Solo Flight

I have come to expect a high standard of writing from Owen Zupp, and this book did not disappoint. This lovingly crafted tale of a wonderful journey made me feel like I was right there alongside Owen in his Jabiru. If you have ever had even the slightest urge to undertake your own epic – or modest – journey, Owen’s tale is sure to provide extra inspiration. Highly recommended!

It is so refreshing to read something in general aviation from someone that genuinely loves flying, and on such an amazing journey. I bought the book and read it immediately, not stopping until I had finished. Each chapter details one leg of the journey (after the initial chapters on the planning etc), and is very well written, describing the beauty of both the flight, and the landscape, admirably. Owen definitely has a way with words!

Owen’s done it again. He takes the reader not only on a ride around our wide brown land, but also through the planning stages and the amount of work involved in getting such a venture off the ground. Owen combines the best of both worlds for an aviation geek like me: not only can he fly and fly well, but he can also relate his experiences eloquently, putting the reader in the copilots’s seat. Highly recommended.

One of the best things about this book is that it would appeal to a range of ages. The writing is very clear and supplemented with some really outstanding photographs — there’s a “something for everyone” element to it. You could say it’s like a great geography lesson in the form of a true-life adventure. Informative and entertaining and always moving, I’d recommend “Solo Flight” without reservation.

Owen has this wonderful ability to make you feel you are his co-pilot as he describes his solo flight around Australia in another beautifully written book. As he takes you on his journey from planning to successful completion, you share with Owen his passion for flight and the emotions surrounding his visits to places of interest including those he once visited with his dear dad, a decorated Korean war veteran pilot. His vision and sheer determination to make this flight a reality is a great story in itself. The adventure is so well told you feel you have been on this journey too. For those of us who can only wonder what it must be like to take to the skies with an aircraft at our command, through ‘Solo Flight’ we are given the opportunity to share this exhilarating experience.

As an aircrft enthusiast my view is totally unrepresentatve, but I loved it as it reminded me of those rollicking adventure stories I read as a boy. I was engrossed in the trip and impressed with Owen’s meticulous attention to detail. As they say: “There are old pilots and bold pilots, but there are no old bold pilots”. As well as being a great read, it should be required reading for any trainee pilot.