Jack Jefford
Teoksen Winging It! tekijä
Tekijän teokset
Merkitty avainsanalla
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Jäseniä
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Winging It! Tekijä: Jack Jefford
Jack Jefford saw his first plane in 1916 at the age of six and he was hooked. By 1937 he was flying planes in Nome, Alaska and in three short years he became the Chief Pilot of the FAA. He daily faced the dangers of Alaska's skies, helped settle a frontier, and managed to survive long enough to share a lifetime of stories—delivering mail by plane, hunting coyotes, counting reindeer, transporting prisoners and congressmen, and rescuing the lost and injured, often at great risk to himself.
Authobiographies/biographies written about people who aren't traditionally famous, but who inhabit a specific world during a time of great change, are always a fascinating dive into the unknown but familiar. Jack Jefford lived 1910-1979 and, working largely as a pilot, saw the transition from the first commercially produced planes in history through the dawn of the jet age. He lived this transition flying back country routes primarily in Alaska, adding another layer of excitement to an already wide ranging career.
Presented generally in chronological order, it's largely a collection of 'best-of' stories from Jack's professional life. I would have liked to hear more about his family and home life, especially how it balanced with his busy travel schedule.… (lisätietoja)
Presented generally in chronological order, it's largely a collection of 'best-of' stories from Jack's professional life. I would have liked to hear more about his family and home life, especially how it balanced with his busy travel schedule.… (lisätietoja)
Winging It provides an impressive, first hand account of the development of Alaska's aviation system. Jefford arrives in Alaska in the last 1930's by which time aviation is already making it's mark, but mostly centered out of the larger communities, tied to ship routes and the Alaska Railroad. The book covers Jefford's activities sufficiently in this era to give the reader a good sense of how aviation worked, and the vital role it played even at that time.
Around 1940 Jefford goes to work for the CAA (precursor to the FAA) and is flying for them as instrument airways are being developed. The run-up to World War II speeds route development, and extends it to the Aleutian, where the Japanese had invaded and held positions at the end of the Aleutian Islands. Military needs also call for construction of additional airfields both to support defensive efforts, and the Lend Lease Program, where aircraft were supplied to Russia. Jefford's book is an excellent account of the conditions (weather, terrain, infrastructure) and thorough his stories provide a look at the magnitude of the system the FAA operated to support air navigation, Flight Services Stations and other facilities needed to connect Alaskan cities to each other and to Seattle. Not a conventional biography (there is no mention of his family beyond the FAA staff he worked with), it is a series of stories that collectively provide a wealth of insight into a bygone era.… (lisätietoja)
Around 1940 Jefford goes to work for the CAA (precursor to the FAA) and is flying for them as instrument airways are being developed. The run-up to World War II speeds route development, and extends it to the Aleutian, where the Japanese had invaded and held positions at the end of the Aleutian Islands. Military needs also call for construction of additional airfields both to support defensive efforts, and the Lend Lease Program, where aircraft were supplied to Russia. Jefford's book is an excellent account of the conditions (weather, terrain, infrastructure) and thorough his stories provide a look at the magnitude of the system the FAA operated to support air navigation, Flight Services Stations and other facilities needed to connect Alaskan cities to each other and to Seattle. Not a conventional biography (there is no mention of his family beyond the FAA staff he worked with), it is a series of stories that collectively provide a wealth of insight into a bygone era.… (lisätietoja)
Tilastot
- Teokset
- 1
- Jäseniä
- 34
- Suosituimmuussija
- #413,653
- Arvio (tähdet)
- 4.0
- Kirja-arvosteluja
- 3
- ISBN:t
- 4