Pilots' Directions
"…gives an interesting view of an America that no longer exists and a detailed developmental history of the transcontinental route."—Air Force Magazine
"…Modern aircraft magic is a far cry from conditions described by University of Georgia historian William M. Leary in Pilot's Directions…the most eye-popping reading is Leary's point-to-point reproduction of the route instructions that were printed for the Air Mail pilots. While today's pilots take radio and radar assistance almost for granted, sharp eyeballs were the prime flying instrument of yore."—Des Moines Register
In the early days of flight, the Post Office's Air Mail Service pushed ahead to link the coasts of air despite unreliable engines, inadequate instruments, and primitive landing facilities. To guide them through the hazards of wind and weather, the postal airmen relied on this volume, Pilots' Directions—the single most important source of information on the state of air navigation during an era when only contact flying was possible.
Now reprinted in its entirety, this book offers fascinating testimony to the courage of the young men who tempted fate and pushed technology to fly the mail.