Customer Reviews

Voyager

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

A friend with a life long career and interest in aviation loaned me "Voyager" by Jeana Yeager and Dick Rutan, published in 1987 by Knopf. I was in a pilot Vietnam and Dick Rutan's account of his experiences there established his credibility. Of course the family name is known to all who have been to air shows where the Burt Rutan designs are ubiquitous. There are many dimensions to this story, challenges for both Jeana Yeager and Dick Rutan who completed an epic of Iliad like scope. The use of advanced material (graphite) and a "micro business model" to develop a vehicle as they did is matched by their stress resilient drive to succeed. The aerodynamic design (by Burt Rutan), attention to weight management during construction, (1986) state of the art electronics and pivotal role of human factors were compelling elements of their story. The recruitment of volunteers and vendors/suppliers must rank among the most significant elements in this accomplishment. In addition to all the other adversity they overcame, weather was a risk only mitigated by skills of both the ground support crew and the experience of the flight
team. The whole project was related in a "pick yourself up" tone that is very inspiring. The book did not have any mention of spiritual values; I was surprised at this omission. Also, the publisher did not use different type faces for each of the two crew members in the book; this one addition would have made for an easier and more enjoyable read for me. Even so, if you like aviation, I'll bet you appreciate this book. Too, if you visit the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, you can see the Voyager, surely one of the most specialized developments of the industrial age.

Although we know they "made it", their story is riveting and full of knuckle-busting suspense. Their dedication and work is both inspiring and awesome. This is much more than just flying around the world non-stop. Dick and Jeana worked very long and hard and their success is due largely to them.

A poorly written book that reads like it was never proof read. It's more a collection of interview tapes written down. Basic grammar rules are continually violated especially the narrator. The narrator is in the first person but the 'person' changes continually throughout the chapters. The only way to know who is the narrator is to see the name of the narrator from the previous paragraph in the current paragraph. I've never read something this bad. The stories themselves provide insight to the whole process of building, testing an flying this one of a kind aircraft. The poor writing makes it very frustrating to complete.