After the First World War, airships were seen as the only viable means of long range air transport for passengers and freight. In Britain, this gave rise to the Imperial Airship Scheme of 1924 to link the outposts of the Empire by an airship service. Conceived as part of this scheme, the R.100 airship, built by private enterprise, successfully flew to Canada and back in 1930. This is the story of R.100, Britain's most successful passenger airship. It is a tale of schemes and politics, over-optimism and rivalry. It tells the full story of its design and construction under difficult conditions, the setbacks and delays, personal antagonism and financial constraint. Two years late and massively over budget, R.100 flew and flew well, achieving her designer's ambition and fulfilling the contract specification. Her Canadian flight in 1930 was the culminating success, but her ultimate fate was dictated by the tragedy that befell her Government-built sister ship, R.101, and economic expediency at a time of national economic depression.

Forced by federal regulations to retire at age 60, Jerry Sorlucco had served as an airline captain for nearly forty years and was probably the senior pilot on the planet. During that long career, he flew everything from Dos to Boeing 767s. His memoir documents that experience professionally, personally and to some extent technically. Anyone with any curiosity about the life, work, gear and training of an airline pilot will find something engaging in this book. The story begins with an Italian kid from Brooklyn''s early love of flying and ends with his final flight from Frankfurt in 1997. Photographs of the aircraft Sorlucco flew, crewmembers, and his friends and family enhance the lively narrative. Given the sorry state of the airline industry, this story is especially timely. Sorlucco discusses some of the reasons for the industry''s collapse and offers some possible solutions. In fact, the entire narrative is framed in its historical context, so the reader will be constantly reminded of the wider world surrounding a personal journey. A Good Stick is a must read for the thousands of fellow pilots who shared an era with Jerry Sorlucco, for young pilots trying to keep afloat in a sea of airline red ink, and for anyone wondering what on Earth happened to America''s airline industry. For the aficionado, the historical and technical data in the narrative is not merely anecdotal; it is thoroughly researched and accurate.

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.

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.

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 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.

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."