Former Airliners magazine editor Nicholas A. Veronico and George Hall, photographer to the airline industry, have pooled their talents to produce a lavishly illustrated chronicle of the modern airliner that begins in the factory and ends in the "boneyard." The chapter on the making of an airliner poignantly begins in the Long Beach facility of the Douglas Aircraft Company. It features the MD-90, the last new aircraft type produced by the famous plane-maker before its recent acquisition by Boeing. The story line of the conception, building and testing of the MD-90 is accompanied by photographs that range from those taken on the shop floor to air-to-air shots of the graceful airliner in flight.

The second chapter, entitled, "A Day in the Life of a Jetliner," moves interestingly from flight planning to takeoff, through the flight and landing of a typical, modern passenger airliner. The penultimate chapter fast-forwards to the end of the life of an airliner, consigned to the boneyards of the arid Arizona desert. The story of the function of the boneyards is well-told, and dramatically illustrated with tail-less Boeing 707s, jumbo jets in the colors of fallen airlines, even an aged DC-3.

The photography throughout this book is extremely well done, particularly the many air-to-air shots of a variety of aircraft types. The final chapter lets the reader into the secrets of "How the Pro's Do It," describing how the authors contrived and planned to be in the right place, with the right equipment, at the right time. Two thumbs up for an airliner book with a new twist.

In the final chapter of Airliners In Flight, co-author George Hall is asked if he has a "favorite shot." He does, and it is incredible. The reader, however, may find it extremely difficult to choose a favorite from the many extraordinary color photographs in this book.

9" x 10.5" Softbound, 144 page book with 200 color photos. Published by Morotbooks International.
ISBN 0760302154