Welcome to Silvercreek Books!

Our Feature Book,

Legacy: Genesis of Aviation Greatness

"From the magical origins of powered flight to the miracle surrounding a "fatal crash" landing, the reader is escorted on a fascinating odyssey made all the more captivating by it's authenticity and historical accuracy. Through a gripping narrative spanning seven decades and two World Wars, the heroic pioneers of aviation are brought to life in this epic tale of triumph and tragedy.

"Their names are legendary - Orville and Wilbur Wright, "Hap" Arnold, Billy Mitchell, Jimmy Doolittle. Each possessed singular courage, a mastery of aeronautics, extraordinary leadership skills and the heart of a teacher. Sharing his knowledge and experience, each in turn helped fashion an enduring legacy of tradition and accomplishment which ultimately determined the fate of seven desperate crewmen one foggy, terror-filled night. 

"As this previously untold story unfolds, the reader is immersed into a first-hand exploration of how these remarkable men realized their dreams and attained greatness through perseverance, resourcefulness, relentless testing and an undaunted spirit of adventure. The result of their collective achievements was the creation of an entirely new enterprise - a set of historic initiatives which proved instrumental in preserving freedom, securing peace and shrinking the world. Following a suspensefully climactic thrill ride - including a surprise twist - the author concludes with a thought-provoking commentary on greatness.

"The book was thoroughly appealing and at times poetic. I found it delightfully entertaining and would recommend it to those well-versed in aviation as well as anyone who simply enjoys a good read. The numerous photographs and illustrations serve as icing on the cake!"

                    R.G. Stagner - customer review 

Over 30 years ago, a B-52H aircraft while on a simple training mission lost all rudder and elevator control. In the early morning hours of May 30, 1974, Charlie Brown, an evaluator pilot, managed to gain control and fly the 200+ ton craft, even though 65% of all flight control surfaces had been lost.

The odds against total failure of those systems were exceedingly high, but the odds against landing a B-52 in that condition were even higher. Yet Charlie attempted the impossible. Even the construction of this remarkable airplane played a critical role.

As the aircraft approached touchdown, an impossible situation began to develop for Charlie. The force of the impact was more than 13Gs. A man's eight-pound arm under that force would weigh over a hundred pounds. A 160-pound man would weigh over a ton. Over 1,000 tons of force met the landing gear at touchdown.

The Air Force Flying Safety Board described the incident as a "fatal crash." Legacy is the story of how something that never should have happened, did; how a flyer took a contraption that shouldn't have flown and learned to fly it for the first time, did; and how it wasn't unique for an aviator to accomplish the absolute impossible.