Scott McDonald
Scott McDonald knows a thing or two about airplanes. Big ones, little ones, jets and propellers – they captured his imagination early on. His series of books, “Pistons and Propellers,” as well as “Fair Chase and Other Stories” use aviation as a backdrop to fictional tales written to capture his readers’ imaginations.
McDonald uses his knowledge of aviation history to tell his stories of big game hunters, lazy private eyes, glamourous passengers, petty criminals and members of Mexican drug cartels.
How does he know so much about aviation? He has worked with airplanes all his life. He has dropped sky divers, flown crop dusting missions, flown vacationing families and cargo all over the world. He has a broad working knowledge of the aviation industry, as well as quirky, little known information that curious aviators seek out.
“For example, there’s a ramp in the northwest corner of Miami International Airport that operated for many years through a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) loophole – it is a cargo ramp that is exempt from regulations. It’s a long, involved explanation, but it’s part of aviation history,” he said.
McDonald is particularly fond of the era of the “propliners,” also known as DC6 or DC4 and the Lockheed Constellation. “Remember Doris Day and William Holden – the shots of them boarding or coming out of those iconic planes – they defined an age. It was a glamorous age of travel.”
The author spends many hours researching his topics, and it shows. One of his Great Depression short stories focuses on the “Bonus Marchers.”
He explains, “In 1932, these WWI veterans marched on Washington, DC. They marched with their families, demanding their bonus pay early. They were quite the powerful voice, demanding their extra pay earlier than when it had been promised, because, in the depths of the Great Depression, they needed the money to feed their families.”
“I use history in my writing because I find history so very interesting, and it’s a fascinating way to tell a story,” he said.
McDonald’s books are available on Amazon. Learn more about the author at www.scottdmcdonaldauthor.com.
