Looking Out the Window, Talking to the Person Next to Me

The author was too old to become an airline pilot when he decided to learn to fly and earn his living in airplanes, but airline deregulation opened doors for those who, because of age, imperfect vision, or lack of college degree had been considered unqualified to fly airliners. He kept a diary of his flying life from first lesson through retirement in case his grandchildren might someday wonder what Grandpa's job was like in the days before computers and automated flight management systems intruded between pilots and airplanes. His flying career spanned 33 years and three marriages. "I got in on the last of the best years for airlines, their personnel, and passengers," he writes. "I'm glad I did, but I wouldn't want to do it again."