The Man Behind the Words
Early Dreams & Rebellions
Born on October 13, 1910, in Lincoln, Nebraska, Ernest Kellogg Gann was the son of a telephone company executive who had grand plans for his boy to follow in the family business. But young Ernest had other ideas — his heart belonged to photography, movie-making, and the romantic notion of flight.
After struggling through traditional schooling, he was sent to Culver Military Academy, graduating at 19. Two years at Yale School of Drama followed, but the call of Broadway proved stronger than academic pursuits. By his early twenties, he was working the stages of New York as an assistant stage manager and later as a projectionist at Radio City Music Hall.
The 1933 Turning Point
In 1933, Ernest's father offered him an opportunity that would change everything: a trip around the world to review telephone companies in Europe and Asia. What began as a business assignment became an odyssey of discovery, documented in the logbook pages you can explore on this site.
This journey opened Ernest's eyes to the vast world beyond America's shores and planted the seeds for his future adventures in aviation and storytelling. The young man who departed was not the same one who returned — he had found his calling as an observer and chronicler of human experience.
Taking to the Skies
Finding His Wings (1938-1945)
In 1938, Ernest found what he would later call his "life's work" when American Airlines hired him as a First Officer. Flying Douglas DC-2 and DC-3 aircraft across the northeastern United States, he discovered the unique perspective that only aviators know — the world spread out below like a living map.
When World War II erupted, Ernest volunteered for the Air Transport Command, flying the dangerous routes across the North Atlantic and later the treacherous "Hump" route over the Himalayas to China. He described the Himalayan route as having "simply and truthfully the worst weather in the world" — experiences that would later fuel his most memorable stories.
Literary Legacy
The Stories Take Flight
Ernest's aviation experiences provided the raw material for a remarkable literary career. His novels weren't just adventure stories — they were authentic portrayals of the early days of commercial aviation, written by someone who had lived every moment in the cockpit.
Aviation Classics
Hollywood Recognition
Ernest's stories captured the imagination of Hollywood, with eight of his works adapted for film and television. Stars like John Wayne, Clark Gable, and Rock Hudson brought his characters to life, but the authentic aviation details came straight from Ernest's own experiences in the cockpit.
Critical Acclaim
"Few writers have ever drawn readers so intimately into the shielded sanctum of the cockpit, and it is here that Mr. Gann is truly the artist."
— The New York Times Book Review
"A splendid and many-faceted personal memoir that is not only one man's story but the story, in essence, of all men who fly."
— Chicago Tribune
"Happily, Gann never gets too technical for the layman to understand. His style is smooth, his observations keen, and his sense of drama highly developed."
— Saturday Review
"Ernest K. Gann's flying experiences read like fiction, but this is the way it really was in the pioneer days of commercial aviation."
— Aviation Week
Recent Recognition
"Ernest Gann: Fate of the Hunter" - CBC Ideas Podcast
An excellent and recently produced documentary by Neil Sandell exploring Ernest's life, his aviation experiences, and the enduring legacy of his most famous work,Fate Is the Hunter.
🎧 Listen on CBC IdeasThe Final Chapters
Sailor & Conservationist
In his later years, Ernest traded wings for sails, becoming an accomplished sailor and environmental advocate. From his home in Friday Harbor, Washington, he continued to write and paint, always with an eye toward preserving the natural world that had inspired so many of his adventures.
His commitment to conservation and maritime preservation reflected the same spirit of exploration that had driven his 1933 world tour — a desire to understand and protect the world's remarkable diversity.
Lasting Impact
Ernest K. Gann passed away on December 19, 1991, but his legacy lives on through his books, which continue to inspire aviation enthusiasts and adventure seekers worldwide. His authentic portrayal of early aviation helped preserve the history of an era when flying was still a dangerous and romantic endeavor.
Discover the Journey That Started It All
The 1933 world tour documented in these pages was the foundation for Ernest's lifetime of adventure and storytelling. Explore his original logbook entries and trace the journey that transformed a young telephone company reviewer into one of America's greatest aviation writers.