Aviation, both commercial and business aviation, is a story of visionary entrepreneurs who challenged the naysayers. In the process, they advanced both the industry and humankind. William E. Boeing founded the company we know so well today. Pan Am founder Juan Trippe regularly sent manufacturers back to the drawing board in search of an airplane that could fly farther with more passengers. One of the best known names in private aviation is Bombardier, today credited for its ultra-long-range lineup of Global private jets that can fly 16 hours nonstop. Its patriarch, Joseph-Armand Bombardier, and the story of the storied Canadian company are told by Michael Stephen Johnson in a beautiful 245-book from Assouline that combines an endless collection of stunning photography to support the author's text.
A quote from Laurent Beaudoin, who served as president and CEO from 1966 to 2008, sets the stage.
From Assouline, Bombardier, the book, combines the company's fascinating history with a focus on its ... [+]
"Bombardier is a company that always looks forward, that never thinks it will reach its goal because the goal is to always move forward, to push, to innovate, and to remain the leader," says the founder's son-in-law.
I was recently able to view a PDF galley of the upcoming book, which will be available on June 20th.
Leonardo da Vinci adequately captures the common theme of those who will enjoy this book: "When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return."
Joseph-Armand used a Ford Model-T engine to build a propeller-powered sled at age 15. The book tracks the OEM's ventures from snowmobiles to trains and, finally, its entry into business aviation in 1986 with the purchase of Canadair and the growth of the regional jet market.
It covers and pays tribute to its 1990 acquisition, Learjet, and tells the story of its innovative super-midsize Challenger 300, the birth of the Global Express, its transformation, and glimpses into the next generation of airplanes.
Complementing Johnson's words and historical images, the highlight of this book is the photography of Guillaume Plisson, whose many credits include an excellent book on the Queen Mary 2, but for whom, this represents his first work in the world of aviation.
In addition to beautiful pictures of airplanes in action, Plisson captures the people behind these magnificent flying machines from the process of dreaming to finally manufacturing these airplanes. There are plentiful up-close images of the visionaries and the highly skilled craftspeople who ensure they perform. Paging through the book will literally take you into the design studios and onto the shop floor.
The book's price of $1,200 is considerably less than the latest of the Global Express offspring, the Global 8000, which has a price tag of around $80 million.
The book will be available on Assouline.com.
A spokesperson for the publisher couldn't tell me if Bombardier will include a copy of this gorgeous book with your next jet order. I suppose if you don't ask, you don't get it. In the meantime, Bombardier, the book, should be a perfect gift for any aviation lover.
