You know, Jonathan Livingstone is a male seagull. Jonathan, in anglosaxon countries, is a male's name. Richard Bach refer to him several times on his book as "he", or "him"... So you, ladies who can read this, don't seek "los tres piés al gato". It's as simple as this, right?

Jonathan's behaviour is the one of a young male not accepting his roll in his life... He had discovered the flight, not as a mean to get food, but by itself. The plane was he himself, and he wanted to know what nowadays is known as the "plane full flight envelop"

Richard says about him:

"Most gulls don't bother to learn more  than  the  simplest  facts  of
flight - how to get from shore to food and back again. For most gulls,  it
is not flying that matters, but eating. For this gull, though, it was  not
eating that mattered,  but  flight.  More  than  anything  else.  Jonathan
Livingston Seagull loved to fly."
Richard Bach - Jonathan Livingstone Seagull

 The first edition in Spanish was released by 1972 or so. When I found out, I rushed to buy it. I got my paperback small book at La Casa del Libro, in Gran Vía Avenue, Madrid.

I began to read it just arriving home. I didn't pass page 5 or so... Translation was horrible!... The one who did it had no idea at all of what aviation is and its phrases and vocabulary... Next day I throw it in the first paper basket I found...

Trouble was at that time that, first, you cannot get the original edition in English here, and two, that my English was at that time quite 'primitive' (to say something), so I wouldn't have been able to read it...

 
               About three years later two things happened: I was able to get a copy of the original edition in English and my English had improved at least to the level of being able to enjoy the book.

And I enjoyed the book. All three parts... And still I read it from time to time. And whenever I read it, it's almost like if it were the first time I did it...

I've gifted this book to several friends. Those ones that were able to read it in English, of course...

And this makes me think of this: Are all English-speaking people that read Richard Bach books pilots? If not, though his aviation phrases and words could be perfect, maybe do not have any meaning to the reader. For example, when it's said in the book that, practising high speed dives, Jonathan's left wing stalled on the upstroke from 70 mph, all they know the meaning of this?

This has led me to the conclusion that Richard's books, though thought to everyone, are dedicated, instinctively, to AVIATION people...

And I think him for this

Por cierto, en la traducción del título del francés pusieron  "Jonathan Livingston, el Gavión"... Curioso...

Richard Bach

 I can't start this blog without mention  Richard Bach...

Richard (Oak Park, Illinois, 1936) is a PILOT . An enormous chunk of a PILOT... He was professionally involved with USAF since 1957 to 1962. In this period he flew the Republic F-84F Thunderstreak in Europe, flying missions from his Belgian base to anywhere in Europe. He wrote at that time his beautiful book, "Stranger to the Ground"... In a night flight back to his base in France from a base in England, at 35000 ft, alone with himself in the narrow cockpit of his Thunderstreak fighter, He lets his mind express itself... What a beautiful book, believe me...

I knew about him by 1971 or so. At that time I was mid-career at Madrid's ETSIA (Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Aeronaúticos). I was a regular reader of 'FLAPS', a good monthly aviation magazine here. In one magazine's issue, the first part of Jonathan Livingstone Seagull was published (JLS, 1970)... It was a translation from a French aviation magazine publishing, in French, of the original Part 1 of the story in English...


Fortunately, both translators were extremely good (English to French, French to Spanish) They were pilots or, at least, people with sound knowledge of Aviation terms and vocabulary...


From that moment, I was in love with Jonathan Livingstone Seagull...

Well, you will find here some of my latest posts in my Facebook account. They will be like an introduction to deeper stories and pictures.

See you soon

TWRman

Hello. This blog, my blog, is intended to deal only with Aviation, aeronautics and some other subjects related with it, such as meteorology or radio communications (just COMMs in the future)

Basically I will express feelings, combined with some piloting skills. There will be pictures, too

All comments are welcome, of course. Initially, the blog will not be moderated, and feel free to express your disappointment with anything, if any.

Welcome all

TWRman