Publisher's Synopsis
THE TIME - From the end of World War II to the beginning of the jet age. THE PLACE - The world, across the Atlantic and the Pacific. THE PEOPLE - Pilots, navigators and air crewmen of US Navy Transport Squadrons. 'Before the Jets' traces the lives of brave men who master aircraft prone to mechanical failure, the elements and even superiors with mediocre flying skills. It was a time when men were learning to span the continents and the great oceans with transport aircraft one step beyond the DC-3. A time when men still used their knowledge and instincts and where human error occurred all too frequently. A time when the most skilled struggled to develop and maintain the standards which formed the basis for the safety and comfort that airline passengers of the late 20th century would enjoy. It was a glorious period in the history of transport aviation, before the advent of jetliners...
