The Starship Diaries - by Dallas Kachan
What would YOU do with a multi million-dollar plane and time on your hands?
Join the adventures of a Silicon Valley salaryman whose good fortune put him in the pilot’s seat of a high-tech Beech Starship, one of a dwindling number in the world. He set out on what many only dream of: slowly meandering around the planet with no fixed route, and no fixed return date.
Discover new countries and cultures. Find out how the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001 changed aviation and the world’s perception of America. And learn about the science, art and challenges of flying a high tech business jet-class plane around the world.
Close calls in the air
Running out of fuel over the Pacific. Shot at over Africa. Near-misses with other aircraft.
Adventures on land
Playing music in an Indonesian bar. A month-long illness. Stories of exploration and revelation.
Reflections on travel
Extensive detail of places visited. Historic, economic, social and other info.
Grappling with 9/11
How the attacks of Sept. 2001 midway through the trip changed the flight, and the world.
150+ footnotes
Insight into the science of flight for non-pilots. Acronyms defined. Mysteries explained.
Celebrating a plane
A memorial of sorts to the aircraft at the heart of the story, mothballed because of economics.
Vicariously share round-the-world adventures in this delicious flight of fancy — a travelogue that incorporates superb musings on the beauty of flight and the mystery of the world around us. The science of flight is explained in 150+ technical footnotes and the route of travel is detailed on 38 maps. A standout contribution to aviation and travel literature.
Published by 11010011, California. Copyright © 2004 by Dallas Kachan. Beechcraft, Starship and the Starship image are properties of Raytheon Aircraft Corporation and are used here by permission. Other trade names referenced are properties of their respective holders. Other copyrighted works referenced by brief quotations are the property of their respective holders. All rights, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof, are reserved under international and pan-American copyright conventions. This book is a work of fiction that references real-world places, people and events. ISBN 0-7795-0074-1. Printed in Canada.
At the heart of The Starship Diaries is the Beechcraft Starship – a radical new design in corporate aviation. Only fifty-three of these beautiful machines were produced. For a variety of unfortunate reasons, only a handful are still flying.
Get your copy now! Available in e-book, audiobook & print.
Perfect for aviation buffs, or anyone who loves to wander.
A great travel adventure even for those without an aviation background.
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Flight Evening News
"A first class read … the footnotes in each chapter give fantastic insight into what goes on in the pointed end of a business jet, while the tales of remote islands and jungle communities generate a yearning to have shared the near 200 hours of flight."
COPA Flight
"The [running out of fuel] episode is gripping. That chapter alone is worth the price of the book. A great addition to our understanding of our wonderfully diverse world. It’s a book you can savour, read and reread. It’s one that, for sure, belongs in your library."
Volare
"Very different from the typical books about aviation that are often too technical and boring for the general public … a convincing celebration of the airplane and a detailed account of the special relationship that pilots form with their airplanes."
FSPLANET
"Romance. Adventure. Near-death experiences. Cool aviation technology. Exotic cities and cultures around the world. They’re all here. All the ingredients of a great book, or a great movie ... an utterly engaging and convincing chronicle, entertaining and educational—especially when it comes to describing and relating corners of the planet most people don’t know much about."
Rich Guy Magazine
"An excellent and entertaining book that is a must read for any aviation enthusiast."
Burt Rutan, Aviation Pioneer, Beechcraft Starship Designer
"It would be hard to live a better dream than to be able to fly solo around the world in a Starship without a schedule. Like many others who will read The Starship Diaries, it made me want to drop everything, find a Starship and go tomorrow!"
Career and biography
Dallas Kachan has served as vice president of sales and marketing for several high tech startups. He helped popularize renewable energy and other clean technology worldwide as one of the managing directors of the Cleantech Group, based in San Francisco. Prior to his technology career, Kachan had been a reporter, editor and newscaster for the Canadian Press in Toronto, Canada.
Kachan has a B.A.A. from Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada and lives in and flies out of the San Francisco Bay Area. He’s been flying since 1994—and had been an avid flight simulation enthusiast long before that.
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