It is a cruel irony of history that as we celebrate the centenary of flight on December 17, 2003, aviation is in a tailspin and airlines are disappearing in Canada. Yet flight itself remains one of humanity’s most spectacular triumphs, and Canada especially has much to be proud of. Contained within these covers is a complex portrait of Canadian aviation, from the Silver Dart to the Cormorant. Packed with photographs as colourful as the details that accompany them, it bursts with unforgettable aircraft trivia.

As the son of an airline employee, Peter Pigott grew up at the edge of airports around the world, including Santa Cruz, Bombay, London and Montreal. He attended the University of Montreal Teacher's College (B.Ed.) and Loyola College in Montreal (B.A.). and then went on to receive a M.A. from the University of Vermont in Burlington USA and a diploma in history at Oxford University in England.

Pigott joined the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs in 1978 and has served at embassies in New York, Hong Kong, Vienna and The Hague. He returned to Ottawa in 1993 and began his writing career, specializing in books about aviation.

Also by Peter Pigott: The Official History of Aviation in Hong Kong, Flying Canucks! Famous Canadian Aviators, Hong Kong Rising: The History of a Remarkable Place, Gateways: Airports of Canada, Flying Colours: Commercial Aviation in Canada, Flying Canucks II: Famous Canadian Aviators

Peter Pigott's profile page

...a must read for those who can appreciate the gift of flight.

Shelf Life

In this fine, coffee-table style book Pigott has provided brief histories of fifty of the most significant aircraft in the history of Canadian aviation. Each chapter is enlivened by excellent photographs, and by Pigott's sense of humour.

Canadian Military History

Peter Pigott has brought together 50 of the most interesting, most important or most obscure aircraft in Canada's history with charming biographies and photographs of each.

Globe and Mail

a nice introduction to the great pantheon of aviation memories which are a rich part of our aeronautical heritage.

COPA Flight