Pulliam national journalism writing award, and the society of professional journalists sigma delta chi award. In 1966, rinker, then 15 years old, and his older brother kern, who was 17, flew a. Rinker bucks personal aviation history is literally an open book. Rinker buck began his career in journalism at the berkshire eagle and was a longtime staff writer for the hartford courant. Flight of passage flight of passage audiobook, by rinker buck. Mar 06, 2015 rinker buck thespian flight of passage short film duration. Chris and april nesin are flying across the united states in the same 1949 piper pa11 that teenagers kern and rinker buck flew across the country in 1966. They flew from new jersey to california in one of the least capable airplanes of the day, an 85 horsepower twoseat piper cub with a cruising speed of about 75 mph. The new yorker described his first travel narrative, flight of passage, as a funny, cocky gem of a book, and with the oregon trail he seeks to bring the most important road in american history back to life. Rinker buck thespian flight of passage short film duration. Rinker buck is an american author who is best known for his 1997 memoir flight of passage. Rinker buck creates a vivid picture of the life and times of his interesting family and of the late 1960s, in addition to writing one of the best you are there flying adventures i have ever read. He then worked for new york, life, and adweek magazines, and his articles and columns have appeared in numerous national magazines and newspapers. Flight of passage by rinker buck hyperion books, 1997 is a memoir about two teenage boys flying.
Highly recommended even if you are not a big fan of flying books its a really good read. The oregon trail book by rinker buck official publisher. Flight of passage, rinkers memoir about his airborne voyage, is as good as. He and colin ebeling are making a short film of rinker buck.
Tom buck, a former pilot raised in depressionera pennsylvania who found. Mar 03, 2016 more than a book about flying, flight of passage is both a comingofage story and a touching memoir about rinkers complex relationship with his father, tom buckhimself a pilot from aviations barnstorming ageand is a slice out of time from kennedyera america. They were the youngest aviators on record ever to fly an aeroplane coast to coast. Buck is a great storyteller, and once you get airborne.
In the opening pages of the book, rinker writes, it wasnt records or. Rinker buck later penned the memoir flight of passage about the journey. Welcome to author and adventurer rinker bucks flatboat patience travel journal after completing his epic journey from elizabeth pennsylvania to new orleans in the 1800th century replica flatboat patience rinker will begin writing his next book about the history of the great american rivers and the flatboats that made the global economy. He wrote flight of passage, his 1997 memoir that recounted how he and his brother flew from new jersey to california in a refurbished piper cub in 1966. The enduring dream of flight 2001 crown publishing group. Part adventure tale, part literary memoir, flight of passage is the. Writer rinker buck looks back more than 30 years to a summer whe. As a canadian i am fascinated by the fact that his father was part of the british commonwealth air training plan and came to manitoba as an american flight instructor. Buck, who has written for new york magazine, among other publications, revisits the crowning moment of his youth, the newsworthy 1966 coasttocoast trek undertaken with his older brother, kernahan, in a reconditioned piper cub. Flight of passage by rinker buck hyperion books, 1997 is a memoir about two teenage boys flying coast to coast in a. This book features two brothers, who are 17 and 15 years old that decided to build an airplane in their garage and fly it from new jersey to california.
Oct 18, 2015 flight of passage, by rinker buck, is a 1997 account of a 1966 trip that the author took with his brother kern. Flight of passage by rinker buck 1997, hardcover for. The brothers, kernahan and rinker, were 17 and 15 and the youngest pilots to make such a trip. Flight of passage audiobook abridged listen instantly. A true story by rinker buck in chm, fb2, fb3 download ebook. His first travel narrative, flight of passage, was hailed by the new yorker as a funny, cocky gem of a book, and with the oregon trail he brings the most important route in american history back to glorious and vibrant life. Engaging from the first pages when the buck boys steal away nightly into the. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Flight of passage by rinker buck 1997, hardcover for sale.
Mar 05, 20 buck is a great storyteller, and once you get airborne with the boys you find yourself absorbed in a story of adventure and family drama. Rinker buck praised as a riveting adventure tale, loopy travelogue, and powerful family memoir in one ingeniously crafted package harry stein, one of the good guys, this beautiful memoir tells an enchanting. Buck is a great storyteller, and once you get airborne with the boys you find yourself absorbed in a story of adventure and family drama. Rinker buck, author of the oregon trail and flight of passage. More than a book about flying, flight of passage is a touching memoir about rinker s complex relationship with his father, tom buck. Apr 16, 2016 more than a book about flying, flight of passage is a touching memoir about rinkers complex relationship with his father, tom buck. A memoir by buck, rinker and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Flight of passage, a memoir by rinker buck home facebook.
In part, this is the compelling story of that flight, with writing about. Get it today with same day delivery, order pickup or drive up. The boys, age 15 and 17 at the time, were hailed as the youngest pilots ever to fly crosscountry. Rinker buck was born and raised in morristown, new jersey, the fourth child of mary patricia buck nee kernahan and political activist and look magazine publisher thomas francis buck. Henry saine whipped up this awesome teaser for all the indiegogo contributors who helped fund his flight of passage project.
Its about life, he told aopa during an interview for an august 20 article in flight training. Writer rinker buck looks back more than 30 years to a summer when he and his brother, at ages 15 and 17 respectively, became the youngest duo to fly across america, from new jersey to california. June, 1997 an oldfashioned air adventure in the tradition of charles lindberghs celebrated autobiography, the spirit of st. Buck lives in connecticut, and has been busy getting ready for the release of his next book about his coveredwagon trek over the original oregon trail. A memoir of flight, adventure, and comingofage off the. Flight of passage a short film based on rinker bucks. Flight of passage by rinker buck 1998, paperback, reprint. Flight of passage, rinker s memoir about his airborne voyage, is as good as any adventure story.
Buy flight of passage by rinker buck online at alibris. Recalling both adventures of huckleberry finn and into the wild, rinker and kern sleep under the planes wings at night, consort with retired pilots, and inadvertently spend the night in a brothel. This was the challenge facing rinker buck in his book flight of passage. Remembering two boys in a piper cub over america the new. Flight of passage a short film based on rinker bucks best. Publication date 1997 topics career and cte literacy, reading leveladult. Buck, who has written for new york magazine, among other publications. Jun 29, 2015 flight of passage, rinkers memoir about his airborne voyage, is as good as any adventure story.
And flight of passage is also an affecting look back to the summer of 1966, when the times seemed much less cynical and adventures much more enjoyable. Rinkers presence would be required as copilot and navigator in the radioless cub. Writer rinker buck looks back more than 30 years to a summer when he and his brother, at ages 15 and 17 respectively, became the youngest duo to fly across america. All the heroes had crew cuts, platinumblond wives and drove corvettes. The eldest sons of magazine publisher tom buck, father of 11 children and a barnstorming pilot whose flying days ended when he lost a leg in a 1946 plane accident, rink and kern were raised to fly. All content included on our site, such as text, images, digital downloads and other, is the property of its content suppliers and protected by us and international laws. Just as rinker and nicks coveredwagon trip channels the childhood vacation they took with their father, so too the oregon trail echoes buck s 1997 book flight of passage, his bestknown work.
Publication date 1997 topics career and cte literacy, reading leveladult publisher hyperion. Part history, part travelogue, and full of mules with. A memoir of flight, adventure, and comingofage off the shelf. Rinker buck began his career as a reporter for the berkshire eagle in western massachusetts. He and colin ebeling are making a short film of rinker buck s story. An oldfashioned air adventure in the tradition of charles lindberghs celebrated autobiography, the spirit of st. And that cover photo of an immaculately restored piper cub only tells half the story. Flight of passage by rinker buck hyperion books, 1997 is a memoir about two teenage boys flying coast to coast in a piper cub they rebuilt in. Flight of passage, by rinker buck is probably the most thrilling nonfiction book that ive read. An interview bucks publisher conducted offers additional information on the brothers flight in 1966. Sure, theres plenty in here about that, and also a wonderful recreation of the young buck brothers newsmaking transcontinental flight in said aircraft. A true story by rinker buck in chm, fb2, fb3 download e book. Rinker buck doesnt consider flight of passage an aviation book.
Its a coming of age tale that defies all cliches that come with this style. As a canadian i am fascinated by the fact that his father was part of the british commonwealth air training plan and came to manitoba as an american flight. A true story kern was the classic oldest son of a strong, ironwilled father, secretly afraid that he couldnt live up to the model, and thus quite skittish and sensitive to criticism. Nov 25, 2015 henry saine whipped up this awesome teaser for all the indiegogo contributors who helped fund his flight of passage project. Buck sat as navigator his brother kern, who is now a lawyer, was the main pilot gives a true appreciation of a hilarious passage in the book.