All Ratings Authorized : The Extraordinary Flying Career of Captain Harry Bernard

Told from the perspective of one who was there, All Ratings Authorized recounts the events that shaped an aviator and to some extent history. From the seat of over 120 different types of airplanes and helicopters with nearly 35,000 flight-hours tallied, Harry Bernard's flight experience is among the last of those true pioneers to come out of the Golden Age of aviation. Born in Scotland just after World War I and growing up in New Haven, Connecticut, Harry quickly became interested in aviation and began flight lessons on July 22, 1940 at the age of twenty. His aptitude quickly showed and in less than two years, Harry had 300 hours of flight time and a contract to fly for Pan Am in their support mission during World War II in northern Africa. His love of flight continued after the war as Harry logged thousands of hours with the Navy, as well as United and Pan Am, eventually becoming Chief of Flight Standards at the FAA. Along the way were his share of near misses and adventure, and through it all, his love of flight endured until his death on February 9, 2003 in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.Byrd, W. Baxter is the author of 'All Ratings Authorized : The Extraordinary Flying Career of Captain Harry Bernard', published 2005 under ISBN 9780615129648 and ISBN 0615129641.