History of aviation in South and Central America
 

Anyone know a good source of information on this?

Thanks! Sam.

Have a look on the Air-Britain website.

I wouldn't take Maurice down there!

:D:D:D:D:D:D

Gann's "Fate is the Hunter" has some interesting stuff on this topic.

For airline history, the definitive work is Airlines of Latin America since 1919 by R E G Davies 1984 by Putnam (UK) or Smithsonian Press (USA) ISBN 0 370 30049 1. Usually can be found on offer somewhere on on-line.

Just ordered my copy, thanks!

The same author R E G Davis also did the more specialised Transbrasil - An airline and its Aircraft, Airlife Publishing (UK) or Paladwr Press(USA) 1997 ISBN 1-888962-01-1. He also edited Airlines of Pan American since 1927 by Gene Banning Paladwr Press (USA) 2001 ISBN ISBN 1-888962-17-8 which has substantial Latin American content.

Early South American flying information.
 

Another good source is Glacier Pilot, about the famed Alaskan aviator, Bob Reeve, who founded Reeve Aleutian Airways.

It mainly focuses on his Alaskan exploits, but it touches upon his time flying in South America . . . including some interesting techniques of finding a sweet spot of visibility just off-shore while trying to fly north up west of the Andes.

Great history, and a good read.

Recommend this little gem about starting a GA operation in Venezuela in the early '50s.

Ordered, thanks!

Sam, many, many years ago I had a huge collection of Airline related books and one of them was the story of the New York, Rio and Buenos Aeres Airline. It gave a very descriptive history from starting to eventual "take over" by Pan Am. Can't remember the title or author, but it would be worth reading for details of other airlines around at the same time. Paul

There's a book out there by the founder of NYRBA airlines. He was not a happy camper when his operation got swallowed by Pan Am.

Most of the history is written around cumulus granitus.

There's the Brit who smacked his Lancastrian into an Andean glacier. I'll see if either title still lurks on my bookshelf. Found it - Star Dust Falling by Rayner.

Of course Exupery wrote about air mail pilots in SA, and there's two books on the Uruguayan soccer team that hit another Andean mountain side.

Outside Magazine has a story about a 727 that hit another mountain coming into La Paz, plus an AA flight that suffered the same fate in Colombia.

Highly recommended
 

The very well written "Fly with the Stars" by Susan and Ian Ottaway covers British South American Airways in some detail.
ISBN 978-0-7509-4448-9
Is well worth a read though it is limited to BSAA and perhaps doesn't cover the broader spectrum you seek.
Hope it helps,
Be lucky
David

These are great leads, thank you!