Sky Full of Heat is AVAILABLE!

Dear friends!

Thank you for your patience. Books are on their way to distribiutors.
"Sky Full of Heat" is also available through our Amazon esto just go to www.skyfullofheat.com and click 'Buy now!" button.

Below you will find a Polish Press Agency announcment on the book (yes, it made the news ).

Yours,

ELAY-SGC team

--------------------------------

POLISH PRESS AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT:

Most highly decorated Polish glider pilot publishes book.

Sebastian Kawa, multiple world gliding champion, has become the author of a recently published book, ‘Sky Full of Heat’. In it he describes his gliding career, which for many students of aviation may well become a source of inspiration and a collection of precious guidance and advice..

The author is an extraordinary character. Although he only turned forty a few weeks ago, the amount of experience, adventures and successes he has chalked up would suffice for a dozen or more others. Since 1999, Kawa has won 12 gold and 2 bronze medals at the World Championships, European Championships and Aviation Olympiad, as well as taking first place in three of the four Grand Prix finals held to date. In November he was nominated for the ‘Przegląd Sportowy’ magazine Sportsman of the Year award for 2012.

Kawa is not, however, someone who walks around with his head in the clouds – despite attending many competitions abroad he graduated medical school, and has his own family: his wife Anna, and two daughters Ola and Marta.

In the foreword, Tomasz Kawa, Sebastian’s father and an excellent pilot himself, writes: “I am often asked how a boy from a small mountain village could come to dominate the world of gliding. The answer is simple: it takes talent, hard work, determination, tenacity and… strong support. If this support is not forthcoming from the state, an organisation, club or other benefactor, it has to come from family.�
The book tells of a childhood spent on airfields the length and breadth of Poland, of difficult moments, and also of how dangerous flying can be, as after all the air is not man’s natural habitat.

Kawa tells of camaraderie and solidarity among the international group of ‘people of the air’, one of the most important safety aspects in this dangerous sport.

“That’s what I love about it�, Kawa says, “I know that no-one is going to clip my wings�. He also leaves no doubt that flying a glider ‘powered’ only by upwards air currents is dangerous, and provides his own recipe for survival. You have to fly with a fully sober, trained and rested mind, in a powerful body.

In his book Kawa, known for his modesty, writes: “It is the race that interests me the most. Symbolic prizes after the race are of little importance�. There are just a few moments in interviews he has given when he expresses a touch of disappointment that air sports are mostly ignored in Poland, and that his successive victories are not even reported on public television.

The book is made up of two parts. The first is in the form of an interview covering his personal biography. The second is a description of flying techniques and knowledge about using meteorological phenomena. One question remains – Who is the book for? Is it only for existing or potential glider pilots as the title suggests? It appears to be not only for them, but for any sportsperson, or anyone involved in competition of any kind, including the world of business. This is because the book provides universal ingredients of a recipe for success (of course not all are useful for everyone or can be put into practice in every situation). These elements may be used in any field where the rules of fair play are observed.

The second part is also richly illustrated with explanatory drawings by Zbigniew Janik.
One point worth noting is that the book title can be interpreted in a number of ways. This is due to the fact that the oldest Polish gliding school is situated at the foot of Żar Mountain (with its peak at 761 metres above sea level) in the Andrychowski Beskids. ‘Żar’ can mean burning or scorching heat. This is the author’s second home, a place where his father, Tomasz, himself flew and trained young pilots in the breaks between his night shifts at hospital.

The book is published by the ELAY-SCG group.
(PAP Life)

Hi,

I also have 100 copies on the way to my store. They should arrive in about
1 week. 50 have already been sold. You can see details he
http://www.cumulus-soaring.com/books...FullOfHeat.htm

Best Regards,

Paul Remde
Cumulus Soaring, Inc.
____________________________________________

wrote in message
...

Dear friends!

Thank you for your patience. Books are on their way to distribiutors.
"Sky Full of Heat" is also available through our Amazon esto just go to
www.skyfullofheat.com and click 'Buy now!" button.

Below you will find a Polish Press Agency announcment on the book (yes, it
made the news ).

Yours,

ELAY-SGC team

--------------------------------

POLISH PRESS AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT:

Most highly decorated Polish glider pilot publishes book.

Sebastian Kawa, multiple world gliding champion, has become the author of a
recently published book, ‘Sky Full of Heat’. In it he describes his gliding
career, which for many students of aviation may well become a source of
inspiration and a collection of precious guidance and advice.

The author is an extraordinary character. Although he only turned forty a
few weeks ago, the amount of experience, adventures and successes he has
chalked up would suffice for a dozen or more others. Since 1999, Kawa has
won 12 gold and 2 bronze medals at the World Championships, European
Championships and Aviation Olympiad, as well as taking first place in three
of the four Grand Prix finals held to date. In November he was nominated for
the ‘Przegląd Sportowy’ magazine Sportsman of the Year award for 2012.

Kawa is not, however, someone who walks around with his head in the clouds –
despite attending many competitions abroad he graduated medical school, and
has his own family: his wife Anna, and two daughters Ola and Marta.

In the foreword, Tomasz Kawa, Sebastian’s father and an excellent pilot
himself, writes: “I am often asked how a boy from a small mountain village
could come to dominate the world of gliding. The answer is simple: it takes
talent, hard work, determination, tenacity and… strong support. If this
support is not forthcoming from the state, an organisation, club or other
benefactor, it has to come from family.�
The book tells of a childhood spent on airfields the length and breadth of
Poland, of difficult moments, and also of how dangerous flying can be, as
after all the air is not man’s natural habitat.

Kawa tells of camaraderie and solidarity among the international group of
‘people of the air’, one of the most important safety aspects in this
dangerous sport.

“That’s what I love about it�, Kawa says, “I know that no-one is going to
clip my wings�. He also leaves no doubt that flying a glider ‘powered’ only
by upwards air currents is dangerous, and provides his own recipe for
survival. You have to fly with a fully sober, trained and rested mind, in a
powerful body.

In his book Kawa, known for his modesty, writes: “It is the race that
interests me the most. Symbolic prizes after the race are of little
importance�. There are just a few moments in interviews he has given when he
expresses a touch of disappointment that air sports are mostly ignored in
Poland, and that his successive victories are not even reported on public
television.

The book is made up of two parts. The first is in the form of an interview
covering his personal biography. The second is a description of flying
techniques and knowledge about using meteorological phenomena. One question
remains – Who is the book for? Is it only for existing or potential glider
pilots as the title suggests? It appears to be not only for them, but for
any sportsperson, or anyone involved in competition of any kind, including
the world of business. This is because the book provides universal
ingredients of a recipe for success (of course not all are useful for
everyone or can be put into practice in every situation). These elements may
be used in any field where the rules of fair play are observed.

The second part is also richly illustrated with explanatory drawings by
Zbigniew Janik.
One point worth noting is that the book title can be interpreted in a number
of ways. This is due to the fact that the oldest Polish gliding school is
situated at the foot of Żar Mountain (with its peak at 761 metres above sea
level) in the Andrychowski Beskids. ‘Żar’ can mean burning or scorching
heat. This is the author’s second home, a place where his father, Tomasz,
himself flew and trained young pilots in the breaks between his night shifts
at hospital.

The book is published by the ELAY-SCG group.
(PAP Life)

As "we in Poland" had the book (in Polish) available since about a week ago,
I attach my impression of it in case someone wanted an opinion.
==============================================
The "inventory" of the stuff in the book includes stories on training,
on equipment, on particular competition flights, on mental preparation issues,
on (lack of) doping in aviation, on risk and safety decisions and issues.
The first part is woven around "life story" of Sebastian Kawa, the second
is a richly illustrated (by stories and drawings) instruction manual.

The book is the most fun to read. It is perheaps least about Sebastian Kawa himself. The first part ot he book follows Kawa sports (sailing and aviation) path, but it really is mostly about flying (not about Kawa) and all it takes to fly at the elite level. Which turns out (or so Kawa presents it) is kind of normal - you have a more or less normal life, you do the things you love (with due consideration for the everyday chores and duties), you practice all elements until you feel you do them well enough, you keep your curiosity unfettered - and somehow on the way you find yourself among the best.


Or so Sebastian Kawa tells it. Anyway, what strikes when reading the first part of the book (which some describe as "autobiography") is extreme intimacy and directness - as far as aviation and sports issues are concerned. It is (first part) NOT any type of a flight manual or career guide. It has the athmosphere of a private conversation (the text formula is that of an interview) with a close and trusted friend. We do not read ready and smoothed with use opinions and stories, it is more like Kawa shares his actual state of thought on the conversation subject.


Perhaps not by coincidence, the very "official book introduction event" the previous Saturday at the Mountain Gliding School "Żar" had a similar structure. There was no "official talk" by Sebastian Kawa. But he was there, ready to talk in the room corners with complete strangers about any aviation related issue, with both modest and "still fascinated and awed" attitude perhaps more
expected from a student-pilot than from somebody holding a title or two.


I should write about the second part of the book, which is partially an advanced
manual (interspersed with particular flight stories), but this would be
pretending that "I read and undestood and internalized all there is". I do not.
Kawa had put, very accessibly, a lot of stuff there. Perhaps a significant part
of the ten years of experience he says one needs to fly well, at least
the part that can be put in words. I have no illusions that in a week
I had to read the book I took in any of that. I plan to read and reread
it together with my training, probably over the years. So just the
chapter titles (my rendering of Polish edition titles, sorry for bad phraseology):
"The art of flying", "Thermal flights", "Standard thermal flights", "Blue thermals",
"Ordered lifts", "Wind and thermals", "Mountain wind", "Ridge soaring",
"Wave", "Search for lift. Varios", "Cloud observation", "Birds", "Dust devils", "Employing of thermals", "Interthermal flights", "Final glide", "Pair flying", "Lessons from (nautical) sailing".

All this interleaved with flight (rather remarkable flights) stories.

The book has a requisite modest portion of Blood Chilling Aviation (Tall) Tales
(ok, not "tall" in this particular case). I did like for example a story
of the author being outside of his glider when the tug started the takeoff run.
But perhaps most impact in this aspect (at least on a barely-initiated person like me) have the reminiscences of particular flights as remembered by the author, of which the book have a fair number. These stories have been included for various reasons I think, like to give the background to some advanced instructions of the second book part, or just to give a sense of flying for people not familiar with it. But most of these stories are about (at least so seems to me) non-trivial flights. Although Kawa spuns the stories quite casually, pretty much never mentions any danger, just presents us with a very personal insight into his "problem-alternatives-solution" thought process, my conclusion was "well, these flights are FAR from casual". Somehow without explicitly saying so Kawa succeeds in telling "you better treat flying seriously".

What "seriously" means - well, perhaps this is what the book is about.
I think that "Sky Full of Heat" reads pretty much like good nautical stories -
one could never be at sea, but still relish them.