In his latest book Don McVicar gives a vivid account of the postwar period in Canadian and American aviation circles. War surplus aircraft abounded, to be bought and sold for a song; returning aircrew vied with each other and with governments for a slice of the action, but many of their newly founded enterprises went to the wall. Some, like the author's own WorldWide Aviation company, survived only by the ingenuity of their founders in discovering fresh corners of the market to exploit.
But More than a Pilot is not just a fastmoving account of a hectic worldwide market place. Don McVicar acknowledges the debt he, and we, owe to the pioneers of aviation, and he skillfully intertwines his personal narrative with fascinatingly detailed accounts of some of the flights made by the giants of yesteryear like Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart and Howard Hughes. Written in McVicar's inimitable style, this is a book every aviation enthusiast will enjoy.
Chapter 1
Roamin' in the gloamin'
Chapter 2
Southern comfort
Chapter 3
Rimouski Airlines
Chapter 4
No Island in the Sky
Chapter 5
Cornell carnival
Chapter 6
The brightest stars in the sky
Chapter 7
Wiley Post-America's one-eyed ace
Chapter 8
Charles Lindbergh's Favourite Crew
Chapter 9
The lure of the Great Circle
(including "Fish" Hassell, Clyde Pangborn...)
Chapter 10
'The Frigate Bird'
Chapter 11
Lockheed never named one of their aircraft 'The Phoenix'
Chapter 12
Amelia Earhart - a comet burned out?
Chapter 13
Howard Hughes - Perfectionist
Chapter 14
The Hudson
Chapter 15
Loretta, where are you?
Chapter 16
'Our Trusty and Well-Beloved Captain'
Chapter 17
Home is a Hamshack in a hangar
Chapter 18
Swissair's Convairs
Chapter 19
The Dollard des Hormones Cocktail
Chapter 20
Barnstorming
Chapter 21
Off to the Races Again