A few years ago, PBS ran a series called CHASING THE SUN. Among the depicted characters was an airmail pilot by the name of Dean Smith. I had never heard of him or his book BY THE SEAT OF MY PANTS. I was intrigued and searched for the book. What a great read.

The book could have been written by a number of barnstorming characters of that day, but Smith did something that many of his comrades did not...he survived.

The story ends in 1930, but Smith continued in aviation with Colonial Airways and then with American Airlines until the sixties when he retired.

BD King Press is proud to republish and make available this fantastic book for an entirely new generation of aviation buffs.