50 Tales of Flight: From Biplanes to Boeings

Many of the aviation books I've read are real page-turners - exciting tales that urge you to try and read them at one sitting, if possible. "50 Tales" is quite the antithesis. Something like the leisurely Tiger Moth flight described in tale 41, it is a book that you can read just for the relaxed pleasure of it. I found myself dipping in and out of it, one story at a time, over a period of several enjoyable weeks.As Zupp himself says at the very end of the book, "describing the special qualities of flight is not an easy task". And although "50 Tales of Flight" may at times lack the pace of a thrilling wartime memoir, therein lays its very charm - and so I would say he has succeeded at the task.

I've never been employed in aviation. I've volunteered in it and I've certainly read about it, watched it and loved it. I am not a pilot and, despite grandiose plans at various times in my life, probably never will be. In all honesty I am very happy with my relationship with aviation. There is not much hands-on flying experience I can relate to (there's enough there to be dangerous!) but, really, aviation is not just about flying (what else could a non-pilot say?). This is perhaps a funny thing to write but flying is aviation's outcome - it's public face if you will. Admittedly, it is the whole point of it all but the stories, the sacrifice, the innovation and the reflection behind every flight are the unseen, often unheard, foundations.Understandably, pilots will understand this better than anyone. They literally live aviation and actively contribute to its heritage and future. Their viewpoint adds a richness often overlooked. Land-based writers can draw on limited experiences in `live' cockpits and lay said experiences over those they write about to at least begin to understand. A pilot who picks up a pen can put themselves in the cockpit or, better still, inside the head of the fellow pilot in question . They can feel the aircraft in the seat of their pants and, if they can write well enough, can convey that experience with authority.Aviation though, as alluded to above, is not a realm limited to pilots. Hang around it long enough and it gets under your skin. Despite the cold, hard business of the airlines and the ruthless efficiency of the modern warplane, there will always be romance in aviation. It touches the lives of everyone whether or not it is realised or appreciated. It has made every corner of the globe accessible and been the cornerstone for our greatest feat of engineering, adventure and endeavour. Anyone who steps into this world and decides to stay connected will certainly look at things from another plane.One such person is Owen Zupp and he is neck deep in it. This experienced airline pilot has found another calling in his remarkable life - aviation writer. This is not a new revelation as he has been actively writing for at least the past decade. He brings a lifetime and a strong family background in aviation to the `profession'. These qualifications have resulted in a bottomless treasure chest of aviation stories, experiences and revelations to draw upon and that is how we have Owen's latest effort, 50 Tales Of Flight, which is also his first foray into the e-book market.Many of the tales featured in 50' first appeared on Owen's blog and were often inspired by the day's events. Owen reflects on an aviation life as he's driving home, waiting in an airport lounge, waking in yet another hotel in yet another city, or flying the latest sector. Pen is put to paper, fingers applied to keys and a story spills out. Whether it is recounting the most recent flight, remembering a museum visit, recalling a fascinating person or flying adventure or sharing a personal memory or moment in aviation history, each of the 50 tales has an immediacy, a freshness, to it and each is not only an intimate look at aviation but a window into an aviator's soul. Not all of the tales are exciting or humourous - some were clearly painful, but liberating, to write - and a good number of them do not contain flying at all. All of them, however, simply exude aviation.Aviation touches all of our lives and the perfect example of this is 50 Tales Of Flight. Anyone can enjoy this book and come away with a new or deeper appreciation of aviating and life in general. Owen claims 50 Tales is not autobiographical but, really, it is. His life, much of it laid out in this e-book, is proof of everything aviation has to offer - what it can give but also what it can take. The depth of aviation as an industry, as a defining interest, is such that being a pilot, while perhaps the most enlightened of `participants', is not a pre-requisite for a passionate understanding. Never have I seen this better illustrated than in 50 Tales Of Flight.

I've been fortunate enough to have shared the same sky with Owen on occasion. Many of his sights of airline flying have been my sights. I love the fact that I can point to a number of his stories and tell my parents, kids, friends and others that if they want to know my story then they can read some of it through Owen's words because he paints the picture far more beautifully than I could ever attest to.For the other tales that Owen tells, they fill in the gap in my own journey. I was never fortunate enough to do General Aviation. I've not seen all the sights or had all the experiences that Owen has had. I feel privileged though that I can live vicariously through his exploits with the way he crafts his 'tales'. I can feel myself sitting beside/ behind/ with him as he recalls experiences that I could only ever dream of having had.For me the most moving part though is how Owen allows you to get close to him and his relationship with his father. A part of me is secretly a little envious that my parents (wonderful as they were) did not know aviation and thus tolerated my boyhood desires to call in at every airfield we drove past or attend every airshow under the sun rather than knowing how to (or even that they could or should) immerse and infuse me with aviation at the core of my being. I find myself wanting Owen's stories of his childhood and upbringing to be my stories. Whilst they never can be my stories, I certainly feel very privileged to be able to 'share' in them.Whether you're an 'old salt' when it comes to aviation or whether you're just starting out. Owen's book will give you a perspective from across the entire realm of civil aviation. An excellent read.

The title draws one to consider reading the book, at least that's what it did for me as I browsed through the Kindle library. However, Mr. Zupp often strays from the main subject by injecting, for the lack of a better term, fill material; his life, feelings, and dreams. That's OK, but I wasn't looking for so much of it and would rather have read more detailed accounts of the 40 tales.On the positive side however, I applaud the author for writing the book and making his life and legacy a part of history.

Quite a travelog, however, too introspective, not enough action or descriptions of events.

Superb

A highly entertaining book written by a pilot who has been there and done that. Makes great reading for an aviation tragic

Simply a wonderful collection of short stories told in a masterful fashion with expressive language. I found it easy to read a tale or two whenever I found a few minutes to spare. Some of the stories are inspirational and a tribute to Owen and those he writes about, especially his father. Definitely a buy for anyone with an interest in aviation.

Good style, nice easy reading on a good variety of interesting aviation tropics. Lots stories like this have been lost and Owen's workk reminds us all to look for extraordinary things in our own daily lives.