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Title: Free Flight: Inventing the Future of Travel by James Fallows ISBN: 1-58648-140-1 Publisher: PublicAffairs Pub. Date: 03 September, 2002 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.19 (21 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: A civilian flying towards enthusiast
Comment: In James Fallows "free flight" he divides us into two categories when it comes to our interest in flying and planes. Enthusiast are those people, mostly males, that love the planes, the process of flying, the technology, and the lore of aviation. I trust all pilots are enthusiasts. The rest of us are civilians when it comes to planes and flying. I certainly am only a civilian. I have come to loath the hub and spoke commercial aviation system that has developed in this country. Fallows describes several things that are occurring that should modernize the air transportation system for a great many of us. I found myself excited about these new developments. I even can cite the different planes that will make air travel safe, fun, and convenient again. The Cirrus SR-20 with its parachute appears to be a great acheivement. Also the Eclipse jets are something I can not wait to see and eventually fly in. This book should be read by all of us who have ever flown. Also, city planners who have anything to do with transportation systems in their towns will find this book most interesting. Fallows has convinced me that the disruptive technology is here for the aviation industry. As the disruption occurs I will now understand why it is happening.
Rating: 4
Summary: A glimpse into the (potential) future of general aviation
Comment: I was really excited about this book: I'm a serious aviation enthusiast and an admirer of James Fallows' writing over the past several years.
In *Free Flight* Fallows reveals himself to be an enthusiastic promoter of general aviation. Fallows begins by helping readers unfamiliar with small airplanes understand a little bit about the strange world of private pilots and their buzzy little machines. He paints a clear picture of the world of aviation enthusiasts--and what it potentially has to offer to the general public.
The book is devoted primarily to the topic of research and development that has been going on since the early 90s aimed at making small airplanes safer and more accessible to the general population.
The book closely examines two new aircraft manufacturers at the forefront of these developments (Cirrus Design and Eclipse Aviation) as well as some of the visionaries within NASA and other government agencies who have been promoting a concept of safe, affordable travel between secondary airports that skirts the congestion and delays of today's hub-spoke airline system. Finally, Fallows chronicles a trip of his own in one of these advanced small airplanes.
Fallows skillfully avoids the worst of the aviation technical jargon, and brings the subject to life through portraits of some of the very interesting people at work in the field.
For all of his cheerleading for the future of accessible general aviation Fallows also gives a fairly realistic assessment of the risks to this vision, though he devotes far less ink to the negative side of his subject.
Whether you're an aviation enthusiast, private pilot, or just a frustrated airline passenger *Free Flight* has much to offer. Let's hope that the future is as bright as Fallows suggests it can be.
Rating: 1
Summary: Loose with the facts
Comment: Free Flight, as outlined in other reviews, about the Cirrus Aircraft Co. and Eclipse Aircraft Co. Both are relatively new to the industry of building "certified" aircraft. Both have started out with the idea of providing aircraft that are smarter, faster and cheaper. Cheaper because by today's price tags, only the upper middle class or wealthy person, with a 20 year note to boot, can afford one. Unfortunately, Mr. Fallows failed to point out that inspections and maintenance fees costs far more than the monthly note on the plane. Most corporations only purchase aircraft as a tax right off. Even the most sucessful (ie. Bill Gates) use private aircraft for privacy and comfort. You just can't save a whole lot of money that way. Most General Aviation flying is done by enthusiasts.
Mr. Fallows makes a bold statement, in light of the fact that ir is simply not true, that kit planes or homebuilts are more dangerous than certified aircraft. He makes you think that he is referencing a document, published by the Aircraft Owner's and Pilot's Association (AOPA), names the Nall report. If you actually read the Nall report is says "there is statistically no difference in the figures for accidents for either the homebuilt or the certified aircraft." Since his assumption doesn't hold water here, how can you believe anything else he says. He states several times this premise that homebuildt aircraft are not as safe.
What turned out to be a revolution in General Aviation has only turned into another rich mans' folly. Pricing on the Cirrus is not significately less than any other aircraft in its class. Eclipse has just started its production by seems like it may make a dent in the sub-million dollar jet market. However, most of the people who own personal jets have paid significantly less than that for them. Used of course.
Mr. Fallows does have a nice flowing writing style and is easy to read, unlike the book he references by the son of the author of "Stick and Rudder" which was also a tough read. His years of writing certainly show his aptitude for writing but his years of journalism have taught him that facts don't count.
I bought this book from Publisher's Warehouse in an outler mall in Destin Florida. Hardcover was $4.95. It may be worth 5 bucks but not a lot more.
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Title: Inside the Sky : A Meditation on Flight by Willia Langewiesche ISBN: 067975007X Publisher: Vintage Pub. Date: 29 June, 1999 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
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Title: Stick and Rudder: An Explanation of the Art of Flying by Wolfgang Langewiesche ISBN: 0070362408 Publisher: McGraw-Hill Professional Pub. Date: 01 September, 1990 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: The Airline Business in the 21st Century by Rigas Doganis ISBN: 0415208831 Publisher: Routledge Pub. Date: 15 January, 2001 List Price(USD): $31.95 |
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Title: Hard Landing : The Epic Contest for Power and Profits That Plunged the Airlines into Chaos by Jr. Thomas Petzinger ISBN: 0812928350 Publisher: Three Rivers Press Pub. Date: 24 December, 1996 List Price(USD): $18.00 |
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Title: The Killing Zone: How & Why Pilots Die by Paul A. Craig ISBN: 007136269X Publisher: McGraw-Hill Professional Pub. Date: 12 December, 2000 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
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