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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT : WISE BOOKSEarly Aviation InLong BeachWRITTEN BY Kevin HunterThis city has beenassociated with aviationand been regarded bymany as a pioneerpractically since thedays after Orville andWilbur Wright flew theirfirst flying machinein Kitty Hawk, NorthCarolina at the turn ofthe 20th century.Fresh off the heels ofher first book, Rosie theRiveter in Long Beach— about the thousandsof women who workedat the Douglas Aircraftplant in the city duringWorld War II — 5thDistrict CouncilwomanGerrie Schipske haspenned another winner,as she captures the veryearly years of aviationin this city in her latestbook, Early Aviation inLong Beach.The nine chapter 127-page book is a photo essay celebratingthe history of flight from cargo to military to commercial. EarlyAviation in Long Beach features some rare and great photosand stories dating back to the city’s early years throughpost-World War II andthe building of LongBeach MunicipalAirport — DaughertyField.Schipske, who has abachelor’s degree inhistory from UC Irvine,has always been abig history buff —especially local historyand aviation — andshe pours out a tonof that knowledge inher latest book. Thequality of the photos— many rare andnever seen before —are amazing.Long Beach playeda pivotal role duringWorld Wars I and II,as aircraft housedhere not onlyprovided military, butcommunication and transportation support as well. In ChapterFour, titled: “World War I Changes Aviation”, a photo on page50 from the January 1920 issue of U.S. Air Service Magazineshows how the army trained pilots right on the shore in LongBeach before the first inland field was developed by EarlStanley Daugherty.50JUNE 2010 TRAVEL & LEISURE