At 10: 35 on the morning of Thursday, December 17, 1903, man got his wings. On the sand dunes of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, Orville Wright flew the motorized aircraft he and his brother Wilbur had constructed to a distance shorter than the length of the wingspan of today's 747 jet. They made three other flights the same day, the final lasting 59 seconds for a distance of 852 feet over the ground. The world would never be the same after that day. Mankind was finally off the ground in powered flight. And our experiences in the air would forevermore join the literature of human endeavors, to be shared by kindred spirits as well as the curious sorts who have wanted to know, "What was it like up there?"
In The Greatest Flying Stories Ever Told, editor Lamar Underwood has collected some of the finest writings, both fact and realistic fiction, to lay bare the drama of human beings coping with the skills needed to direct their machines through the vastness of the skies.
With contributions from: Charles Lindbergh, Ernest K. Gann, General Chuck Yeager, Leo Janos, Tom Wolfe, Mary Lovell, Richard Bach, Rinker Buck, Diane Ackerman, Derek Robinson, and more.

In this probing critique of aviation security since 9/11, Andrew R. Thomas, a globally recognized aviation security expert, examines the recent overhaul of the national aviation security system.
Despite the complete federal takeover of aviation security in November 2001, Thomas notes many continuing problems, including: millions of passenger bags that are still not screened or matched; the unresolved problem of air rage and unruly passenger behavior; the "forgotten chasm" of air cargo, which remains largely unchecked due to inadequate resources; and lax standards, the hiring of high-risk employees, and the failure to secure critical areas in many of our nation's airports.
Thomas also considers many of the proposed solutions to these vulnerabilities: biometrics, profiling, air marshals, bomb-detection devices, and smart technology that links reservations systems to private and government databases. How practical are these proposals? Will they work? What will they cost? How much time will be needed to implement any or all of them? In light of the restructuring of airline security, what new roles will be played by the airline industry, government, airports, and the Transportation Security Administration? Thomas's thorough analysis and command of all the facts create an enlightening overview of the airline security dilemma and its numerous formidable challenges.
Finally, he considers the future, outlining a strategic approach for government and industry to meet new and existing threats while continuing to serve the public in an efficient manner.

The How and Why of UFOs is the much anticipated sequel to Kenneth W. Behrendt's previous groundbreaking work on the subject, Secrets of UFO Technology. The present work begins with a detailed review of the revolutionary anti-mass field theory explanation for UFO propulsion and its secondary effects which is critical to understanding how these craft can easily overcome the usual limitations imposed by gravity and inertia upon our present massive earthly air and spacecraft. This cutting edge theory is then applied to several classic UFO cases to provide previously unsuspected insights into them. Even the often overlooked topic of small automated alien probes is explored as a highly detailed probe case, personally investigated by the author, is presented and analyzed in order to reveal the amazing interior structures of the object sighted.After providing an analysis of the planets of origin of advanced spacefaring extraterrestrial beings, the possible reasons for their visitations to our Earth are considered. The author then goes on to describe the most likely biological mechanism behind the mental telepathy process that is the principle mode of communication for most extraterrestrial beings and even suggests a variety of simple methods that might actually allow human researchers to communicate with the alien pilots of the UFOs now operating in Earth's atmosphere All of this is only a small sample of the many intriguing topics awaiting the reader in this abundantly illustrated volume. The many revelations found in The How and Why of UFOs are sure to delight and intrigue any student of ufology who wishes to explore this fascinating subject at its very deepest level.

Down through the years with my unusual amount of engine failures, over 18, most pilots with total engine failures usually died. Also, how many 16 year old teenagers have thumbed and hopped the freight trains to see the states from coast to coast and border to border, starting with a twenty dollar bill? Not only is this an interesting, fun read, but it has some simple rules that help to keep pilots in general aviation alive, even the best. Before retiring from the airline, I met a flight instructor that had instructed at the same airport in Monroeville years before. He was an excellent pilot. He told me he was ferrying airplanes all over the world, even single engine aircraft. I was amazed that he would fly over the ocean to reach some of the countries with a single engine airplane. The last thing I asked him, "What will you do if the engine quits?" He just laughed. A few years later his picture was on the front page of a Pittsburgh newspaper. He was flying near the Canary Islands and his engine quit. They never found him. So, if you have any pilot friends, you may want to give them a copy of this book if only to read the chapter on, "Staying Alive."

The airline industry is in a state of radical restructuring as its markets and key stakeholders (customers, airline labour and management groups, governments, and the financial community) adjust to the new aviation realities. Airline executives can be forgiven for being overwhelmed by technology proliferation, zestful new paradigm airlines, September 2001, business cycles, Iraq, SARS, and animal diseases. The leadership challenge for all carriers is now to select and execute appropriate business models, thinking both 'inside' and 'outside' the 'box', to turn conventional wisdom upside down to achieve dramatic increases in productivity. Some legacy carriers still need to create an effective strategy for much larger cycles that encompass major discontinuities. Burdened by past decisions, they are forced to fight with one hand tied behind their back to 'convert volume to value', to survive and prosper. Some new airlines have been at the forefront of shaping change, developing a vision of the mass-market, assessing the customer value of their core processes, and using a 'back-to-basics' business approach. Both groups should take a sideways glance at what works in other industries and implement those insights into actions.

With its low fares and friendly service, Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA) was one of the most successful regional airlines in American history. Its distinctive orange, red, and white planes, complete with a beaming smile were immediately recognizable to those living on the West Coast. The airline was also known for employing beautiful and sociable flight attendants. Kenny Friedkin, the founder of PSA, started in 1949 with one leased DC-3 and expanded his fleet to serve millions of passengers each year. Although PSA is no longer in operation, its successful business model of low-priced, efficient service was copied by other airlines and today is considered the norm. In addition, former PSA employees still gather annually to relive the camaraderie they experienced as being a part of one of the most unique airlines of all time.

This is the story of dedicated men and women who are and were the backbone of aviation. They took all they had and bought 60 acres of land 35 miles from the city and proceeded to build an airport mostly with the blood, sweat and tears from their brows. None of them saw great wealth from their endeavor however, they were doing what they loved: living and sleeping with airplanes. They fueled them, repaired them, stored them and in some cases even taught in them.

It's 1918. An American pilot, flying for the Lafayette Flying Corps, finds himself fighting for his life in what could be his last dogfight. Escape seems impossible - a crash seems inevitable. He will need a lot of help and a lot of luck to survive.