Great reads that tell the stories of the L-birds of WWII…

Interprète Volant

Interprète Volant, originally written in French, is Jean Ably’s first-hand account of the 72nd Liaison Squadron during its march through southern France and into Germany prior to the end of WWII in the European theater. Beginning in September 1944, Ably is enlisted as an interpreter into the U.S. Seventh Army to assist Allied forces in pushing back the advancing German armies. The 72nd Liaison Squadron is comprised of Army Ground Forces operating with the support of liaison pilots and crew flying the two-place Stinson L-5 Sentinel.

Definitely one of the most engaging and illustrative recitations of wartime confrontation ever written. Ably portrays with innate mastery the grave circumstances of an enervated French populace. He takes you there, into the villes et champs, commuting with the soldiers through his daily notations. The sentiment he so vividly articulates is insightful, atrocious and heartfelt.

This is a rare publication, adapted from the original 1946 printing. For the first time it been translated into English and made available in digital format. Read more… Interprète Volant by Jean Ably. PDF book format includes 151 pages, with photos, both original and appended, plus glossary and maps.

The Fighting Grasshoppers

The Fighting Grasshoppers: US Liaison Aircraft Operations in Europe, 1942–1945 was published in 1990, written by Ken Wakefield, with Wesley Kyle. Wakefield’s knowledge of US liaison/observation aircraft was legendary and he devoted much of his time researching and writing books on the subject. Born in Bristol, UK, Wakefield had a distinguished career as an airline pilot that included flights to Johannesburg in the Douglas DC-3 and retirement from British Airways as a senior captain on the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar. He was a member of the Royal Aeronautical Society and holder of the Master Pilot Award of the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators.

Of all the books on Grasshoppers, a.k.a. L-birds (light aircraft used in WWII and Korea by the U.S. Army Air Forces), this is the definitive, and rare, one. Wakefield’s collection of photos, stories, and details of the L-1, L-2, L-3, L-4 and L-5 is unequalled.

Available for the first time in a revised and appended digital format. The 160-page printed book covers the critical role of these liaison planes in military service during World War II.

Jeeps in the Sky

Jeeps in the Sky: The Story of the Light Plane, written by Lt. Col. Andrew Ten Eyck, chronicles the advent of the light airplane, from the early days of daring and courageous pilots, to aviation’s unprecedented feats in two world wars, and eventually to the grand peacetime promise of an airplane-in-every-household.

This rare, and almost forgotten, essay on the state of personal aviation, is as near complete a narrative as exists on the era. While the “flying Jeeps” of World War II weren’t making headlines for dropping bombs, nor were their pilots adorned for aerial combat feats; instead, these light planes furtively acted the part of the versatile, general purpose ground transport fondly, and ubiquitously, known as the Jeep. The differentiating feature between the light plane and the famous four-wheeler was that one went about its business in the sky, often narrowly atop the trees and seldom at a height where activities on the ground could scantly be observed with the naked eye.

During World War II these small, two-place aircraft completed missions of “rapid” transport, they were the eyes of the artillery, and they did so much more. The idiomatic “Jeeps in the sky” not only originated a genre of light aircraft but served to define the class for civilian use, even today! Jeeps in the Sky is a must-read, and a rare find, for anyone who fancies aviation and cherishes the freedom to fly.

To receive the completely revised digital PDF with black & white photos, tables and specifications, 96 pages, click the Buy Now button, or click here to purchase a printed book.

The Piper Cub Story

The Piper Cub Story was published in 1969, written by James M. Triggs, an aircraft specialist then living in Mt. Kisco, New York. The reference includes a historical background from 1920s with the Taylor Brothers designing and manufacturing their lightweight aircraft. Information with diagrams, tables and pictures provide detail on both the Cub’s construction and operation.

In the context of aviation, Triggs worked as an illustrator specializing in aircraft subjects for much of his career. A contributor to many aviation publications, he created scale drawings and color illustrations of many historical aircraft.

For Cub aficionados, The Piper Cub Story: An authentic, detailed story of the Piper Cub, is a great place to start. It’s an easy read and absolutely informative, covering this iconic aircraft, its genealogy in detail, and often providing rare bits of insight on this legendary lightplane. For example, it was produced by Cub Aircraft Canada in Ontario under the name of Prospector during the late forties, only to be interrupted by World War II.

A must read for anyone interested in this prolonged era—1930s to 1994—of American aeronautical triumph.

To receive the completely revised digital PDF with black & white photos, tables and specifications, 100 pages, click the Buy Now button, or click here to purchase a printed book.

The Putt-Putt Air Force

The Putt-Putt Air Force: The Story of The Civilian Pilot Training Program and The War Training Service (1939–1944) was written in 1970 by Patricia Strickland under the auspices of the newly formed Department of Transportation and the renamed Federal Aviation Administration (the former Civil Aeronautics Administration). Numbering well over 10,000 aircraft, the primary trainers in the program were two-place Stearmans, Taylorcrafts, Aeroncas, Monocoupes, and Piper Cubs.

The Putt-Putt Air Force documents the history of the Civilian Pilot Training Program (CPTP) and its successor, the War Training Service, between 1939 and 1944. Originally conceived as a way to revitalize a struggling aviation industry, the program utilized existing colleges and private flight schools to train hundreds of thousands of new pilots. The text highlights how the United States lagged behind the air power of Germany, Italy, and Russia before the program transformed national defense through a unique civilian-government partnership. Despite facing significant political opposition and safety concerns, the CPTP achieved a remarkable safety record and produced legendary figures such as John Glenn. The program’s inclusive reach, notably its role in training women and black fliers, ultimately provided a vital reserve for the military during World War II.

Three-quarters of the half million trainees took their first flights in Cubs, soloed and were certificated in them—the same aircraft that went to battle in WWII as the L-4. A chapter on Grasshoppers recounts how the legendary fleet came into being citing a CAA memorandum addressed to the Chief of the Field Artillery. Additional chapter headings include:

When published, The Putt-Putt Air Force was the first to document the boom era of general aviation. All of the knowledge and insight to be gained from this historic document is still applicable today!

To receive a PDF copy of The Putt-Putt Air Force, 116 pages, click the Buy Now button.

Grasshopper Pilot

Julian Cummings, author of Grasshopper Pilot, began flying Piper Cubs as a young man and was recruited to the reconnaissance unit of the U.S. Army’s Third Infantry Division. This memoir chronicles his daring missions in combat, from first flights in the North African campaign through the end of the war in the Pacific. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary bravery in Sicily.

Grasshopper Pilot is a personal memoir that documents the high-stakes experiences of unarmed aerial observers during World War II. These aviators operated lightweight Piper Cubs, nicknamed “Grasshoppers,” to direct artillery fire, perform medical evacuations, and monitor enemy troop movements. The narrative follows Cummings from his early fascination with flight through his rigorous military training at Fort Sill and into the heat of combat. Cummings provides a firsthand account of Operation Torch in North Africa and the dangerous reconnaissance missions that proved vital to the Allied victory. By highlighting the bravery required to fly defenseless aircraft over hostile territory, the book honors a frequently overlooked branch of the U.S. Army’s Third Infantry Division.

During World War II the ability of American ground forces to advance in the face of fierce resistance was largely dependent on the precision of artillery barrages. Aerial observation was frequently the only effective means to locate enemy targets. For this mission the Army Air Corps used light civilian airplanes (usually reconfigured Piper Cubs), known as grasshoppers for their ability to take off from and land in tight places—dirt roads, grass fields, railroad tracks, and ships. In addition to pinpointing enemy artillery, the courageous pilots of these aircraft were often assigned other missions—medical evacuation, reporting on enemy troop movements, and reconnaissance—armed with only handguns, if at all.

Grasshopper Pilot gives long-overdue attention and credit to the crucial role these courageous men played in combat and adds valuable information to an understudied dimension of the war.

A memoir by Julian “Bill” Cummings (deceased 2002), “This book is dedicated to all the men in my aviation section of the Third Infantry Division, U.S. Field Artillery.” Published in 2005, 92 pages.

To receive a PDF copy of Grasshopper Pilot, 103 pages, click the Buy Now button.

How To Fly a Piper Cub

How To Fly a Piper Cub is a step-by-step pictorial familiarizing and instructing on the Piper Cub Trainer. This entertaining and informative booklet gives useful instructions on flying the Piper J-3 Cub—techniques that can be applied to flying any aircraft.

This 1945 instructional manual serves as a comprehensive guide for aspiring pilots learning to operate Piper Cub airplanes. The text emphasizes that aviation has evolved from a dangerous hobby into an affordable and practical mode of transport for everyday tasks like farming, business, and leisure. Detailed technical diagrams explain the aircraft’s anatomy, instrument panel, and the physical forces that govern flight. Readers are introduced to various models, including the Trainer, Super Cruiser, and Sea Scout, alongside specific performance data. The source further provides a step-by-step photographic lesson covering everything from pre-flight inspections to complex aerial maneuvers and landings. Ultimately, the booklet aims to build foundational knowledge to prepare students for formal flight instruction in a post-war “air age.”

Built by Piper Aircraft between 1937 and 1947, the J-3 Cub is one of history’s best-known civilian aircraft. The Cub’s simplicity, and affordability, led to the plane being dubbed the “Model T of the Sky.” It ushered in a new era of aviation in which anyone could fly. More than 20,000 Cubs were built, including thousands as trainer and liaison aircraft during WWII. Today the Cub is one of aviation’s most imitated aircraft, renown for its superb flying qualities.

Originally printed in 1945, when all Piper production was restricted for military use, this How To Fly a Piper Cub booklet looked ahead to the post-war era. Produced in color with rich illustrations, specification sheets, both black-and-white and color photos, it’s a nostalgic piece of history that no Piper fan or flying enthusiast can resist.

This is the place to start if you’ve ever thought of flying a Piper Cub! 32 Color pages fully restored.

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Your Wings

Your Wings by Assen Jordanoff is a vintage WWII era book on how to fly a plane, written in the author’s unique style, and covering aerodynamics and “avigation.” Your Wings offers timeless insight to the operation of any aircraft. Insightful tips include:

• Statistics show that security of flight is 1500 per cent greater when knowledge and expert supervision are the background.
• Fast turn without sufficient bank results in SKID. Slow turn with too much bank causes SLIP.
• Attempt the landing with intention to land and not with the thought to try.
• Experience tells us that the instruments on the plane are fully reliable only when their reading is properly interpreted.
• The independence of any nation depends largely upon its strength in the air.

Highly specialized, Your Wings is both a practical and technical book by an expert ace and inventor. It’s written, and illustrated with over 400 figures, for anyone interested in flying. Scientifically accurate drawings enhance the instructional text for any aviator. Your Wings covers activity not only in the air, but parts of the plane, function and care, ranging from first flight to advanced aeronautics. This book is for dreamers and model builders, and active pilots for a better grounding of the principles and mechanics in the constantly widening field flight.

Assen “Jerry” Jordanoff was by all accounts an amazing story teller. Jerry was a Bulgarian test pilot and engineer who fled Europe for the U.S. after the First World War. He taught himself English at the New York Public Library, and supported himself with odd jobs such as shoveling snow in winters. He worked his way through America’s aircraft industry, developing new ideas and new technologies, seemingly on a daily basis. Among his other accomplishments was a series of instructional texts on aviation. Your Wings was his crowning student guide to flying, and it’s full of classic knowledge that any pilot must absorb. The art and illustrations remain both a charming artifact, and a lively reminder that some knowledge simply doesn’t age. Originally published in 1936, 283 pages.

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