To Ride The Mountain Winds: A History of Aerial Mountaineering and Rescue

To Ride The Mountain Winds: A History of Aerial Mountaineering and Rescue

by Leslie Symons (Author)

Synopsis

By the end of the 18th century Mont Blanc had been climbed and man had begun to fly in balloons. In 1849 a balloonist flew over the Alps and a little over half a century later aeroplanes were also doing so. The age of aerial mountaineering had begun. Worldwide in its scope it was destined to include the first aeropostale flights across the Andes, exploration in Alaska, across the Poles and in the Himalayas, scientific investigation, and rescue. Aircraft would include flimsy biplanes and even flimsier microlights, sophisticated late 20th century balloons and helicopters large and small. Their pilots would number scientists, explorers, soldiers and civilians, men and women of adventure, and a few lunatics. To Ride the Mountain Winds, the first comprehensive history of aerial mountaineering, is written for everyone interested in the history of mountaineering and also those interested in the history of aviation and the limits to which pilots have pushed their machines and their skills. This should include not only climbers and flyers but also those airline passengers who, while sipping a gin and tonic in the luxury of a modern airliner, far above the shining snows, have paused to wonder what might happen if their jet-propelled magic carpet were forced suddenly to descend among them. Few will have pondered the connections between the histories of mountaineers and aviators but their interaction is almost as old as either.

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More Information

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 336
Publisher: Sandstone Press Ltd
Published: 22 Apr 2011

ISBN 10: 1905207603
ISBN 13: 9781905207602

Media Reviews
This title will carry endorsements by Sir Chris Bonington, Stephen Venables, Hamish Brown and many others.
Author Bio
Leslie Symons is an Emeritus Professor of Geography who has been fascinated throughout his life by both mountains and aviation. After wartime aircraft recognition and aeronautics studies, military service and travel with the Royal Engineers Movement Control Section gave opportunities to further an already keen interest in hill walking. His interest in mountain rescue has led him to further travels and discussions with the rescue services of a number of countries. He has written many books and articles based on his travels and researches. After all this it seemed time to fill an apparent literary gap linking aviation and mountains in this wide-ranging history.