Hawk And Me: A Continental Journey [Paperback]

David Helms (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 27, 2000

It is May 1996. Hawk, a small, single-engine airplane, takes off from a Southwest Florida airport on a 10,000-mile aerial odyssey across the United States. This is the story of that flight.The author puts you in the co-pilot's seat so that you can share the remarkable six-week adventure. The stunning majesty of the land unrolls beneath the wings of the Hawk. Features stand out freshly when viewed from the only a few thousand feet up, rather than the usual six to eight miles. The author's attention to detail and flair for descriptive words and phrases make you feel that you are actually there in the moment.You will navigate along the Mississippi, Missouri, and Columbia rivers. You will wonder at the ghostly grandeur of the empty Sonoran and Mojave deserts. Your spirit will be renewed as you drink in the soaring splendor of the great Rocky, Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountain ranges. The bare and silent plains of Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas are inspirational. The people you meet along the way, interesting characters or just plain folks, will provide a fresh perspective on this society of ours. So Hawk is ready for departure.Welcome aboard! The author has been a licensed pilot since 1978. He holds a commercial pilot certificate with single and multi-engine land, single-engine sea, and instrument ratings. He also holds flight instructor and ground instructor certificates.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

The author has been a licensed pilot since 1978. He holds a commercial pilot certificate with single and multi-engine land, single-engine sea, and instrument ratings. He also holds flight instructor and ground instructor certificates.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse (June 27, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595098886
• ISBN-13: 978-0595098880
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,294,257 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hawk and Me, January 2, 2001

By 

Chester Edge (Lake Sinclair, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hawk And Me: A Continental Journey (Paperback)

When I got into this book I couldn't read it fast enough. I was so very impressed at the author's writing ability, especially his descriptions of the country side. Well actually the descriptions of everything. His love of flying was apparent as was the love and relationship with "Hawk". Also, the tense moments he experienced-such as picking up ice over the Rocky Mountains and the several instrument approaches to minimums-made me sit up and take notice. Such things give the reader a real sense of the drama that flying can offer. I'm a retired Air Traffic Controller, and the respect this man had for ATC made me proud. Think I'll go take flying lessons.

Chester Edge

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-read...., December 13, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Hawk And Me: A Continental Journey (Paperback)

This book is one of those you find hard to put down. I took it with me everywhere in case I had time to read a few pages. Written by a gentlemen who obviously had years of flying time, exceptional knowledge of navigation, geography, technical matters, the fine details of flying an airplane, and of course the Hawk itself from tail to nose (you'll love the way the Hawk becomes personified--a companion rather than a piece of metal.) Mr. Helms keeps a thorough diary of each day and fills each page with anecdotes, political observations, comments on his environment, descriptions of the interesting people he meets, tidbits on the "art" of flying in all sorts of situations. Truly a fascinating book -- for the private pilot and all us "wannabe's."

4.0 out of 5 stars An impressive read, December 5, 2004

By 

Harold B. Edge (Pell City, AL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hawk And Me: A Continental Journey (Paperback)

It has been some time since I've read Hawk and Me but the wonderful memories still linger. David not only describes this beautiful country from above in a way only a few can, but his flying ability is so apparent. I have had the opportunity to fly twice with David and I was impressed with his attention to detail. Safety was always in the forefront of his flying. He once flew to Alabama for a visit and landed at an alternate air field to avoid bad weather. I met him there and had my first opportunity to fly with him to his original destination, but only after the weather had cleared. I was so impressed by his pressence in the airplane that I knew that I would fly with him anywhere, anytime. The second time I flew with him we took off from an air field in Orlando to fly to Florida's west coast for lunch. Shortly after take off the radio failed and we lost all communications. I am not a pilot but I knew we were in good hands. David flew back over the air field and dipped his wing as a sigal to the ground crew that he had lost communications. The ground crew responded and we landed safely. He followed all the rules that he had learned while earning his pilot's license and it paid off. Let's go flying David.