Avian Dreamers

Bear Wallow Pub Co. Fine with no dust jacket. 1991. Limited Edition. Hardcover. 0936376074 . 1 x 11.1 x 8.3 Inches; Real-life stories of aviation pioneers and historic events blended with original artwork of vintage aircraft and photographic images . . . . . with ten color plates and over 75 black and white photographs, chronological history of events, and biographical sketches, this author-signed, limited edition printing, 8-1/2 x 11 1/4" in size, illustrated with original oil paintings by Tim Larson, photography by Gildemeister, and restored historic images is a lasting tribute to the men and women who pioneered the skies. Wagon Train pioneers were still trekking westward when man's dreams of going aloft actually became a reality . . . . . The prospect of manned flight had eluded everyone for centuries, and it took two bicycle-building brothers to finally make a breakthrough. On December 17, 1903, at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, Wilbur and Orville Wright made history when they became the first to successfully take a flying machine into the air. For the next two years, they continued their experiments in near secrecy until they were satisfied with their efforts. On their forty-sixth flight of the season at Huffman Prairie, near their home of Dayton, Ohio, Wilbur stayed aloft for thirty-eight minutes over an oval course of twenty-four miles, making their 1905 Flyer the world's first practical airplane. <P> As incredible as it seems, their extraordinary accomplishment was all but ignored, for hardly anyone was ready to accept the idea that man would ever be able to fly. It took the persistence of a few believers like the Wrights, Glenn Curtiss, and John Moisant to prove them wrong. These aviation pioneers were such firm believers that they set up flying schools and scoured the nation for young daredevils who would risk their necks for a chance to take to the air. At first, these exhibition flyers thrilled everyone by just flying their marvelous machines overhead, but it didn't take long for the novelty to wear off. The demand of the spectators led pilots to develop trick flying, and then progress on to repertoires of spectacular stunts. They started to spin, dive, and loop-the-loop. When crowds began to wane, the stunters recruited young women daredevils to walk the wings and parachute from the skies to lure the masses back to their impromptu airfields. There, they hopped passengers for a buck or two a ride, and before they were through, they had introduced the public clear across the nation to the wonderful world of flight. The Golden Age of Aviation has long since passed, but you can still thrill to the wonder of it all! In Avian Dreamers, the Bear Wallow brings you the exciting history of flight in America. Come relive the adventures, chills, and thrills of the men and women who pioneered the skies . . . . . Marvel at the early history of those who dreamed and experimented with the prospect of manned flight. Soar with the early-day exhibition flyers, aviators on the Western Front, and the pilots who barnstormed the country and carried the U.S. Mail . . . . . and finally, thrill to the record seekers and speed freaks who opened the skies to modern-day air travel and flight into space.; Signed by Author .