"Flight of Passage" goes deep within the human heart of brothers, sons and fathers. It is not often in this day and age that we are given this masculine insight of two brothers and their love for each other. Nor, are we given such a privleged look into the relationship of a father and his sons.

The airplane (espcially the Piper Cub) is a metaphor. The boys learn how to cherish life, to be good men, to be good citizens in fact from their work on this small airplane as it cruises across the United States.

And, do they cross the U.S.! Strangly we are given the rare opportunity to see our nation from the air, with the eyes of teenagers who believe in themselves, their dad and their Piper Cub. We meet the men and women of America as the Piper lands in strange little airports in the midwest, the south west and the California coast. Not only do they fly out, they fly back to New Jersey. What the brothers discover is the grandness of this country, qualities that bind this country together, and the things that make each region unique.

This is not a travelogue. This is a coming of age story that touches the heart -- deeply.

Rinker Buck's Flight of Passage is a wonderful collection of passages devoted to the author's long standing quest to reconcile his relationship with a domineering, eccentric father through the vehicle of a cross country flight with his peculiar and trusting older brother Kernanhan. It is an oddessey - a wonderful tale of wanderlust, brotherly devotion, friendship and understanding told through the recollections and remembrances of a fifteen year old boy, oftentimes at odds with his demanding and powerful father.

The story is set in the mid-sixties, at a time when our country was still rattled by the Kennedy family tragedy, yet not so jaded as to lose interest in the story of two young men in an antique airplane reliving their father's barnstorming days (and repeated, worn out stories of Stearman men and waterbags) and living their own memories to tell stories to their sons someday in probably the same fashion!

Personally, I had much in comman with the author's brother, having attended the same schools, and entered the same profession. I also happen to own and fly a restored Piper Cub. But the magic of this book is it's ability to appeal to both flyers and non flyers alike. It reminds us that we live in a great and beautiful country. It has it's faults, as we all do, and like most families, we have our problems and miscommunications, unmet expectations and misunderstandings, but with experience and "letting go" we appreciate the love that has been bestowed upon us - maybe years later - but a gift nonetheless.

A beautiful story.

This classic airplane story takes place in the mid 1960s. Tom Buck, the father of eleven children, used to be in a flying circus. The hunger for experience starts to gnaw at Kern, his oldest child, as Tom decides to teach Kern how to fly. Wanting excitement, Kern whips up a plan to fly coast to coast with his younger brother, Rinker (who authors this 1997 true story). Old Tom, unable to resist Kern's eagerness, says, "Yes," to the idea. Although it was not known at that time, their flight, if they accomplished it, would be the first time two kids would fly from the East Coast, to California on the West Coast. Although they did not know it, they would be tracked, with the help of his father, by news reporters all over the country. The big question that stayed in the brothers' minds was, "How would we make over the Rockie Mountains?" I truly enjoyed this book, for it gives the feeling of actually being inside the heads of both brothers as they were flying in their Piper Cub.

This is a wonderful book filled with aviation history. My favorite part of the book is the added "historical documents" found throught the pages. I can't wait to take this book into classrooms and read to the students!

This is a magical mini museum of flight. Although it's one dollar a page for yet another flying history book, it's worth the money if you've got a nice coffee table. You get solid writing, beautiful pictures and production values, plus another dimension -- copies of classic documents. Tucked into clever holders there is a replica of John Gillespie Magee's letter home with the poem 'High Flight,' or a working WWII warplane identification wheel. Behind foldouts there are letters Wilbur Wright wrote to the Smithsonian asking for information on flying machines. A copy of Jeppesen's first notebook, Chuck Yeager's test-pilot report on breaking the sound barrier, and several other imitation artifacts. Things I would buy for real if I had 100 million dollars!

Although all too short, this book brings you closer to the historic events than most others. If you want details, buy a big history book. If you want beauty, buy this one.

This volume is one of the neatest books I've ever held, and one of the most fun to look through. Don't crack it open until you have an hour or so to explore and discover its contents. It's like walking through (and HANDELING) history! Great job, Rinker-- as cool as your other great book, Flight of Passage.

I've read Rinker Buck's articles in the newspaper and was interested in this book because of the setting which is my neck of the woods. I had been alerted about the sex scenes.

Wonderful descriptions of the landscape and the people around here, but the details of his affairs spoiled it. Do we really need to read about these? I skipped past them.

The best part may be the interview with John Wayne in Stockbridge. Description of the Red Lion Inn is on the mark, too. Have been to the bar in the basement and it was an interesting place.

Don't skim this book. Enjoy the story while you appreciate how carefully the author choses his words.

I can't believe how beautifully this author writes. I originally picked up this book because I am interested in journalism and writing, but didn't realize that Rinker Buck would deal so truthfully with so many honest issues of young adult life. I would recommend this book not only for readers interested in the first job experience but great writing.