READ THIS: A Pilot's Memoirs: From the Ground Up by Nicholas Gravino, Jr. Captain Delta Air Lines, Ret.
"A Pilot's Memoirs, From the Ground UP" by Nicholas Gravino Jr., Captain Delta Airlines, Ret. is appropriately entitled. As with all books on Aviation, this was read by the Pilot Peachy panel which consists of our two professionals: the Engineering Aviation Expert and also Captain Ron. The Engineering Aviation Expert has over 40 years of experience designing and building Aircraft Ground Support Equipment for Pratt & Whitney, Sikorsky Aircraft, Boeing, General Electric & Rolls Royce. He has worked on Jet Englines and Engine Stands. He has assembled and disassembled Tooling, Open Area Gauges for Turbine Blades, Fuel Controls Inspection and Calibration. Additionally, he is a former Member of Board of Directors for CTMA (Connecticut Tooling Manufacturing Association). Our second aviation expert, Captain Ron, was first featured here http://www.whomyouknow.com/2009/09/captain-ron-on-aviation-and-air-space.html Captain Ron is a retired FAA Air Traffic Control Supervisor with 26 years of experience. He is also a Commercial Pilot, Certified Flight Instructor in Single, Muliti-Engine and Instrument aircraft and an Advanced and Instrument Ground Instructor. He has logged approximately 3,000 hours of flight experience. These two experts along with Peachy Deegan comprise the Aviation Panel. She is particularly thankful for their efforts as much of what this book covers was far before her time! We believe readers of all ages however would enjoy this book as it is a glimpse of authentic history through the air.
This is our second book on Aviation; our first was on Sully. Fortunately for Gravino, he did not need to step up to the plate in the same way Sully did but had an illustrious career without incident. Gravino's love for aviation was inspired by the New York World's Fair of 1939 and his story is written for an audience of someone without an aviation background. In his 39 year career, Nicholas Gravino flew the equivalent of from the earth to the moon and back 23.5 times.
Born to an Italian family in Queens, New York he grew up in a loving, caring family that still holds true to this day. His relationship to them is described in detail as Captain Gravino takes us through his early days when, as a young boy, they would go down to see the Pan Am Flying Boats at the LaGuardia Marine Air Terminal. He would also see Piper J-3 Cubs being flown by student pilots flying overhead practicing take off and landings at a nearby airport. In a few years, he would be one of those pilots he decided. He remembers practicing air raid drills in grade school and listening to Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia read the comic strips to children, which was a Sunday morning radio ritual during newspaper strikes in New York.
While in grammar school and in high school, the author was exposed to many aviation related experiences that further raised his interest in the world of aviation. With no interest in going to college, he enlisted in the U. S. Navy and flew in an airplane for the first time, a Douglas DC-3. His job in the Navy involved the intriguing filed of meteorology, which, of course, is very important to a pilot. One of his duties was to take weather observations, both from the ground and in the air. This further exposure to various aircraft increased his desire to be the one handling the controls, and not be content being a passenger.
Captain Gravino's first aviation employment opportunity was as a Passenger Service Agent, a Ramp Rat as he calls it, doing anything and everything that was needed. This included operating the "Honey Bucket Truck", a vehicle that serviced the rest rooms on aircraft. He then soon became an Operations Agent giving him much more responsibility, his experience in the Navy helped greatly in the new position.
Thanks to the GI Bill of Rights, Captain Gravino was able to start his flying career in those same J-3 Cubs that he had seen as a youngster. While working full time, he flew as much as possible, acquiring rating after rating with that commercial pilot seat as his goal.
For a couple of years the author worked as an air traffic controller at the New York Center, where he saw what goes on at the other end of the microphone. Captain Ron: As a pilot and former controller myself, there is a distinct advantage with having that type of knowledge. You know what the other person is going through during emergencies and other trying situations.
His coming of age experiences include working for the Port of New York Authority (back then New Jersey must not have been included) delivering a press release of the air traffic control tower being buzzed at Teterboro to seeing Marilyn Monroe shooting "Some Like It Hot" not far from the 21 Club. All of us here can relate to walking onto or by movie sets.
Once hired by the airlines, his first assignment was as a First Officer(Co-Pilot) on a DC-3, the same type of aircraft he had his first flight on. His early fights consisted of routes throughout New England, where the whole Whom You Know Aviation Panel is from and Captain Ron has flown to most of the airports on his route.
His career involved flying for various airlines and flying many different types of aircraft, culminating with the Boeing 767ER. The technology changes from the first to last type of equipment Captain Gravino flew are mind staggering. He went from an instrument panel full of gauges to a "glass cockpit' where a series of CRT screens depicted the information a pilot needs to fly the aircraft. Navigation aids went from beacons to GPS systems. Radio communications went from a handful of frequencies to hundreds. Radar, etc., the list goes on and on. Approximately one hundred and six years ago today, Dec. 17, 1903, the Wright Brothers first flew an aircraft. What will the next hundred years do for aviation?
Captain Gravino gives us insight on what happens when airlines merge. How the Airline Pilots Association determines seniority is quite interesting. We learn that "Seniority, Seniority, Seniority" is as important to a pilot as "Location, Location, Location" is to real estate. Everything having to do with pay, type of equipment flown, etc., is based on seniority.
Throughout the book, Captain Gravino, names the people that he worked with and his relationship with them. His detailed description of how he met them, how they worked together, where they flew together, and his continued relationship to this day is impressive. I know his flying logbook is full of destinations since he has flown over 23,000 hours, which equates to over TEN MILLION accident free miles, quite an accomplishment.
He must have another book or an excellent memory to remember all of the details of his life and those people that he met along the way. We like his favorite quote: "The sorriest words of tongue and pen, is that it might have been."
Another chapter is one that anyone interested in becoming an airline pilot should read. The once glorious, esteemed position has changed because of many different issues. The January 2010 issue of Flying Magazine conducted a poll inquiring if an airline pilot position is a good career choice. A slim majority said yes, others said no, it is not the job it once was. I have spoken to regional airline first officers and some of them are receiving food stamps to supplement their income.
Another chapter covers the Airline Passenger Bill of Rights, something every passenger should read and be familiar with when they fly.
A sobering chapter has to do with terrorism. It is and will continue to be a threat that involves all of us. We cannot let our vigilance down and we should report anything out of the ordinary to the appropriate authorities as necessary. Captain Gravino goes into detail the destruction of TWA Flight 800 and what he has learned on what the real cause may have been.
The airline industry has changed over the years due to many causes. This book is one mans view on the good and the bad reasons. We cannot disagree with any of his views and we have enjoyed reading Captain Gravino's autobiography thoroughly.
