The idea for "Wings & Things" was conceived on the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers first airplane flight. The book is the story of the life and thoughts of one new and inexperienced young pilot thrust into a world of incredible challenges, and of the efforts to meet them. There are stories of adventure, romance, heartbreak, and danger, with detailed descriptions of some near catastrophic events, written in everyday, easy to understand language, for pilots and non-pilots alike. "Wings & Things", in addition to being 400 pages of pilot memories, could also be considered an aviation textbook - - filled from cover to cover with valuable and interesting aviation information, traditions, history, legends, and aviation folklore, which should be passed down from one generation of pilots to the next. A must read for pilots, non-pilots, and all adventure lovers with an interest in aviation. The stories take place during the late 1960's and early 1970's, which was a very turbulent era in American history, and some of the more memorable events of that time period are recalled within the aviation stories, making "Wings & Things a virtual time capsule. The book was originally published for distribution only to family and friends, but, after the very positive and enthusiastic response to the unique stories, the book is now available to the public. Some of the stories in "Wings & Things" highlight the huge differences between the almost unregulated aviation world of earlier days, as compared to the rigidly enforced FAA Regulations following the events of September 11 - 2001. The events described in this book could never be repeated today. With breathtaking full color arial photographs.