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Good <i>FLYING</i> Reads: <i>Skyfaring—A Journey with a Pilot</i>

An airline pilot’s accounts of life aloft ring true with general aviation fliers.

[Photo: Jonathan Welsh]
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Key Takeaways:

  • Mark Vanhoenacker's "Skyfaring" offers an intimate and detailed look into the world of flying, blending memoir and essay to cover everything from aviation mechanics and pilot routines to the emotional highs and lows.
  • The book invites readers into the cockpit on long-haul routes and into the daily life of a pilot, providing precise details that resonate with both experienced aviators and those new to the subject.
  • Vanhoenacker explores the unique conflicts of being airborne, such as the desire for destination balanced with longing for home, while also capturing the profound joys and practicalities of flight, like fuel load determination, making it relatable to a broad audience.
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One could debate whether Mark Vanhoenacker’s Skyfaring—A Journey with a Pilot, is more essay or memoir, but what matters more for other pilots and aviation enthusiasts is that this is a book about flying.

From the mechanics and formalities of the endeavor to its potential for joy and heartbreak, the book reveals flying in precise detail as the author invites readers into the cockpit on long-haul international routes. We also accompany him in the hotels, restaurants, and meeting rooms that punctuate his daily routine. There is even a night spent in a Boeing 747’s crew bunk that might induce claustrophobia.

Jonathan Welsh

Jonathan Welsh is Lead Editor of Aviation Consumer and a private pilot who worked as a reporter, editor and columnist with the Wall Street Journal for 21 years, mostly covering the auto industry. His passion for aviation began in childhood with balsa-wood gliders his aunt would buy for him at the corner store. Follow Jonathan on Twitter @JonathanWelsh4

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