Chapter 33: 20th Century Passenger Flying Boats

The book in which I would like to play a role is…
...is "The Starless Sea" by Erin Morgenstern. Reading this book was like a fever dream. It is full of symbolism, lyrical passages, and fantastical descriptions. The protagonist, Zachary Ezra Rawlins, finds an unassuming little book in his university library, but soon discovers that it is not just any story, but a description of his own life. He discovers an underground world where the sea is made of honey, where pirates run amok, where ghosts dwell in caves lit by eternal candlelight, and where knowledge in ancient manuscripts is strictly guarded. For whoever breaks the Collector’s Club’s oath of silence must pay a high price. I would be tempted to discover this surreal world without time or space together with the other peculiar characters who also wander through this world.

I would like to read a sequel to…
...is "The Poppy War Trilogy" by Rebecca F. Kuang.  Although I’ve already read the entire “The Poppy War” series as well as the accompanying novellas, I still can’t get enough of Fang Runin’s story. This grimdark fantasy series by my favorite author is about a young woman who will do anything to be accepted into an elite military academy to escape her old life. At this academy, she discovers her shamanic powers and becomes one of the most feared soldiers. The story is based on the Sino-Japanese War and addresses themes such as the opium trade, war crimes, colonialism, and the question of loyalty. Since many scenes are described in great detail, I strongly recommend reading the trigger warnings as well. 

The books currently on my nightstand are…
…"Über den Wolken – Mein Leben zwischen Himmel und Erde" ("Over the Clouds: My Life Between Heaven and Earth") by Regula Eichenberger. The autobiography of Switzerland's first female airline pilot recounts her everyday life as the first woman in a Swiss civil aviation cockpit, her adventures on layovers, the collapse of Swissair, and the extreme changes in the aviation industry over the last few decades.

"The Women of Troy" by Pat Barker. The sequel to the historical novel "The Silence of the Girls" tells the story of the women of Troy following the city’s fall. The first volume depicted the life of a slave girl serving the successful but conceited Achilles. After the city was destroyed, Briseis tries to come to terms with her own trauma and that of many other women and return to her old life.

Leslie Dawson: "20th Century Passenger Flying Boats" (London: Pen & Sword, 2021)

I have been fascinated by aviation for several years now. And although I have mainly focused on land-based aircraft so far, the book about flying boats from the library really appealed to me.

Today, they are hardly used anymore, but there was a time when traveling with these remarkable technical machines shaped aviation. Especially in areas where a paved runway or grass strip would not be worthwhile, flying boats were primarily responsible for the safe transport of mail and passengers.

The book contains various lively travelogues—journeys that often lasted for days, as the flying boat had to land several times to refuel. From the first more or less successful flights with improvised airboats to advanced military flying boats, there is a wealth of exciting information and photos to be found.

The book tells stories about pilots who were able to write success stories despite a lack of support and trust from outsiders. It also sheds light on the end of the passenger flight era, mainly due to the Second World War.

One particularly fascinating anecdote was the story of a mail plane that was stranded on a river in what was then the Belgian Congo due to damage. Only after a dam had been built to raise the water level could the now repaired plane take off again.

At that time, travel to distant destinations was not yet so common, which is why it was an honor to become part of a “secret order.” For example, a transoceanic airline issued certificates to passengers traveling to Australia. The “Secret Order of the Double Sunset Certificate” and “The Winged Order of the Line Shooters Certificate” for a successful crossing of the equator were signs of this privileged aviation.

Descriptions of flight operations in the early years of these machines suggest that aviation has developed enormously over the last century – and I am curious to see how it will change in the coming years.