Because I Fly: A Collection of Aviation Poetry

This book is the most complete, up-to-date collection of aviation poetry ever published. Its sole purpose is to consolidate all of the best in aviation poetry and inspirational verse. Helmut Reda examined over 115 books and magazines in the United States, England, Canada, France, and Australia. He also investigated over 42,500 hits on the Internet. From his exhaustive research, 170 poems were selected covering the period between 1869 and 2001.

This collection of poetry serves as an exciting introduction to the experience of flight. These poems will fascinate your family and expose them to an expanded world with new dimensions, freedoms, and even the beauty and dangers of flight. For the pilot, the poems will take your spirit aloft to rekindle your bond with other airmen. This collection will help others understand pilots and why they do things in a different way. If you are truly intrigued by flight, this book is for you!

Advance praise for Because I Fly:

"These thoughts and expressions will open a door for those of you who care but have not been there. For those of you who have watched a distant line of thunderstorms at night and know the splashes of light on the velvet earth below were there just for you; for the even luckier ones who have rushed up the brilliant white cliffs of a huge cumulus, arced over the top, and hurtled down through caverns of cloud, these lines will express your limitless joy in flight and will give voice to the songs of your heart."

--Robin Olds, Brigadier General, USAF (retired), one of the most recognized and revered fighter pilots in the USAF

"Stirring. Mystical. Sad. Energized. Helmut Reda has done an outstanding job capturing these emotions and many more in his remarkable anthology. A must for anyone wishing to experience-or relive-the joy, wonder, and soul of flight."

--Dale Brown, New York Times best-selling author

"For anyone who glories in the adventure of flight, or even for those who are earthbound with their heads in the clouds, this book is a must."

--John Tegler, President, Wings Publishing & Production Company

"Poetry in its truest form, allowing those of us who can never test the limits of space for ourselves to delight in the joy of flight."

B.J. Hendrickson, Ph.D., Professor of the Humanities, Embry-Riddle University Professor of the Humanities

"Wonderful."

--William S. Cohen, former Secretary of Defense

This book is the most complete, up-to-date collection of aviation poetry ever published. Its sole purpose is to consolidate the "best of the best" in aviation poetry and inspirational verse.

Helmut Reda examined over 115 books and magazines from the United States, England, Canada, France, and Australia. He also investigated over 42,500 hits on the Internet. From his exhaustive research, 170 poems were selected, covering the period between 1869 and 2001.

This collection of poetry serves as an exciting introduction to the experience of flight. These poems will fascinate those who know pilots, exposing them to an expanded world, with new dimensions, freedoms, and even a sense of the beauty and dangers of flight.

For pilots themselves, the poems will take your spirits aloft to rekindle your bond with others who fly.

This collection will help all who want to understand pilots and why they do things in a different way.

If you are truly intrigued by flight, this book is for you!