Raised on a bankrupt farm along the Mississippi River, Allen E. Paulson would become owner of the Fortune 500 aerospace empire Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation. He began his career as an airplane mechanic, later setting world records as a pilot and developing unique military and civilian jets. Paulson was ambitious and reticent, generous and frugal, confident and dogged by self-doubt. His friends included U.S. presidents, Hollywood celebrities and famous aviators. He toasted and tangled with such business titans as Lee Iacocca and Teddy Forstmann--until life took him in another direction. Paulson played by the rules and took each success and setback in stride, always with a keen ethical sense and an unflagging entrepreneurial spirit.

Brad's Story describes the life of Bradford Berg, who grew up in Florida. Introduced to the sky at the age of seven by a flight on a Ford Tri-Motor, he fell in love with flying. Nine years later, he earned his pilot's license. Before he could vote, Brad won the wings of an Air Force pilot. He tells of peacetime and wartime experiences on assignments in Okinawa and Korea. After the Air Force, he joined Trans World Airlines and rose to chief pilot, responsible for the Western Division. During that period, he flew in the United States, Europe and the Middle East. When not at the controls of a 747, he was often flying one of his own planes or a glider over the deserts of California. With wife, Nell, they took motor home vacations, raced greyhound dogs and pursued a passion for golf. At fourteen, Brad lighted a cigarette and eventually became a three-pack-a-day smoker. Warned of the risks, he responded, "it can't happen to me'. Brad confesses to his despair at learning he had lung cancer. He describes the medical treatment. He recounts how he tried every treatment known to man, but failed to break his addiction. Then he found one that worked and he suggests that others try it. After having part of a lung removed, Brad struggled to put his feelings on paper. Then a follow-up, medical scan revealed the cancer was back. Few people are willing to share these intimate experiences. Brad does.

Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, acclaimed horse trainer and show rider Martha Crawford Cantarini was among the busiest of Hollywood's elite corps of female stunt riders. She was the regular stunt double for such actresses as Eleanor Parker, Anne Baxter and Shirley MacLaine, appearing in films ranging from Elvis Presley's debut feature Love Me Tender to the epic Western The Big Country. Martha also hosted a Las Vegas television program in the 1960s, while her palomino Frosty gained fame as "the gambling horse" after rolling a seven at the Thunderbird Casino craps table. This fascinating insider's memoir of the American entertainment industry recounts Martha's personal and professional associations with Clark Gable, Ronald Reagan, Jean Simmons, and other Hollywood luminaries.

Learjet 24 (24-123, N3731) Credit: Paul Bowen This book offers an unique, comprehensive retrospective on the Learjet aircraft, from the establishment by Bill Lear in the sixties, to its slow demise in 2021. It accompanies readers on a unique journey through the configuration changes, and advanced technological applications that have transformed business jets and their market in the last sixty years. Important insights are given into numerous patents and innovations that have shaped the development of new technologies and aerodynamic improvements such as the winglet. Furthermore, this book presents many special missions carried out by the Learjet family, such as VIP, business and ambulance flights, research and military projects, and the use of Learjet in aerobatics, as well as aerial photography and cinematography. With a great number of original photographs and drawings, interesting events, stories and anecdotes, this book provides today’s aeronautical and systems engineers and test pilots with an invaluable source of information and inspiration. Yet, it also offers a compelling reading to students, professionals and scientists in the aerospace field as well as to curious readers with a general interest in aeronautics. Learjet 31A (31-131, N31LR) Credit: Paul Bowen