine stuttered26. Aloft with ORBIS27. "Help him, Lord, help him"28. "Barnstormer's Mutual"29. The year to live a dream30. "He's not quite as tall, but he looks like Charles A. Lindbergh!"31. Weather forecast: Rain32. Across the U.S. by map and compass33. "You can't park here!"34. A risky case of "get homeitis"35. Closing the circle Flight Credentials