The African-Bush Pilot The debut autobiography by Cecil Mullins is an auspicious success from the very first page to the last. He tells the breathtaking odyssey of his life from a small town Southwest Virginia boy to a well known, highly regarded pilot who flies the aircraft he dreamt of as a young man. His writing style is fast paced, graphic and often gritty with an occasional side bar of humor and ribald commentary about the fairer sex he encounters during his highly charged, adventurous career as a "Bush Pilot" and his unpredictable forays with non-scheduled airlines. The book is a must read. The reader will feel as if he is in the cockpit with the "Bush Pilot" as the fights the elements, warfare, mechanical and equipment problems and violent weather. It is a great book...you will not want to put it down. Go out and get a copy and experience the thrill of what you find as you turn the next page...and the next. Reaching the pinnacle of his career by surviving unbelievable mechanical failures and mishaps, violent weather, flying into African civil wars and revolutions in the dead of night to evade missiles and gunfire were but a part of the life he chose to live. He survived and prospered by his intellect, courage and unparalleled skill as a top flight mechanic, flight engineer, co-pilot and finally pilot and Captain of his own craft.

Colin Powell once observed that "a dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work." This sentiment is mirrored dramatically in the story of African Americans in aerospace history. The invention of the airplane in the first decade of the twentieth century sparked a revolution in modern technology. Aviation in the popular mind became associated with adventure and heroism. For African Americans, however, this new realm of human flight remained off-limits, a consequence of racial discrimination. Many African Americans displayed a keen interest in the new air age, but found themselves routinely barred from gaining training as pilots or mechanics. Beginning in the 1920s, a small and widely scattered group of black air enthusiasts challenged this prevailing pattern of racial discrimination. With no small amount of effort—and against formidable odds—they gained their pilot licenses and acquired the technical skills to become aircraft mechanics. Over the course of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first, African Americans have expanded their participation in both military and civilian aviation and space flight, from the early pioneers and barnstormers through the Tuskegee airmen to Shuttle astronauts. Featuring approximately two hundred historic and contemporary photographs and a lively narrative that spans eight decades of U.S. history, Black Wings offers a compelling overview of this extraordinary and inspiring saga.

"Originally published as 'Bessie Coleman: first black woman pilot' in 2001"--Copyright page.