Reach for the skies

the long version

In Reach for the Skies, Sir Richard Branson examines the history of aviation over the last two hundred years, putting the spotlight on trailblazers such as Tony Jannus, who made the first ever commercial flight over Tampa Bay, Florida, in 1914, Leo Valentin, the "bird man" who jumped from 9,000 feet wearing a pair of wooden wings in the 1950s, and Steve Fossett, who broke 130 world records in planes, balloons, and airships. The pioneers of flight made it possible for any of us with the desire and the commitment to reach for the skies ourselves.