Harnessing the Sky is one of the last untold stories in 100 years of naval aviation. Th is biography of Vice Adm. Frederick M. Trapnell explores the legacy of the man who has been called “the godfather of current naval aviation.â€A pilot of calculated courage; “Trap†entered the Navy when test pilots were more like stuntmen than engineers. Airplanes had not yet come into their own as weapons of war; and they had an undeveloped role in the fleet. His vision and leadership shaped the evolution of naval aviation through its formative years and beyond.When the threat of war in 1940 raised an alarm over the Navy’s deficiency in aircraft―especially fighters―Trap was appointed to lead the Flight Test Section to direct the development of all new Navy airplanes. He played a key role in expediting the evolution of the two superb fighters that came to dominate the air war against Japan―the Corsair and Hellcat.After World War II; Trap returned as commander of the Naval Air Test Center to lead the Navy through the challenges of transitioning to jets. Trap was not only the first U.S. Navy pilot to fly a jet; but is also recognized for defining the operating requirements for carrier-based jet propelled aircraft.Over the course of two decades; Trap tested virtually every naval aircraft prototype and pioneered the philosophy and the methods of the engineering test pilot. He demanded comprehensive testing of each airplane in conditions and maneuvers it would face in wartime fleet operations. These innovations kept the Navy at the forefront of modern aviation; and stand as an enduring legacy to the man who is regarded as the foremost test pilot in a century of naval aviation.
#1065732 in Books 2012-04-10Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.40 x .50 x 5.40l; .48 #File Name: 1611682312184 pages
Review
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful. profound bookBy Bruce WolfThis book deals with some of the basic philosophical questions in Judaism and relationship with God. The writing is extremely erudite and well thought out. However; the sentence structure is very complex and often difficult to understand. My high school English teacher would have killed me if I had written such tendentious sentences. Well thought out book; but be prepared to struggle with the writing style.8 of 8 people found the following review helpful. Jews and timeBy Shmuli.KI highly recommend this book to anyone who spends any time thinking about Jewish life. This book is simultaneously spot-on; yet nuanced. Kurtzer truly understands the DNA of what makes us Jews tick and challenges us to keep the conversation going. We Jews have a preoccupation with time; he argues. If it is the past that is on our mind; we are either preoccupied with narratives around our destruction or idealizing some heyday that may or may not have occurred. If it is the future that is on our mind; we are either preoccupied with our potential demise; of feverishly debating progressive innovations. What this author truly understands is how obsessed we are with time. Far from critiquing this preoccupation; he appropriates it. Kurtzer does not offer a packaged solution; which is admirable. But he does offer a challenge: to keep the conversation going; vested in time; drawing from our memory and translating this into purposefulness in the present. If you are into the ranting "politics" of modern Jewish life; this book is not for you. The author is a thoughtful scholar and obviously very schooled in classical Jewish text; so don't expect a slick; jousty polemic. Yet; there is an elegance and beauty and occasional wit to his writing -- surprising amongst writers who take on such significant topics. Kurtzer promotes innovation and change in Jewish life; but not for its own sake; and not as it is blown around by the popular winds. He left me thinking that he is offering to the Jewish world; what Edmund Burke offered to Western Christedom: a respect for memory; layered tradition; and accrued wisdom en route to furthering the greatest Jewish tradition of them all: innovating Jewish life in the here and now so that one day our present will be remembered; perhaps even revered; and it too will take its place in the dynamic layering over time that has sustained our people. If you care about Jewish life in the present; buy this book!
