Endorsements

When I was the sitting Air and Space Power Journal (ASPJ) chief editor, ASPJ being the professional journal of the United States Air Force, I read the manuscript for this book and provided editorial inputs. As a command pilot, with over 3,000 flight hours in three different airframes, and as an aviation enthusiast, I was more than happy with what I found in this book.

Mr. Taylor takes an individual (Ernest Buehl), and intricately weaves him into aviation history as significant enabler during the early industrialization of aviation. Mr. Taylor’s personal relationship, through marriage, to Buehl’s family provides the reader with an intimate look at not only the legends surrounding Buehl during his lifetime, but the backstory as well. Buried in the stories people told about him is a backstory of contributions more significant to the then-developing world of aviation than the people around him or, perhaps even Buehl himself, realized.

Mr. Taylor’s book is a worthy read in that it captures the flavors of early aviation both abroad and within the United States and touches on a pivotal figure that few have heard of, to include me until I reviewed the manuscript. His down-to-earth style of writing, his depth of research on Buehl and access to Buehl’s family and family records make The Flying Dutchman of Philadelphia, Ernest H. Buehl authoritative and unique. This manuscript will be at home in the collection of aviation or mechanical enthusiasts alike or anyone who craves a deeper understanding of how modern aviation was enabled by pioneers such as Buehl.

— Steven J. Drinnon, Lt Col, USAF (Ret)

—-

Following the career of one pioneer aviator, Ernest H. Buehl, this book tells a forgotten story of the early history of civilian aviation. After the achievement of the Wright brothers in 1903, the question remained, “What are airplanes good for?” The question was answered sooner in Europe than in the United States. When Buehl arrived in the United States from Germany in 1920, he had already seen the future and his career connects us with seminal developments on two continents.

I recommend this book for readers who are interested in the history of civilian aviation. It brings forward a great deal of information that is not discussed in other histories I have seen, and it sets the events into a straightforward perspective.

— Dan Hargrove, Lt. Col. USAF (ret.), former Deputy Operations Group Commander at Andrews Air Force Base and pilot of Air Force Two, currently Director of Aviation, Rocky Mountain College