Fly With Pat

Once I passed my checkride I was looking forward to reading for fun rather than studying. I went on Amazon.com and found a few great books about flying adventures. One of the books I picked up was Flight of Passage: A Memoir by Rinker Buck. It is about two boys from N.J. who fly a Piper Cub across the U.S. in 1966. The books is actually written by one of the boys. It chronicles their great adventure all the way from refurbishing the airplane to their landing in California.

In July 1966, Rinker and Kernahan Buck flew a Piper Cub from New Jersey to California, becoming?at ages 15 and 18, respectively, the youngest pilots then to cross the country. This abridged version of Rinker’s memoirs discusses the flight in the context of the complex relationships between the two brothers and their father, Tom Buck. (Amazon)

I really enjoyed the book and read it almost non-stop. Buck has the great ability to put you there along for the ride inside the cockpit. I felt like I could relate to it a bit because I would like to get my tailwheel endorsement and am also from New Jersey. If there is one lesson you should take away from this book it is “Don’t forget the waterbag”! If slow and low is your thing or if you are just looking for a great adventure pick up a copy, you will not be disappointed.

While I was reading news I came across an article about a teenager from Maryland who was so inspired by this book he is going to fly solo coast to coast. I wish Nate Foster the best of luck and I am sure it will be quite the adventure. Check out the article here.