My Flying Career Memoir

The book began as a diary of my working life, notes on what flying for a living was like from day to day. I thought perhaps someday my not-yet-born grandchildren might like to read about Grandpa's life. It turns out they're not the only ones.

I started flying late. I was 32 years old and, at the time, too old to be hired by a major airline. My goal was to earn a living in airplanes, working my way up as a flight instructor and charter pilot until I qualified to fly a twin-engine Cessna 402 for a commuter airline. In the 1970s, that was as high as I could hope to rise because of age, imperfect vision, and lack of a college degree.

Airline deregulation in 1979 created demand for pilots as airlines expanded and new ones began. By the 1980s, it became possible for people like me to fly jet transports for passenger carriers and for rapidly growing cargo airlines such as UPS, FedEx, Airborne Express, and DHL.

I was happy flying small airplanes on short routes. Such jobs didn't pay much, but I was home every night. But when people I flew with--some as old as I was--began leaving for bigger airlines, I began to feel left behind. But not for long.

A friend went to work for DHL and encouraged me to apply there. The domestic airline part of DHL Worldwide Express was just getting started and had big plans for expansion. My horizon expanded to include jet airplanes and transcontinental travel.

Commuting 2200 miles twice a month from home near Seattle to Cincinnati never became routine, but I did that for nearly 19 years before life's circumstances changed and I moved to Ohio for my last few years until retirement.

Part of the appeal of a flying career is than no two days are alike. In airplanes, routine always has possibilities for excitement and misadventure. But there is more to a flying life than piloting airplanes, and time on the ground was often more adventurous and hazardous than time in the air.

An early review on Amazon reads, "Excellent read for aviators as well as those who dream of it or are interested in what a great job it used to be, and occasionally still can be. Funny and very well written, accurate and honest, one of my most enjoyable reads ever!"

Another reviewer wrote, "The book is a well written tale of the trials and joys that accompanied author Eric Rush's rise from student pilot...to Boeing 727 Captain. The writing is free of technical jargon for the non pilot; and for the pilot will prove to be an interesting read... If Richard Bach or Earnest Gann flew the author's flights and lived his life, this is how they'd write the story."

A friend from high school I haven't seen in more than 50 years emailed, "Finished your book about 2 this morning.  Not the only night it kept me up past my bedtime.  Had a hard time putting it down.  Great book and I loved it."

Looking Out the Window, Talking to the Person Next to Me: My Life in Airplanes is available through book stores, from Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Autographed copies are available from www.ericrush.com and it is an e-book from Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and others.

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