The Top Ten Must-Read Flying Books

The never-ending skyline comes with never-ending stories of adventure and vision. We have witnessed the great revolution of man being inspired by a bird that led to building the first working model of a plane design and flown by the Wright Brothers, which opened the doorways to many great inventions that allowed humans to travel via air.

Literature has always been a great way to capture every single moment in history and give us the ability to learn and reminisce about all the ways the world has evolved. Reading a book not only gives information but has the power to transport the reader to the place the author wants.

Certain must-read flying books do the trick because they inspire you and give you a newfound love for things that you have only a little idea about. While not all of us have the budget to buy our own private jets through these beautiful books we can get a glimpse into that space.

So!

Here we are with the top ten must-read flying books for everyone filled with curiosity about the big blue sky.

The Wright Brothers by David McCullough

In 1903. America witnessed one of the most monumental days that went to become the start of the world of aviation. The book is written by the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner David McCullough, who did extensive research to get in the heads of Orville and Wilbur Wright to capture their true intentions and inspiration. The book explores the most crucial parts of the brothers right from their days in Dayton, Ohio, of earning pennies as bicycle manufacturers to “invent the future of flight.”

The insight of this biography has the readers glued to the book due to the curiosity of McCullough's storytelling skills while unraveling the circumstances that led the brothers to dream that big in a time where society only laughed at them. The book received the greatest praise from the GE Aviation corporation. It's a story of the vision that went through emotions of hardships to success. Still, mostly it highlights the unwavering support and faith the brothers had in them to make the mission impossible, possibly making this the next must-read flying book.

Night Flight by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

One of the most renowned books in the genre of aviation fiction was written by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, a well-known French pilot who got a lot of recognition for this book. Antoine worked as an airline pilot in the 1930s, he flew long routes from the North of Africa to the South of Atlantic using the mail routes, and those extended hours of the journey that he spent in the cockpit led him to invoke his creative side and to translate all of his experiences into this book.

The story is very gripping about the journey of a pilot who used to be part of the early days of commercial mail planes that used to fly during the night from Patagonia, Chile, and Paraguay to Argentina. It is noted to be a very entertaining book that gives education to one on a professional pilot's skills and has inspired the readers to find an interest in the field of aviation. “Night Flight” has been duly noted as one of the favorite reads for pilots as well.

The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe

Tom Wolfe presents his beautiful work that is a highly spirited work of art that leaves the reader mesmerized. “The Right Stuff” is a novel that invokes the pride of being an American citizen and for the great land; the narrative is about a group of seven elite members who serve as test pilots in the United States Military and are requested by NASA to serve as the country's first astronauts for the Project Mercury. This project had one goal: to send a man into the Earth's orbit and then return home safe and sound in the spaceship.

This story doesn't only inculcates the lives of the astronauts and their families but also throws limelight on the time The Mercury Seven completes about 7 space missions at a time the country was at the prime threats of the Cold War, bringing out a very important narrative on societal changes as well. This brilliant book captures every emotion so beautifully and makes it on the list of the must-read flying books.

Sled driver by Brian Shul and Sheila Kathleen O’Grady

This book captures the story of the fastest and highest-flying jet in the world that was developed by Lockheed's Skunk Works team, who are well known for the mighty SR – 71 BlackBird. The author, Brian Shul, is a retired Blackbird pilot who encapsulates the beauty and working of this mighty jet that began as a top-secret project started in 1966 by the United States Air Force. This jet required the pilots to wear astronauts' suits while testing it for how high the aircraft flew and always pushing the limits.

This book is set to blow your mind with its insane aviation facts and how the working of this project made history in the aviation world.

Stick and Rudder: An Explanation of the Art of Flying by Wolfgang Langewiesche

Let’s move to one of the most credited books in the field of aviation that is known to be an all-time classic which should be on every pilot’s must-read flying books list that was first published in 1944 and is still accepted till day for being the standard text in the field of aviation. The book focuses on explaining the art of flying in detail without complicating it. “Stick and Rudder” answers all the five Ws and H questions that come into one’s mind when talking about aviation.
This book has acted as a guide for beginners with the vision of being part of this field and the professionals who have made their mark. It is the ideal book for readers who are curious about the working of planes of all shapes and sizes.

Beyond the Blue Skies by Chris Petty

A narrative set in a time after thirty years of World War II where the aviation industry was put to a real test of expanding its possibilities. The author follows a very interesting and capturing storyline of writing on the discoveries made by NASA during 1946 and 1975 in a dried old lake bed in California's Desert for setting up a research camp to test out the possibilities of flights that could cross the planet’s surface and into outer space.

All the researchers, aerodynamicists, and engineers who were part of making progress in finding solutions with high risks were never given the proper recognition, and Petty found the need to bring forward a story that gives justice to all the heroes behind the triumphs that led to the beginning of the rocket era.

Fate Is the Hunter by Ernest K. Gann

There is no better book to read about the history of aviation that simply transforms you into the shoes of an airplane pilot, making you feel and experience what it means to fly the mighty metal bird in the air with the view from the cockpit. Gann takes his readers back to the time American Airlines had started in the 1930s to how Lockheed Lodestars were used during World War II to the present world of aviation.

This book is a walk down memory lane and has a warm, refreshing point of view on the magnificent world of aviation.

Wind, Sand, and Stars by Antoine de Saint-Exupér

Another beautiful piece of art that Antoine de Saint-Exupér writes. He weaves a story describing an adventure flying over the Sahara Deserts and the great Andes Mountains bringing life to adventure and giving a deeper perspective on his experience. This book is Saint-Exupér's memoir as an airmail pilot in the 1930s for the Aéropostale.

The story touches on the most important aspects of his life and perspective on bravery, friendships, grief, spirit, etc., at the most trying times of his life. It's one of the most magnificent pieces to ever be written about aviation.

The Spirit of St.Louis by Charles A. Lindbergh

Charles A. Lindbergh is renowned for being a magnificent writer who can capture
Experiences into stories that will rile up one's imagination. This book is a classic in aviation history that translates an epic adventure that takes the reader on a plane ride in a single-engine plane that sore's through the beautiful Atlantic.

The story is set during the 1920s, and it takes you back on a nostalgic ride during the time early history aviation was having a breakthrough in America. The perfect book to curl up to when in the mood for some adventure and great tips on fuel conservation.

Squawk 7700 by Peter M.Buffington

This aviation autobiography is a triumphant and renowned book that provides an insight into the lives of a pilot, and the journey one goes through to earn a name in this industry as a professional airline pilot. The narrative gave life to a small town student pilot maturing and nurtured into working hard to earn the right seat of a regional pilot in an airline.

From the seat of a pilot, the point of view is highlighted by showing all the emotions to all the daily adventures to the struggles, and the lifestyle one goes through in the aviation industry. A very fresh perspective on the life of a pilot is found in this book.

Conclusion

The aviation industry is one of the greatest inventions ever created that has changed the course of the world. The above books will transport you to the place of adventures, nostalgia, history, mechanics, and emotions of thousands of people who worked in the field of aviation, making it possible for the world to fly among the clouds and swirl through the open skies. This gender has more than just the power to educate us on aviation dynamics but gives us the idea that humans can do anything and everything that they set their minds to.