Hard Air

W. Scott Olsen is a professor of English at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota. He is editor of the literary journal Ascent and author of several books, including At Speed: Traveling the Long Road between Two Points (Nebraska 2006) and Gravity: The Allure of Distance.

• IntroductionThe Air in ResoluteChasing IvanLifeFlight:SEATS and HeaviesEpilogue

"Hard Air is an exceptional read, and a rare piece of work, as much sheer artistry as deep exploration of flight. Olsen is a skillful writer, and it shows here, start to stop."—William Langewiesche, author of Inside the Sky "His narrative is reminiscent in tone of Beryl Markham's early African aviation adventures chronicled in West with the Night. . . . Olsen . . . does a good job of capturing, in a journalistic interview style, the experiences of the men and women who routinely fly these adventurous missions. The stories are good enough to inspire future pilots."—Sara Tompson, Library Journal "It's hard to imagine a more gripping book for aviation buffs than Olsen's depiction of some of the hairier aspects of service networks usually taken for granted and seldom properly noticed by the media."—Roland Green, Booklist "Never exploiting danger and natural drama for their own sakes, [Scott Olsen] writes in an appreciative and matter-of-fact style that will leave an unforgettable impression upon ground-bound readers and veteran pilates alike."—Raymond Puffer, Kliatt