Attention Booksellers
Both editions of this book are now available exclusively to bookstores, libraries, and schools through the Ingram Content Group.
Like other legends of his era, he died before he was thirty. Unlike most others, his accomplishments embraced a far greater range of activities. As a result, he packed more excitement into his short span of years than most people could in ten lifetimes. From severe winter hazards in the mountains of Idaho to confrontations with hooligans as a U. S. Forest Service Ranger. From the challenges of learning to fly an airplane to those of teaching aviation cadets the fine arts of aerial dogfighting as a Stunt Instructor in Aerial Gunnery with the U. S. Army Air Service in WWI. As an aerial entrepreneur, from performing heart-stopping aerial maneuvers at air shows to creating and commanding an air force for the governor of Baja California to protect the territory from invading Mexican troops. From flying the most treacherous section of the transcontinental route for the U. S. Airmail Service to having his airplane’s engine self-destruct in flight. All this and so much more until a tragic and fatal accident at home prematurely ended his life. The accounts in this book are especially compelling as the protagonist himself wrote them in letters to his parents. In addition to the correspondence, there are diary entries from his earlier years and newspaper articles written by the reporters who followed his career. The text is illustrated with numerous never-before-published photographs, many of them taken by Top. Come ride with “Top” Paine on this action-packed journey through the early years of the Twentieth Century! It’s all true, it’s all real, and it’s a trip you’ll neither forget nor regret taking.
About this book...
Details -
Publication Date: August 26, 2020 (Hardcover) and March 26, 2022 (Paperback)
Publisher: Lulu Press
Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-7166-2606-7 (Hardcover) and 978-1-4583-2892-2 (Paperback)
Category: Biographies & Memoirs
Copyright: All Rights Reserved - Standard Copyright License
Contributors: Edited by: Thomas Paine
Specifications -
Pages: 641
Interior Color: Black & White
Dimensions: US Trade (6 x 9 in / 152 x 229 mm)
Table of Contents -
In addition to the Dedication, Preface, and A Note on the Text, the contents include the following chapters/sections:
Early Years
Forest Ranger
You're In The Army (Air Service) Now!
Photographs
Flying Circus
Via Air Mail
Final Flight
Alphabetical Index
Description -
This work contains the private correspondence between Topliff Olin Paine (the aviator for whom Paine Field in Everett, Washington, is named), his parents, and other family members. Also included are correspondence from others who knew him, his diary, and contemporary newspaper articles covering Top's various undertakings.
In addition to introductory biographical information, the text's documentation covers Top's time with the U. S. Forest Service, his activities during World War I in the U. S. Army Air Service as a stunt instructor in aerial gunnery, his adventures as an "aerial entrepreneur," and his experiences as a pilot with the Western Division of the then-fledgling U. S. Air Mail Service.
Overall, this work constitutes a first-person account of a life of adventure in the early years of the last century. It is also a collection of primary-source documents that may be of value to the historian as well as entertaining to the casual reader. The text is illustrated with numerous never-before-published photographs, many of them taken by Top.
Samples from the text...
From the chapter Forest Ranger
Page 80:
I sure had some trip up in the hills this last week. We started from here last Wednesday with two saddle horses and a pack horse. We got eight miles up the trail and I found that we had forgotten the tape so I had to turn around and go back after it. Then I started again and caught up with the outfit 15 miles out by riding hard. We camped there in an old cabin and I never hope to be so sore again in my life. The next morning we started at six o'clock with the intention of going clear through to the job, 35 miles more. When I wrote before I thought it was only 18 miles but it was a little more. 50 miles to be exact. We only got 12 miles and ran into a blizzard on top of Fishhook Peak, elevation 7000 feet. We rode through it for two hours and finally had to quit and make camp. It snowed about 20 inches and we were held up for two days by the snow. And when we finally decided to try it again we couldn't find our horses and that held us up another half day before we found them. Then the trail was still covered with 12 inches of snow and we lost it on the side of Marble mountain. Neither of us knew the country at all and it was the roughest place I ever saw anyone try to take a horse. We finally found a trail and followed it for several miles and landed in a logging camp. We got directions there and started again. We had to go along a chute for three hundred yards and the first thing I knew a dozen logs went by about 100 miles an hour – that isn't any exaggeration – and my nag tried to climb a tree. In the mixup I lost a two dollar Ingersoll, my Beta fob, all my pencils, and my hat. I finally found my hat but that was all I recovered. I was glad to be in condition to wear a hat so didn't do any worrying over the rest of the stuff. We finally found our destination and did the topography Sunday. We came in in two days getting here yesterday at noon.
Page 97:
Say, Granny, can you spare your Colts for a month or so. I'm in a h—l of a fix here, there's a guy running hog wild here that is dangerous and I haven't any means of self defense except my hands. The guy is a fellow who Holcomb fired last spring and he has had it in for Ed ever since and has threatened to kill him. Ed hasn't seen him since then till Tuesday when we were on the trail out South of Avery. There were four of us and the pack train. We were 9 miles out of Avery when we met this fellow, John Siders, and he immediately started swearing at Ed. I was bringing up the rear and was about 40 feet from Siders and on a horse. None of us had a gun of any description. After he had cussed Ed out good he reached for his gun and told him he was going to shoot him. I managed to get to him before he could shoot – his gun caught in the holster. He heard me coming and side stepped and I skinned my nose on the trail. I got him the second dive tho' and we had a gay old time trying to get the gun. He was bigger and stronger than I so it was not in my favor. Holcomb tried to help but couldn't as we were moving too fast. Finally Sider's pal held him and Ed and I broke all records up through the bush. We had him pinched but the Justice of the Peace is a crook and turned him loose so now Ed is in Missoula trying to get Federal action and I am ordered out in the woods to check property. If you can spare your gat I sure would like it as I don't want to croak. I have borrowed a 44 for the time being but don't like to borrow a gun from a stranger because it would look bad if I shot him. This sure is a wild and woolly country. I'll be glad when I get back in the United States.
From the chapter You're In The Army (Air Service) Now!
Page 222:
I had my first wreck yesterday and it was a perfect success. I was out with a student on his first cross country trip and he upset us on a glide. He gave her the gun and nosed her down and we hit with a terrific speed. I ducked my head and thought – here goes Paine's career and we hit. I hit my dome an awful crack and saw stars and when I got my head up again I couldn't see anything for dust. I wondered where I was and it didn't look like heaven so I figured that it must be the other. I sure was amazed when I got my bearings and the enjoyable part of it was that outside of a bump on my forehead neither of us had a scratch or a bruise on us. The machine was a total wreck.
Page 249:
I had my supreme thrill Friday. Six of us flew to Pasadena to attend the funeral of Lt. Jacomini, one of our classmates. After the funeral we got our ships and flew over the cemetery. Then we got directly over it at 5000 feet we dove to 20 feet to scatter flowers on Jack's grave. I had unbuckled my life belt and was out over the side so as to be able to get the flowers clear of the plane. When Manning zoomed out we changed direction so blamed quick that I was almost thrown off. We zoomed up to 100 feet and gave her the gun and only three cylinders were hitting. We were right over the town and not a place to land without hitting brick buildings and settling fast. We were right on the verge of a spin all the time. I turned around and grinned and old Manning grinned back. Both very sickly. We shook hands and then both let out a whoop and tightened our life belts and waited. We had about 30 seconds to wait when we spotted the trouble. The metal hood had slipped and shorted the spark plugs. I was out of that front seat in nothing at all and out in front in less time. I never worked so fast in my life and when that motor let out a good healthy roar -- talk about your grand and glorious feelings!! It was nothing short of a miracle that we saw the trouble and it is the first time I have ever heard of a case of fixing motor trouble in the air. You should have seen us cavort around after we got her going again. All the people in town were out as they saw us wabbling along and settle down to within fifteen feet of the houses and we gave them a treat. Manning was doing all the dips and twists in the business and I was doing a St. Denis fling in the front cockpit. I am enclosing an account of the funeral from a Los Angeles paper and will try and get an account from the Pasadena paper.
From the chapter Flying Circus
Page 438:
On my last trip into Mexico, I have made several lately, the motor blew out a cylinder head and I was forced to land down in the interior. Things looked pretty bad for awhile as we were up 2000 feet when the cylinder went by my face. However I was lucky as usual and selected a good landing field and then had to walk the rest of the day to find a road. Again luck was with us and an auto came by and brought us home. I am laid up now waiting for $400.00 worth of new parts and expect to get to work again about the last of the week.
page 455:
I went to a dance last night given in my honor and it sure was funny. Paul, my interpreter, and I arrived late and everyone was there but they did not start the music until we came. As we came in the door everyone clapped and cheered, much to our embarrassment and after we were introduced to all the girls the dance commenced. You can imagine dancing all evening with girls that couldn't understand a darned word you said and whom you couldn't understand. All I could say was, “Es usted muy buena biladora, Senorita” which means “You are a very nice dancer, Miss.” I said that to all of them so if they got to comparing notes they will think I am full of hop.
From the chapter Via Air Mail
Page 536:
The Everett News, March 8, 1921
PILOT T. O. PAINE COLLAPSES AFTER FRIGID AIR TRIP
Everett Flier Caught in Blizzard Between Salt Lake and Rock Springs
An Associated Press dispatch received by the News from Salt Lake City yesterday states that Pilot T. O. Paine, of the air mail service collapsed just as his plane made a safe landing in that city, following a nerve-wracking trip through a blizzard 50 miles from Salt Lake, on his way from Rock Springs, Wyo. He was given first aid and removed to his home, the message continued.
Pilot T. O. Paine is the son of Mr. and Mrs. E. M. Paine, 2020 Wetmore Avenue, this city. He was one of the flyers who took part in the memorable trans-continental mail flight several days ago, carrying the 300 pounds of mail from Salt Lake to Cheyenne, Wyoming.
Although delayed an hour in starting due to the fatal accident at Elko, Nev., in which Captain William F. Lewis was killed, Pilot Paine made the distance, 163 miles, in one hour and 35 minutes, arriving in Cheyenne an hour ahead of schedule.
Page 582:
Salt Lake Telegram, Salt Lake City, Utah, Saturday Evening, November 5, 1921
AIR MAIL PILOT FORCED TO LAND ON MOUNTAIN TOP
Perfect descent Is Made Without Slightest Damage to Plane or Mail; Motor Dies in Sight of Field
Landing on the top of a mountain in Parley’s Canyon, about three miles east of Salt Lake City, was the perilous and exciting experience today of pilot T. O. Paine of the United States air mail service, when his engine died and he was compelled to make a forced descent.
Pilot Paine was directly above the summit of one of the highest peaks bordering the canyon when his engine stopped. He was forced to descend immediately, although but a few minutes away from the local air mail landing field. He glided to the ground, picking out a plateau for his landing place. He made the landing almost perfectly, but in such a cramped space as to prevent any attempt at resuming his flight to Salt Lake.
“It was one of the most dangerous and at the same time one of the most successful forced landings ever made in the air mail service,” said attaches of the local flying field. “Pilot Paine made it without damaging his plane and without even a shaking up for himself. It was a wonderful feat in flying.”
Pilot Paine left Rock Springs at 6:30 a. m. and it was but 8:15 when he made the forced landing. He hailed a truck that happened to be passing along the canyon road below and brought the mail aboard his plane to the Salt Lake postoffice on it. The consignment, practically all of which was local mail, reached the postoffice at 9:30 a.m.
Pilot Paine has been in the air service and attached to the local division since the beginning of the air mail service. He is regarded as one of the most expert and experienced of the air mail pilots. He has made several other forced landings in the mountains and has always managed to escape with none or but slight injuries to himself and plane. He expressed the opinion after his landing today that the gears in his engine had been stripped.
Attaches of the local flying field will bring in the plane after it has been disassembled for transportation on a truck. They expect to go after it this afternoon or tomorrow.
Reviews
Review by Pianofan
A "must" for aviation buffs, historians, and adventure fans
Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2022
Many of the Northwest residents who fly in and out of Paine Field in Everett, WA, may have no idea for whom the airfield is named. This new book tells Topliff Olin Paine's life story, through his own private correspondence with family members and others, as well as accounts from newspapers and passages from his diary. The book, created and edited by grandnephew Thomas Paine, gives a well-rounded and detailed portrait of an adventurous, resourceful, and good-hearted flyer who clearly valued his family and friends, as well as his next feat of aerial daring. The source materials show a brave man of considerable daring and ingenuity, without the self-aggrandizement or the large ego that one might expect of such an aerial pioneer. He worked for the U.S. Forest Service; he served in the World War I U.S. Army Air Service, initiating new flyers in the arts of aerial gunnery; he flew for the U.S. Mail Service; he was a good son and a caring friend. His bravery and boldness are remarkable: some of the book's most harrowing passages are accounts of Paine's daring flights at almost zero visibility (and no modern instruments!) through heavy snowstorms in the Rockies. The book is handsomely presented in both hardback and paperback. Highly recommended for aviation buffs, and fans of local history.
Review by Bob M
Fascinating Look into the Life and Times of an Aviation Pioneer
Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2021
This is a very entertaining book about aviation pioneer pilot Lt Topliff Paine in whose honor Paine Field in Everett, WA is named. In a way it was written by the pilot himself since it is made up primarily of personal letters written by him to his parents and other family members. It was edited by the pilot's grand nephew Thomas Paine using a collection of original family letters, photos, and news clippings.
The time period covered is from 1908 until the pilot's death in April 1922. In addition to the original letters Tom has included text from newspaper accounts and other sources as well as his own explanations to set the context.
The letters describe the pilot’s adventures in early aviation, the U. S. Army Air Service and the U. S. Airmail Service. They also include a first-person account of what life was like in the first two decades of the 1900’s during WW1 and the Spanish flu pandemic.
There are many illustrations in the book including photos taken by Lt. Paine. It can be read front to back to learn of Top’s life in chronological order or do as I have and use the detailed index to read about subjects of particular interest. Each time I pick it up and read different stories, I find it very entertaining and enlightening.
The publication is timely with the recent opening of the award-winning commercial passenger terminal at Paine Field in Everett, WA. where passengers are greeted by a life size bronze statue of the pilot. This book provides an excellent way to learn his story.
About me...
Thomas Hallsten Paine is a grandnephew of Topliff Olin Paine and a native of Everett, Washington. He is a graduate of Everett High School and of Everett Junior College with an Associate in Arts and Sciences degree in Chemistry. He also has a Bachelor of Science degree in Organic Chemistry, magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of Washington.
For twenty years he operated a custom-design fine jewelry business in Everett called, "Thomas Paine — Fine Jewels of the World." His hobbies include nature photography, playing the trumpet, song writing and singing, gold panning, metal detecting, and writing short stories and flash fiction. He is now retired and lives in Eastern Washington with his wife and family.