Rating: 
Summary: Opens the Sky to Non-Pilots, Great Overview
Review:
I bought this book for a very practical reason. In the aftermath of 9-11 I was thinking about moving to Smith Mountain Lake, four hours drive to the South of Washington, D.C., and I wanted a sense of whether "general aviation" might provide me with a once a week "commuter solution" for getting back up to the National Capitol Area.
The book is fully satisfactory. While some might complain that it tells a personal story, I found this perfectly useful as a means of understanding both the pros and cons of airline travel through "hubs" that impose time loss on the passengers for the convenience of the commercial airline companies, versus "general aviation" which allows point to point travel. Most interesting to me was learning that with the hubs and the problems inherent in airline travel today, the average speed for any trip by air can be just about the same as the average speed if going by car--60 miles per hour. I ended this book with three understandings that more than warranted its purchase: 1) I, a non-pilot, could easily learn to fly and it would not only be worth my while, but great fun as well. 2) General aviation, while not as robust as it could be, is alive and well in America, and new solutions (including an airplane that comes with its own parachute, lowering the entire plane, with passengers, in the event of an engine failure) are there. 3) NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Agency) does a lot more than space flight--I was quite astonished to find that they are heavily engaged in thinking about general aviation solutions, and generally optemistic that in an era when time is the most precious commodity, and general aviation may be a solution for many businessmen as well as traveling families that shy away from the nightmare of getting kids through airports. Bottom line: a great read, a great buy, and a vision into the future that is practical and fun.
Rating:
Summary: Opens the Sky to Non-Pilots, Great Overview
Review:
I bought this book for a very practical reason. In the aftermath of 9-11 I was thinking about moving to Smith Mountain Lake, four hours drive to the South of Washington, D.C., and I wanted a sense of whether "general aviation" might provide me with a once a week "commuter solution" for getting back up to the National Capitol Area.
The book is fully satisfactory. While some might complain that it tells a personal story, I found this perfectly useful as a means of understanding both the pros and cons of airline travel through "hubs" that impose time loss on the passengers for the convenience of the commercial airline companies, versus "general aviation" which allows point to point travel. Most interesting to me was learning that with the hubs and the problems inherent in airline travel today, the average speed for any trip by air can be just about the same as the average speed if going by car--60 miles per hour. I ended this book with three understandings that more than warranted its purchase: 1) I, a non-pilot, could easily learn to fly and it would not only be worth my while, but great fun as well. 2) General aviation, while not as robust as it could be, is alive and well in America, and new solutions (including an airplane that comes with its own parachute, lowering the entire plane, with passengers, in the event of an engine failure) are there. 3) NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Agency) does a lot more than space flight--I was quite astonished to find that they are heavily engaged in thinking about general aviation solutions, and generally optemistic that in an era when time is the most precious commodity, and general aviation may be a solution for many businessmen as well as traveling families that shy away from the nightmare of getting kids through airports. Bottom line: a great read, a great buy, and a vision into the future that is practical and fun.
Rating: 
Summary: Aviation Issues
Review: About 2 years ago an article was written in Aviation Week and Space Technology Magazine titled 'The future of commercial travel is on smaller aircraft.' What started out as an enjoyable read, turned disturbing as every issue Fallows raised was covered in that original article.
Rating:
Summary: Aviation Issues
Review: About 2 years ago an article was written in Aviation Week and Space Technology Magazine titled 'The future of commercial travel is on smaller aircraft.' What started out as an enjoyable read, turned disturbing as every issue Fallows raised was covered in that original article.
Rating: 
Summary: Poor Execution of Stated Theme
Review: Billed as an outline of technologies capable of changing commercial air travel, this book presents instead a personal air travel memoir by a private pilot. The book devotes only one chapter to air equipment development that can impact the travel industry, unless the reader agrees that large numbers of air travelers will become general aviation pilots and service their travel needs in personal aircraft. The book is entertaining, but looks narcisistic when compared to the stated topic.
Rating:
Summary: The first Transportation Innovation since Interstate Hwys
Review: Fallows once again "breaks the news" in his introduction to the public of an emerging innovation in the way Americans (and eventually the rest of the world) will travel in the 21st century. While predicting the future may be a bit of a "fools errand," Fallows provides compelling documentary of the profiles of the few key ingredients that comprise the market,industrial, and technological basis for a revolution in air mobility for inter-city travelers. The emerging innovation in air mobility could just be the 21st century equivalent of Henry Ford's and Dwight Eisenhower's 20th century miracle of freedom in mobility on the ground.
Rating:
Summary: Eye-opening, funny, inspiring
Review: For me this will be one of the books that makes me stop friends and say: You may not think you're interested, but just start reading and you will be. The news in the book is about the realistic prospect of an alternative to "airline hell." It's also about the very surprising campaign NASA has been waging to make better, safer, cheaper small planes a reality. The surprise is the human drama and human interest. It comes in several layers. One involves the author himself, who begins the book describing how he became fascinated with flying, and ends it describing a coast to coast trip with his wife and son in a little plane. Some passages in this are just beautiful, such as the view of Mount Rushmore from a small plane, or what flocks of migrating birds look like from above. Another layer involves the entrepreneurial struggle of the little companies he describes. This reminds me a lot of "The Soul of a New Machine," but in a different industry. There is even life and death drama, involving the death of a test pilot and the way that almost destroyed one of the companies. This is a great summer read, best of all for the next involuntary delay in an airport.
Rating:
Summary: Loose with the facts
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Loose with the facts
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: A Fascinating Journey
Review: Having received Free Flight as a gift from an amateur pilot, I harbored little hope that the book would be comprehensible, let alone engrossing, to a commercial-only flier such as myself. How wrong I was. In a page-turner reminiscent of Michael Lewis at his best, Fallows explores the industry and culture of General Aviation (small planes) through the stories of two upstart airplane manufacturers. The reader is inevitably drawn in by the characters who populate the Cirrus and Eclipse companies. At the same time as he finds himself willing these entrepreneurs on in their struggle against the realities of economics and aeronautics, the reader also comes to appreciate the implications for the entire country if these men succeed. What seems at first an impossible fantasy, private planes for the masses and freedom from the yoke of large carries, comes to seem plausible and even likely. If Fallows's vision of the future is correct, Free Flight will serve as an invaluable introduction to the world in which we will all soon live. Even if America never boasts an airplane in every garage, Free Flight is still an irresistible snapshot of a world with which few of us are familiar.
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