Landings in America & Smuggler's Flight Bundle

Take to the skies with two of the best tales in aviation!

Landings in America

Travel across America with revered automotive journalist Peter Egan.

In the summer of 1987 automotive journalist Peter Egan gave in to his lifelong fascination with classic airplanes and pursued the third branch of his addiction to romantic modes of travel—namely, flying. Carrying only the barest essentials—a pup tent, a wad of cash, and a change of clothing—Peter and his wife Barb took off on a six-week, seven-thousand-mile trip around the US in their yellow 1945 J-3 Piper Cub. The places they stumbled upon and the people they encountered would change their lives forever. Between musings on being outpaced by the toy-sized eighteen-wheelers beneath their wings and flashbacks to nearly setting a Pulitzer Prize–winning author’s house on fire, Egan captures the essence of a modern pilgrimage.

Landings in America is Peter Egan’s homage to the enduring spirit of exploration that has defined his work. Punctuated with the witty repartee that his longtime readers have grown to revere, the story is equal parts travel adventure, memoir of post-Vietnam era America, and trek into personal reflections triggered by the places and names one couple encountered along their flight path.

Always in the background of their trip is the unspoken search for a new place to live, far away from the urban sprawl and crowded freeways of California, a possible rehearsal for someday flying home.

Smuggler's Flight

Strap in for this thrilling true-to-life account of the dangerous career of bootlegging pilot Chuck Stewart. 

From his home base in McAllen, Texas, Chuck flew to clandestine strips all over Mexico—mostly in twin-engine DC-3 and Beech 18 aircraft—and battled everything from treacherous weather and mechanical failures to unexpected duck attacks and unfriendly fire from the Mexican Federales. Along the way, he ferried electronic equipment, desperate patients seeking medical care, VHS tapes, and other goods across the border—everything but drugs, a line he refused to cross. Through his remembrances of a high-stakes career, Chuck offers readers an inside look into the dangers, adventures, and rewards of smuggling badly needed supplies as a member of the “South of the Border Club.”

Smuggler’s Flight is a vivid portrait of what it means to live life to the fullest on the edge of the law. Chuck’s dramatic account includes pulling his copilot out of a downed plane before it burst into flames, maneuvering in the dead of night on cactus-filled runways, outracing authorities in his trusty Five Seven Sugar, and more. This is not just a recounting of perilous flights and gallant deeds—it is a glimpse at one man’s life that was rich with family, friendship, faith, and the unique camaraderie that can only be found among these unconventional aviators.