One of the most widely-used multi-role Allied aircraft of WWII, Consolidated's PBY Catalina was a flying boat to be reckoned with. They were used as anti- submarine warfare platforms in the Atlantic, and gained notoriety in the Pacific as rescue and reconnaissance platforms, and as bombers. With their distinctive fuselages painted the shade of midnight, the "Black Cats" undertook daring raids of Japanese shipping and shore installations. Originally printed by the U.S. Navy during World War 2, this flight handbook taught pilots everything they needed to know before entering the cockpit. Classified "Restricted," the manual was recently declassified and is here reprinted in book form. This affordable facsimile has been slightly reformatted. Care has been taken to preserve the integrity of the text.

Grumman's A-6 Intruder served as the Navy's pre-eminent all-weather, medium attack aircraft from 1963 to 1997. Nearly 700 were built. The Intruder was aptly named, as the A-6 quickly proved it could perform its mission -- flying low and alone in any weather - better than any aircraft of its era. Known for its versatility, the subsonic Intruder also gained a workhorse reputation due to its range, ability to carry vast quantities of ordnance and fuel, and its day and night striking capability. The A-6 served with distinction in Vietnam, where it dropped more ordnance than the B-52. Flying low-level raids, the aircraft was susceptible to ground fire. 84 Intruders were lost, but the toughness of the planes and their pilots made them legendary, and inspired the book and film The Flight of the Intruder. In the years after Vietnam, the aircraft built on its reputation. It served in the skies over Lebanon in support of United Nations actions and flew punitive raids on Libya in 1986, neatly evading over 100 guided missiles in the process. During Operation Desert Storm, the plane logged more than 4,700 combat sorties. The A-6 was retired by the Marine Corps. in 1993, and by the U.S. Navy in 1997. A variant, the EA-6B electronic warfare platform continues to fly. This pilot's manual for the A-6 was originally printed by Grumman and the U.S. Navy. Originally classified "restricted," it has now been declassified and is here reprinted in book form.

One of the most storied aircraft of WWII, the Vought F4U-4 Corsair was the first single engine production aircraft capable of 400 mph in level flight. With its characteristic gull wing and giant 18-cylinder Double Wasp engine, it proved a superb fighter in the Pacific Theater and achieved victory ratio approaching 11 to 1. The exploits of the famed Black Sheep Squadron of Corsairs was recounted by their leader, Marine fighter ace Major Gregory "Pappy" Boyington, in the book "Baa Baa Black Sheep." This Flight Operating Instructions manual taught pilots everything they needed to know before climbing into the cockpit. Originally classified "Restricted," the manual was declassified long ago and is here reprinted in book form. This revised version includes an original assembly breakdown manual as an appendix.

North American Aviation's X-15 rocket plane flew at Mach 6.72 and at altitudes above 67 miles -- at the threshold of space. The men who piloted this amazing plane became the USAF's first astronauts. Powered by an XLR-99 engine capable of producing 70,000 pounds of thrust at peak altitude, the X-15 pushed the flight envelope for manned aircraft past the post office. Notably, both Apollo astronaut Neil Armstrong and Space Shuttle commander Joe Engle piloted the X-15. Originally published by North American for the USAF and later NASA, this Flight Operating Handbook represents a 1963 update of the original version first printed in 1961. Just recently declassified, it provides a revealing look into one of history's great planes. Also included in this edition is a rare X-15 rescue manual made for the plane's ground crew. Please note: due to the archival nature of some portions of the original documents, image and text quality may vary. Care has been taken to preserve the integrity of the text.

The Boeing B-17 was the first mass-produced, four-engine heavy bomber. Used throughout World War II for strategic bombing, the plane earned a reputation for its toughness and versatility. Carrying a crew of ten, and 8,000 pounds of bombs on long range missions, the '17 wreaked havoc on Germany during the critical years 1942-45. The "Memphis Belle," the first B-17 to fly 25 missions over Europe, is perhaps the most famous plane to emerge from the European Theatre. Originally printed by the United States Army Air Force in December of 1942, the B-17 Bomber Pilot's Flight Operating Manual taught pilots everything they needed to know about the "Queen of the Skies." Originally classified "Restricted," the manual was declassified long ago and is here reprinted in book form. This affordable facsimile has been reformatted, and color images appear as black and white. Care has been taken however to preserve the integrity of the text. This is an authentic WWII era document, reprinted here in its entirety with attractive gloss covers. Please note, due to the archival nature of this document, page quality can vary.

- The final answer on Amelia Earhart: "Amelia Earhart" puts to rest the speculation and rumors surrounding Earhart's disappearance. The Longs prove that she was pushing the limits of technology and simply pushed too far. With the primitive conditions Earhart was flying under--no radar, unreliable communication--she missed Howland Island, her next stop..
- An expert author and pilot: Elgen Long has more than forty years of combat and civilian flying experience. During World War II, he flew planes virtually identical to the Electra that Earhart flew, making him one of the few living pilots who understands the conditions she flew under. Elgen and his wife, Marie, spent more than twenty-five years, interviewed more than 100 witnesses, and traveled more than 100,000 miles researching this book. .
- A new movie: "Amelia," starring Hilary Swank, will be released by Fox Searchlight in fall 2009. The screenplay is based on three books, including Elgen and Marie Long's "Amelia Earhart," and Elgen Long served as a technical advisor to the film..

Jean Batten was born in Rotorua, New Zealand and developped a love for aviation from an early age. Her father did not approve of her love of flying and she and her mother moved to London in order to pursue her dream of becoming a pilot. Jean received her license at the London Aeroplane Club at Stag Lane and began planning for a flight from England to Australia to surpass the Amy Johnson's record. After two failed attempts, she succeeded in 1934, flying a Gipsy Moth and became a great hero in Australia, New Zealand and England. In 1935 she broke James Mollison's records for England to Brazil and Dakar to Natal and became the first woman to fly solo across the South Atlantic. She also shared a Harmon Trophy with Amelia Earhart in 1935. In 1937 she set another record for an Australia to England flight both ways. During World War II Jean Batten gave up flying and eventually became a recluse, living with her mother in Majorca, Spain and appearing in public only for a few events. She died in obscurity in Majorca in 1982. The international terminal at Auckland Airport is named in her honor.

Created by Lockheed's brilliant designer Kelly Johnson, the SR-71 Blackbird is one of the most legendary aircraft to emerge from the famous "Skunk Works." Capable of Mach 3 flight, the SR-71 could survey 100,000 miles of the earth's surface from an altitude of 80,000 feet. The SR-71 holds a coast-to-coast speed record of 64 minutes flown at over 2100 m.p.h. The SR-71 flew from 1964-1998 for the USAF (with a brief retirement from 1989- 1995), and completed over 17,000 sorties and over 11,500 hours at Mach 3. During that time 12 of the 32 aircraft produced were lost in accidents, although with only one fatality. The Blackbird also flew as a NASA research aircraft from 1992-99. Originally created for the elite group of pilots who drove "the sled," this Flight Operating Handbook provides a revealing look into the cockpit of one of history's great planes. Just recently de-classified, this book contains all the basic instructions for the SR-71A and twin-cockpit SR-71B training model. Please note, this book was created from a classified original made available through the Freedom of Information Act. As a result some pages may have substandard print quality. A limited number of pages are unavailable or still classified and have been omitted. Care has been taken to preserve the integrity of the text.

Please note: this is volume two of a two volume set. You must purchase both books to have a complete manual. The U.S. Navy's front line, land-based maritime patrol aircraft, the Lockheed P-3 Orion is a highly capable anti-submarine warfare platform. Conceived as a replacement for the P-2 Neptune and P-5 Marlin, the P-3 first flew in 1961. It was loosely based on the design of the L-188 Electra passenger aircraft. Equipped with four Allison T56 turbo-prop engines, the P-3 has the speed of a fast propeller-powered fighter and a range of nearly 2,400 nautical miles. It can remain on station at 1500 feet for three hours with a range of 1,300 nm. The aircraft typically carries three pilots and a crew of eight. Armament capacity is up to 20,000 pounds and can include the AGM-84 Harpoon, AGM-84E SLAM, AGM-84H/K and AGM-65F Maverick. The P-3 has provided reliable service to the U.S. and its allies. In addition to Cold War submarine tracking, its missions have included enforcing the blockade of Cuba during the 1962 crisis, coastal patrols in the Vietnam War, and targeting of Iraqi naval elements during the Gulf War. Over the decades the P-3 has received several major up-dates, and more than forty variants have been developed. It is expected to remain in service for the U.S. Navy until at least 2013 when the P-8 Poseidon begins deployment. This pilot's manual was originally created by Lockheed and the U.S. Navy. It has been declassified and is here made available in book form.

Used primarily as a long-range bomber escort in raids over Germany, the North American P-51 Mustang earned a reputation for toughness and agility in dogfights. Carrying a two-stage supercharged V-12 Merlin engine and armed with six .50 caliber machine guns, the P-51 helped the Allies gain air superiority in the skies over Europe. P-51s were flown by the famed Tuskegee Airmen, and remained in service during the Korean War. World airforces made extensive use of the Mustang, some into the 1980's. Originally published by North American Aviation and the U.S. Army Air Force in 1945, this manual was originally classified "Restricted." It was declassified long ago and is here reprinted in book form. This affordable facsimile has been reformatted, and color images appear as black and white. Care has been taken to preserve the integrity of the text

The U.S. Navy's front line, land-based maritime patrol aircraft, the Lockheed P-3 Orion is a highly capable anti-submarine warfare platform. Conceived as a replacement for the P-2 Neptune and P-5 Marlin, the P-3 first flew in 1961. It was loosely based on the design of the Lockheed L-188 Electra passenger aircraft. Equipped with four Allison T56 turboprop engines, the P-3 has the speed of a fast propeller-powered fighter and a range of nearly 2,400 nautical miles. It can remain on station at 1500 feet for three hours with a range of 1,300 nm. The aircraft typically carries a crew of three pilots, two naval flight officers, two flight engineers, three sensor operators and a technician. Armament typically includes up to 20,000 pounds of missiles including the AGM-84 Harpoon, AGM-84E SLAM, AGM-84H/K and AGM-65F Maverick. The P-3 has provided reliable service to the U.S. and other navies including Germany, Japan, Canada, and South Korea. In addition to Cold War submarine tracking, its missions have included enforcing the blockade of Cuba during the 1962 crisis, coastal patrols in the Vietnam War, and targeting of Iraqi naval elements during the Gulf War. Over several decades of service, the P-3 has received several major updates, and more than forty variants have been developed. It is expected to remain in service for the U.S. Navy until at least 2013 when the P-8 Poseidon begins deployment. This P-3 Orion pilot's manual was originally "restricted." It has been declassified and has now been reprinted in books form.

The X-15 rocket plane flew at Mach 6.72 and at altitudes above 67 miles -- at the threshold of space! The men who flew this amazing plane became the USAF's first astronauts. Powered by an XLR-99 engine capable of producing 70,000 pounds of thrust at peak altitude, the X-15 pushed the envelope for manned aircraft past the post office. Notably, both Apollo commander Neil Armstrong and Space Shuttle commander Joe Engle piloted the X-15. Originally highly restricted, the manual was recently declassified and is here reprinted in book form. This affordable black and white facsimile has been reformatted. Due to the historic nature of this text, image quality can vary. Care has been taken however to preserve the integrity of the text.

Designed by Douglas Aircraft Co.s brilliant engineer Ed Heinemann, the turbojet powered, delta-wing A-4 Skyhawk played a key role in conflicts from Vietnam to the Falklands and Yom Kippur Wars. The Skyhawk was intended to replace the venerable Skyraider as a carrier-based, ground attack aircraft, yet Heinemanns design looked nothing like its predecessor. Its small, lightweight airframe was so compact that its wings did not even have to be folded for carrier stowage, and it surpassed the Navys design specification for weight by nearly 100%. No wonder the nimble jet was dubbed Heinemanns Hot Rod. The A-4 entered service in 1956, and first saw combat during the early days of the Vietnam War where it flew as a light attack aircraft. Its service in S.E. Asia was prolific, as it flew literally thousands of strike and escort missions and even scored an air-to-air victory over a North Vietnamese MiG. A Marine A-4 is believed to be the last American aircraft to drop bombs on Vietnam. During the conflict 362 Skyhawks were lost. The Navy retired the Skyhawk in 1975, although it continued flying as a trainer and adversary aircraft as late as 2003. Nearly 3,000 Skyhawks were built before production ceased in 1979, including a two- seat trainer model TA-4. The Skyhawk was widely exported and saw combat with the air forces of Kuwait, Israel and Argentina. This pilots manual was originally classified restricted but has now been declassified and is here reprinted in book form

Amelia Earhart was twice the first woman to cross the Atlantic by air: initially in 1928 as a passenger just a year after Lindbergh's pioneering flight and then in 1932 flying solo. Like her contemporaries Amy Johnson and Beryl Markham she was featured in all the fashionable magazines of the day as a symbol of the new independent woman. The list of records Amelia established reads like a catalogue of aviation history and includes the first flights from Hawaii to California and from California to Mexico. In 1937 she attempted with a copilot, Frederick J. Noonan, to fly around the world, but her plane was lost on the flight between New Guinea and Howland Island. Despite extensive searches neither wreckage nor bodies were ever found. Many theories exist but there is no proof of her fate. Amelia will always be remembered for her courage, vision and groundbreaking achievements both in aviation and for women.

John P. Nghiwete's The In-Flight Diversion Handbook is a thorough, well-written, and truly unique guide that can help any pilot learn how to navigate their aircraft using the tried-and-tested methods and techniques that have been proven highly effective by the pilots of yesteryear, and which can be a useful back-up to the high-tech gadgets that modern-day pilots are increasingly taking for granted.

Field manual (FM) 3-04.240 is specifically prepared for aviators authorized to fly Army aircraft. This manual presents the fundamentals, procedures, and techniques for instrument flying and air navigation. FM 3-04.240 facilitates adherence to Army regulation (AR) 95-1 by providing guidance and procedures forstandard Army instrument flying. Aircraft flight instrumentation and mission objectives are varied, making instruction general for equipment and detailed for accomplishment of maneuvers. Guidance found in this manual is both technique and procedure oriented. Aircraft operator manuals provide the detailed instructionsrequired for particular aircraft instrumentation or characteristics. When used with related flight directives and publications, this publication provides adequate guidance for instrument flight under most circumstances but is not a substitute for sound judgment; circumstances may require modification of prescribed procedures. Aircrew members charged with the safe operation of United States Army, Army National Guard (ARNG), or United States Army Reserve (USAR) aircraft must be knowledgeable of the guidance contained in this field manual.

Bush Pilots Do it in Fours follows Roy Watson's flying career and his fascination with all things airborne, from the very first steps through the restoration of a Tiger Moth, Aeronca and Zlin and some exposure to aerobatics in these 'older' flying machines. Thereafter, it moves towards larger aircraft, with his experiences maintaining Hawker Siddley 748's. Roy was heavily involved in establishing an airline, specifically aimed at supplying food, to impoverished Africa and a close involvement with Russian Aircraft and Douglas DC4's. What follows is his first taste of true 'bush flying', which evoked a distinct passion and love for the DC-4 (which inspired the title of the novel itself). The novel finally ends up with the challenging repair and subsequent conversion onto the Boeing 707. The flying exploits vary from humorous undertakings and happenings with his elderly light aircraft up to major expeditions in commercial airliners stretching from the Antarctic as far as the Northernmost Parts of Africa. Roy describes many incidents in the air, on the ground, and with the local population in a light-hearted and entertaining light that is sure to evoke a smile or two.