Celebrate National Aviation Day with these Essential Reads!

August 13, 2025

August 19th is National Aviation Day, a great time to celebrate the history and the future of flight! Whether you’re a seasoned pilot, an aviation enthusiast, or simply curious about the wonders of aircraft, the U.S. Government Bookstore has a wealth of publications to suit your passion. Take to the skies with these fascinating and informative titles:

Soar Through History:

  • First Flight: The Wright Brothers and the Invention of the Airplane: Relive the groundbreaking journey of Wilbur and Orville Wright, the pioneers who dared to dream of flight. This captivating book delves into their tireless efforts, ingenious designs, and the historic moment that changed the world forever. It is a must-read for understanding the very foundations of aviation!

Essential Knowledge for Every Aviator:

  • FAA Safety Briefing: Stay informed and enhance your aviation safety knowledge with this crucial Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) periodical. Packed with articles, insights, and best practices, it covers various topics vital for pilots, mechanics, and aviation professionals. Keep your skills sharp and your flights safe with the latest information.
  • Plane Sense, General Aviation Information: This comprehensive guide provides foundational knowledge for general aviation pilots. Plane Sense is an invaluable resource for student pilots and those looking to refresh their understanding of basic aviation principles, covering topics from aerodynamics and aircraft systems to flight operations and regulations.

Delving Deeper into Flight:

  • Advanced Avionics Handbook: While technology advances rapidly, the fundamental principles of avionics remain crucial. This handbook explores advanced aircraft electronic systems, providing insights into navigation, communication, and flight control technologies. It is a valuable resource for those seeking a deeper understanding of the complexities within the cockpit.
  • Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge: A cornerstone of pilot training, this handbook provides a wealth of information essential for obtaining a pilot certificate. From the principles of flight and aerodynamics to weather theory and regulations, this comprehensive guide lays the groundwork for safe and knowledgeable piloting.

These publications from the U.S. Government Bookstore offer a journey through aviation history and provide the fundamental understanding of safe and successful flying. Visit the bookstore today and let your passion for aviation take flight!

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

Sign up to receive promotional bulletin emails from the US Government Online Bookstore.

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy a vast majority of eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Order by Phone or Email: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.  Email orders to ContactCenter@gpo.gov

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

Find more than a million official Federal Government publications from all three branches at www.govinfo.gov.

About the author: Blogger Trudy Hawkins is the Senior Marketing & Promotions Specialist in GPO’s Publication & Information Sales Office, supporting the U.S. Government Online Bookstore (https://bookstore.gpo.gov).

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Posted by Trudy Hawkins

National Aviation Day

August 18, 2016

August 19th is National Aviation Day, a yearly observance to celebrate the history and development of aviation. Another fun fact: the day is also Orville Wright’s birthday!

GPO makes available a wide range of Federal Government publications about flight.

First Flight: The Wright Brothers and the Invention of the Airplane

024-005-01212-5Twelve seconds in the air turned into over 100 years of aviation progress. In December 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright stuck their first—and the world’s first—successful flight in a heavier-than-air, mechanically controlled machine. The sibling inventors behind the defining technology of the last century are the subject of this National Park Service handbook. In his forward, astronaut and former U.S. Senator John Glenn defers to the duo as the “first astronauts. Their initial short flight opened our quest to reach beyond the world we know. They were the first test pilots.” A foolhardy flying machine became a phenomena of human achievement. The Wright Brothers made their home above the world and consequently changed the world.

Logbook of the Signal Corps No. 1: The United States Army’s First Airplane (eBook)

Indeed the Wright Bros. invention changed the world. And changed the U.S. Army. This book tells the story of a self-taught aviator and his Wright flyer responsible for the launch of military airpower. In 1909, the U.S. Army Signal Corps paid $30,000 to Orville and Wilbur for a custom-made aircraft designated “Signal Corps No. 1.” A plucky young lieutenant with no prior flying experience was elected its sole operator. “Take plenty of spare parts,” a commanding officer told 1st Lt. Benjamin D. Foulois, “and teach yourself to fly.” Through industrious trial and error and long-distance guidance from the Wright Brothers, Foulois learned to fly the Army’s very first airplane. Read this book and then go visit the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum in DC. There you will find the original Signal Corps No. 1, a beautifully restored piece of Army aviation history.

The Combat Edge

708-051-00313-5This quarterly publication of the Air Force’s Air Combat Command features articles and stories about flight safety. As aviation technology evolves to enhance combat capability, so must risk mitigation. Thus, ACC’s safety magazine looks to “foster a culture where Airmen strive for zero mishaps.” Developing this sort of discipline keeps safety standards high so that top guns can continue to “Aim High … Fly-Fight-Win.”

The Air Almanac for the Year 2016 (eBook)

008-054-00245-5For millennia, navigators have been using the stars to chart their course. Aircraft rely on similar celestial navigation. The Air Almanac contains astronomical data produced by The U.S. Naval Observatory in collaboration Her Majesty’s Nautical Almanac Office in the U.K. Published annually since 1941, this cosmic directory tabulates statistics at 10-minute intervals to a precision of 1 arcminute. Predictions include Greenwich hour angles; lunar rise and set times; sky diagrams for each month; charts for moon visibility and star positions; and sunrise, sunset, and twilight tables.

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov.

 Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.

Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

About the author: Blogger contributor Chelsea Milko is a Public Relations Specialist in GPO’s Public Relations Office.

 

Leave a Comment » | Aviation, Department of Defense, ebooks, Innovation, Military History, Naval Observatory, U.S. Air Force | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins