I contacted Pathway Book Service about buying F.E. Potts' book, Guide to Bush Flying. Just got a reply today that it was out of print and that they didn't have any copies. Anyone know where I could get a copy for a reasonable price of $35 or so? I'd appreciate the help. I already know about Amazon's $100-$300 copies. I'm in the wrong income bracket for those. You can PM me at [email protected] if you'd like.

I am currently reading Sparky Imeson's book.

Thanks in advance.

Frank

Frank:

Lori MacNicol at www.mountaincanyonflying.com has a pretty good manual which they use in their mountain flying course.

It has a lot of the info in summary form that you will find in Potts book. I think she sells it for about $25.

Rich

Rich,

Thanks very much, I'll contact her. I'd still like a copy of Guide to Bush Flying if anyone has one that they'd like to pass along (obviously willing to purchase). If you see one please keep me in mind and pass along the contact information.

Frank

Lori's book is $30, but the website implies that it's only available to those who take the course--of course, best to ask.

Keep in mind that it's not possible to learn mountain flying from a book. Best to get instruction from someone who knows the ropes.

Cary

Frank:

While I agree that there is no substitute for good instruction, I think there is a lot that can be learned from books.

Try the following website for FE Potts:

http://www.fepco.com/BF.ordering.info.html

If nothing else, there is quite a bit of information (i.e. selective chapters) that are available on the website. Also links to other sources. Not sure if they have the book available, as it is out of print.

Also, you mention Sparky's books: Taildragger Tactics and Mountain Flying are both good reads have great information. One thing I love about Sparky is that he will give you the detailed aerodynamic reasons for his rules, but then he boils it down to his simple rules of thumb. For instance, getting 70% of take off speed by half way point of strip, etc.

Let us know if you find hard copies. I would like to have a copy too.

Regards, Larry

Frank,

I got my copy at one of the FBO's I rent from in Long Beach. It will be a couple weeks before I am down that way, but I will check for you when I am there.

Dave

Fred was ALWAYS full of himself, BUT he also survived 20,000+ accident/incident free hours in one of the harshest flying environments on the planet. You don't do that with just blind luck. He flew smart, he flew as a professional pilot always, and he knew his shit as well as any pilot I've ever known.

His book is spot on for every pilot who operates an airplane anywhere, and especially in cold and off airport climates. I admit I re-read my copy every year or two. First, just because I like hearing Fred toot his own horn. And second, it's stuff I need (or needed) to know and it's a great refresher.

I don't know why this book is out of print, but seems like some of you business savvy types... Paging Mr EZ Flap, Paging Mr EZ Flap... Might look into buying rights and putting this back on the market. It's a shame it's not out there, and it needs to be on every pilot's bookshelf.

Gump

I made the same inquires a few years ago & same answer, no plans to reprint additional copies. If you find them for a reasonable price I'd also like a copy. Thanks.

Maybe I'm just too dumb to understand what he is talking about or maybe it's because I'm not a "Pro" but I never felt like it was too helpful or informative. I've got my copy sitting on the back of the toilet for the days when I want to read about flying and my phone battery is dead I'll keep it there just in case I ever do become a "Pro."

I've pretty much run this to the end. I sent two emails to the purchase link at Pott's site one with, the other without the specified address line. Both got bounced. I called the distributer contact in Wa and spoke with a rep. She knew the title I was asking about before I completed the sentence. She said they get frequent requests (made it sound nearly weekly), but that the book had been out of print for 8 years. They have also contacted Mr. Potts' widow but she is not interested in republishing. Amazon's prices are completely beyond my meager budget.

It would seem that if Mr. Pott's widow was contacted by an dashing and intrepid (and entrepreneurial) backcountrypilot.org aviator about the desire within the community to have this republished, that she might be persuaded. It should be profitable for her. Beyond that I'll be hoping to get hooked up from an skilled aviator on this site willing to help a lowly, struggling new pilot.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Frank

These days, would it even have to be 'in print'?
If his widow would give permission, Amazon could scan the book and sell 'downloaded' versions to peoples 'e-readers'......
No out of pocket risk, and no muss, no fuss, and some royalties would come in for her.

Or, wait until copyright expires and we could do it here ......

Right?
lc

You will have a long wait. Copyright in th U.S. is currently "life of the author, + 70 years"
If you get an unauthorized copy from some other country with shorter copyright laws, it will be illegal to bring the book into the U.S. . Your best bet is probabally that it becomes available as an E-book from some source .

You can always put in a request at your local public library-- if they don't have it in their system, maybe they can get it on an inter-library loan. At least that way you can read or re-read it-- maybe even bootleg photocopy the whole shebang.

Frank
I got a copy you can burrow. PM if you want to borrow it.
Gary

I had no idea how valuable and scarce are two of my most valuable flying books until I priced them on Amazon.com:
F.E. Potts "Guide to Bush Flying" and the Alaska Airmen's Association "Logbook" (2001).

I'm still waiting for the updated version of "Logbook". Alaska Airmen's Association told me two years ago that it was being updated but it still isn't out.

Potts' book does sound kind of egotistical but there ares a lot of practical details in it that I haven't found in other books.

You might be able to get Potts' book from Powell's Books in Portland OR at www.powells.com. They seem to be able to get anything even if it's out of print.

Copyright in the U.S. is currently "life of the author, + 70 years"

WOW. Obviously I had no ideas it was that long!

I was thinking 17 yrs. from publication.....
lc

hotrod150 wrote:You can always put in a request at your local public library-- if they don't have it in their system, maybe they can get it on an inter-library loan....

Decided to do just that... filled out an inter-library request form & just got an email that it's ready for pickup, less than a week later.

I noticed on Amazon today that the used price is up to $900.

Littlecub wrote:

Copyright in the U.S. is currently "life of the author, + 70 years"

WOW. Obviously I had no ideas it was that long!

I was thinking 17 yrs. from publication.....
lc

Copyright used to be 30 years, which was reasonable. A huge corporation that wanted to protect it's signature mouse lobbied congress to extend it into the rediculous. The above, effectively, would make a corporate held copyright never expire.

Zane wrote:I noticed on Amazon today that the used price is up to $900.

YIKES! Mine looks like new, I read it twice and my stepfather read it once. I should have charged him by the hour.