Wings of Man: The Legend of Captain Dick Merrill

About this book

CAPTAIN HENRY TYNDALL DICK MERRILL needs little introduction to the world aviation community. His colorful life and flight records are legend. Merrill (1894 1982) was an early aviation pioneer. Among his feats he was the highest paid air mail pilot flew the first round-trip transatlantic flight in 1936 was Dwight D. Eisenhowers personal pilot during the 1952 presidential elections set several speed records and would go on to be Eastern Air Lines most experienced pilot with over 36 000 hours until his retirement in 1961. In total Merrill flew over 45 000 hours as pilot in command covering over eight million miles. At a time when record-breaking pilots were treated as celebrities pioneer aviators like Dick Merrill gained a unique status. His most famous flight was a 1936 round-trip transatlantic flight that has gone down in the annals of flight as the "Ping Pong Flight." The following year Merrill also completed the first commercial trans-Atlantic flight. The author Jack L. King was a senior aviation writer and has the distinction of also being a 20 000 hour transport pilot. In relating Merrills fabulous aviation career he has narrated the text for comprehension of the non-flying reader as well as the professional pilot.