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Tales of the Cessna 195
Mike Larson’s fascination with the Cessna airplane began at age twelve with a test flight at the Cessna Aircraft Company factory. Mike became a professional pilot, starting his fifty year career in aviation with a pilot’s license, an old plane and a dream. From shuttling skydivers in a Twin Beech 18 to flying the Douglas DC-8, follow Mike’s adventure filled journey from plane to plane and around the world.When Mike and his wife, Charmian, decided to purchase a plane of their own, they choose the Cessna 195. They were quite unprepared for the onslaught of new experiences and friends this plane would bring them.
278 pages, Paperback
First published September 5, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 11, 2020
If you are a new pilot, a veteran pilot, a pilot in training, or just someone who stops to look up into the sky at the sound of an aircraft overhead, this is a book to have in your library. The author illustrates his great stories of a wonderful career in aviation that started with a love of general aviation.
November 2, 2016
An true aviation life story
If you enjoy a good non-fiction story of people who live fascinating lives or have always dreamt of flying into the deep blue yonder, “Tales of the Cessna 195” by Michael D. Larson, narrated by Roland Sickenberger, is a book you will not want to pick up. The book is much more than just an airplane story. It is a wonderfully woven tale from the author’s life told in a way that will keep you grounded in your seat the entire way.
Let me start by saying that my wife and I are both private pilots having our single-engine land licenses and are experienced in both the Cessna 152 and 172 aircraft. I also have knowledge of the Phoenix, AZ area including Falcon field where my brother to this day flies his aircraft out of. Many of the author’s early experiences in the book take place in this same area (including South Mountain and Sky Harbor airport in Phoenix). This aspect of the book personally brought back many memories from my childhood. However, this is not the only reason I enjoyed the book as so much more of it takes place at locations I have never been.
I want to be clear, this book is one that will be greatly enjoyed by those in the aviation field or anyone who likes aviation, however it is not just about the Cessna 195 aircraft. The title is a bit misleading as it is really about one man’s life journey in the aviation business and his love for the 195. I liked that he included both his and his wife’s desires of flying, and that they both enjoyed the many aspects of doing just that. It was something that I found helped me to succeed in getting my license; having another that was going through the process and we always had so much to talk about. It was good to hear of their support and freedom that only flying can bring someone. With that said, I would have liked the author to have defined a few of the terms to help make the book easier to read for a non-pilot.
As much fun as flying is, those who have been involved in the industry understand that often things wrong, and this usually happens at the worse times. How one reacts to such events can mean the difference between life and death; of you, your crew, or your passengers. Often one cannot see how close death is until the event is over; and the author does not spare telling the reader the many struggles and frustrations he experienced while flying; some very close. It is not all about the fun and excitement, but often requires one to improvise to get out of sticky situations. I also like that he included details around how friendly people are in the industry, I also experienced this while flying. Most people will go out of their way to accommodate and assist where they can. It is often a field where ‘paying it forward’ is often rewarded at a later time. If you can ever assist in fixing a “Check Engine” light on a loaner car, please do.
Although it is a true life story, I’m sure the author is glad for the statute of limitations in the US. Over the years he faced a few incidents in which he was able to get out of or never told anyone; but it is now published in this book. Nothing overtly illegal, mostly obstruction, but a few incidents that could have resulted in his licenses being taken or the FAA making his life more difficult. Once again, it shows the fine line one sometimes needs to walk to be a part of the aviation field. I had to openly laugh when he spoke of a watermelon field adjacent to one airstrip and when the fruit was ripe, people would fly in, run out of an active aircraft and grab a watermelon, and depart. All in one quick stop and go. Again, I laughed then the author said that one does not know how good a fresh watermelon tastes on a hot AL day. Not that he ever admitted to doing this himself.
Let me say a few words regarding the audiobook’s narration. At the time of this review, Roland has eight Audible books he has narrated. His performances by others are all rated four stars or higher; and I would agree with their assessment. I enjoyed his reading pace and richness of his voice. He was able to enhance the story by adding inflection bringing the tale to life. I will say that I did notice a few volume places of inconsistencies with the recording. Nothing that would take away from the book, but noticeable if one listens closely. No other audio artifacts were detected while I listened. I look forward to hearing more from this narrator in the future.
Disclaimer: I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator.
If you enjoy a good non-fiction story of people who live fascinating lives or have always dreamt of flying into the deep blue yonder, “Tales of the Cessna 195” by Michael D. Larson, narrated by Roland Sickenberger, is a book you will not want to pick up. The book is much more than just an airplane story. It is a wonderfully woven tale from the author’s life told in a way that will keep you grounded in your seat the entire way.
Let me start by saying that my wife and I are both private pilots having our single-engine land licenses and are experienced in both the Cessna 152 and 172 aircraft. I also have knowledge of the Phoenix, AZ area including Falcon field where my brother to this day flies his aircraft out of. Many of the author’s early experiences in the book take place in this same area (including South Mountain and Sky Harbor airport in Phoenix). This aspect of the book personally brought back many memories from my childhood. However, this is not the only reason I enjoyed the book as so much more of it takes place at locations I have never been.
I want to be clear, this book is one that will be greatly enjoyed by those in the aviation field or anyone who likes aviation, however it is not just about the Cessna 195 aircraft. The title is a bit misleading as it is really about one man’s life journey in the aviation business and his love for the 195. I liked that he included both his and his wife’s desires of flying, and that they both enjoyed the many aspects of doing just that. It was something that I found helped me to succeed in getting my license; having another that was going through the process and we always had so much to talk about. It was good to hear of their support and freedom that only flying can bring someone. With that said, I would have liked the author to have defined a few of the terms to help make the book easier to read for a non-pilot.
As much fun as flying is, those who have been involved in the industry understand that often things wrong, and this usually happens at the worse times. How one reacts to such events can mean the difference between life and death; of you, your crew, or your passengers. Often one cannot see how close death is until the event is over; and the author does not spare telling the reader the many struggles and frustrations he experienced while flying; some very close. It is not all about the fun and excitement, but often requires one to improvise to get out of sticky situations. I also like that he included details around how friendly people are in the industry, I also experienced this while flying. Most people will go out of their way to accommodate and assist where they can. It is often a field where ‘paying it forward’ is often rewarded at a later time. If you can ever assist in fixing a “Check Engine” light on a loaner car, please do.
Although it is a true life story, I’m sure the author is glad for the statute of limitations in the US. Over the years he faced a few incidents in which he was able to get out of or never told anyone; but it is now published in this book. Nothing overtly illegal, mostly obstruction, but a few incidents that could have resulted in his licenses being taken or the FAA making his life more difficult. Once again, it shows the fine line one sometimes needs to walk to be a part of the aviation field. I had to openly laugh when he spoke of a watermelon field adjacent to one airstrip and when the fruit was ripe, people would fly in, run out of an active aircraft and grab a watermelon, and depart. All in one quick stop and go. Again, I laughed then the author said that one does not know how good a fresh watermelon tastes on a hot AL day. Not that he ever admitted to doing this himself.
Let me say a few words regarding the audiobook’s narration. At the time of this review, Roland has eight Audible books he has narrated. His performances by others are all rated four stars or higher; and I would agree with their assessment. I enjoyed his reading pace and richness of his voice. He was able to enhance the story by adding inflection bringing the tale to life. I will say that I did notice a few volume places of inconsistencies with the recording. Nothing that would take away from the book, but noticeable if one listens closely. No other audio artifacts were detected while I listened. I look forward to hearing more from this narrator in the future.
Disclaimer: I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator.
November 4, 2016
This book is a collection of stories by a man who has been totally involved and in love with airplanes and flying. Whether flying small planes for crop spraying, the Cessna 195, or Douglas DC-8s, he was having the time of his life. This fact comes through time and again in the way he tells his stories. Would that all of us could be so fortunate to have a hobby and a profession that we enjoyed as much as
Has Michael Larson.
The author does a nice job relating events of the stories. He also describes his many encounters with the people in his life and the many new friends he meets along the way.
By the time I finished the book, it was as if I'd known Michael for many years.
If you aren't involved in the aviation hobby or business, as I am not, you may still find the stories fascinating. However, there are acronyms and jargon that the author doesn't always take time to explain, so having a dictionary handy to look some of these terms up is recommended.
The narrator of the audio book, Roland Sickenberger, does a nice job of voicing these stories. He has a big, friendly voice that makes the listening experience a joy.
Note: I received a free copy of this audiobook for my unbiased review.
Has Michael Larson.
The author does a nice job relating events of the stories. He also describes his many encounters with the people in his life and the many new friends he meets along the way.
By the time I finished the book, it was as if I'd known Michael for many years.
If you aren't involved in the aviation hobby or business, as I am not, you may still find the stories fascinating. However, there are acronyms and jargon that the author doesn't always take time to explain, so having a dictionary handy to look some of these terms up is recommended.
The narrator of the audio book, Roland Sickenberger, does a nice job of voicing these stories. He has a big, friendly voice that makes the listening experience a joy.
Note: I received a free copy of this audiobook for my unbiased review.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews