This 1920 volume, co-authored by a U.S. Air Service captain and a former Royal Air Force lieutenant, presents aviation as a field open to the average person. The introduction asserts that “any ordinary, active man” with good eyesight and nerve can learn to fly, comparing the required touch to playing piano or driving a car. The authors downplay specialized tests, arguing that training—not innate talent—makes a pilot.

The book’s catalog subject is simply “Aeronautics,” but the excerpts reveal a narrower focus: the transition from wartime to peacetime aviation, practical advice for pilots and mechanics, and a detailed account of the first transatlantic flight by the U.S. Navy’s NC-4. The tone is direct and instructional, reflecting the authors’ military backgrounds.

Training Over Innate Ability

The authors challenge the notion that flying requires special physical or psychological gifts. They state that “it is the training, not the individual, that makes the pilot,” and list common sense, judgment, and a sense of touch as key attributes—qualities a person might develop through everyday activities like bicycling or tennis. The text explicitly excludes those who cannot sail a boat or ride a bike, but claims that “ninety-nine out of one hundred” people are capable. This democratizing view is reinforced by the assertion that education is not the prime requisite.

This section of the book appears to be written for a broad audience of potential recruits, not for specialists. The authors’ emphasis on trainability over selection suggests a post-war need to fill cockpits and workshops quickly.

Mechanics as Future Pilots

A recurring theme is the interdependence of pilots and mechanics. The authors note that during the war, mechanics were taken up for flights at least once every two weeks, which “stimulated accurate work” and gave them a stake in the pilot’s safety. Some mechanics were taught to fly by officers and later qualified as pilots. The book argues that “the pilot of the future must learn the mechanical side, and the mechanic should be a good pilot.”

This practical cross-training reflects the authors’ belief that aviation safety and progress depend on shared understanding. The text does not describe specific mechanical tasks, but it positions the mechanic as a potential pilot, blurring the line between ground and air roles.

The NC-4 and the Atlantic Crossing

Chapter VI recounts the first transatlantic flight by a U.S. Navy seaplane, the NC-4, in May 1919. The authors frame it as “a story of careful, painstaking, organized effort,” not individual heroism. They detail the plane’s specifications—126-foot wingspan, four Liberty engines—and the planning that began in 1917. The narrative includes earlier attempts, such as Rodman Wanamaker’s 1914 flying-boat and the Sopwith team’s 1919 effort.

The account is factual and procedural, emphasizing logistics over drama. The authors note that the NC-4 was originally designed as a submarine chaser, repurposed after the armistice. This chapter grounds the book’s practical advice in a concrete achievement, showing how military technology transitioned to peacetime use.

Readers interested in early aviation history will find this book a direct source of post-WWI attitudes and information. The authors’ military perspective shapes their advice, and the NC-4 chapter offers a contemporary account of a landmark flight. The text is best approached as a period document that reveals how aviation was marketed to the public as a viable career—practical, accessible, and full of opportunity.