Highway to the Sky - by Lola Reid Allin (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

With females making up just 5% of the world's pilots, this memoir crosses genres to combine aviation history, the author's journey from unwanted child to successful pilot, and the feminist experience, and will appeal to multiple aviation communities.

"Don't be silly! Girls can't fly," seven-year-old Lola's father admonishes her as they fly across Canada on a commercial flight in 1962. She is crushed--but decides he must be right. She's only ever seen male pilots, after all.

Highway to the Sky begins during the empty zone of women in aviation, a three-decade drought following WWII when men reclaimed the jobs that had been performed by women during the war and forced women back to diapers and dishes, where they "belonged."

Despite Lola's childhood desire to avoid the straitjacket of traditional female roles and become a pilot, her desperate need for unconditional affection after a lonesome childhood sways her determination. At age twenty, she leaps into marriage and motherhood. Four years, one toxic relationship, and one private pilot license later, she leaves her husband, even though she knows she'll be censured by friends, family, and 1970s society at large.

Lola's head-on battle with tradition continues as the lone female pilot in her advanced flight training program and on the job as a flight instructor, bush pilot, charter pilot, and commuter airline pilot between 1979 and 1993. Flying is challenging at times, yes--but her true obstacles are the hostility, sabotage, and discrimination she faces in her industry. She perseveres, however. Ultimately, flying is what gives her the courage to regain control of her life--and helps her find personal happiness.

Review Quotes

"An inherently fascinating, impressively insightful, and ultimately inspiring memoir . . . Exceptionally well written and fully engaging from start to finish . . . especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community and college/university library Contemporary Women's Biography/Memoir collections."--Midwest Book Review

"Reid Allin vividly paints the Canada of the 1960s and 1970s . . . The excitement and terror of flight training prove thrilling in her telling, while the technical details and vivid flight descriptions anchor the story . . . an inspiring tale that will resonate with anyone encountering obstacles in life or needing a nudge to pursue their dreams."--BookLife Reviews

"Highway to the Sky is an engaging memoir of boldness, determination, and an honest rendering of how painful it can be to be among the first in a field. Granted access into the mind of a bright young girl, we see the world through her eyes, feel her desire for a life without the unnatural constraints of her mother and grandmother's life, and the frustration of her own restrictions. Lola writes bravely, without sugar coating, minimizing, or making excuses for the various behaviors she encounters from men in flying. And she triumphs."--Patty Bear, author of From Plain to Plain, retired airline captain and former US Air Force pilot


"Highway to the Sky is a motivational primer for anyone growing up and looking ahead to what might be there for them. Her vivid and colorful descriptions of her early flight training and the Canadian landscape are very picturesque. . . She inspires the reader to understand the sky is the limit and to stay true to your own dreams and ideals--good advice for any endeavor."--Becky Condon, US Navy/Delta Air Lines 757/767ER Captain Ret'd


"In her memoir, Lola takes us through the soul-numbing ordeal faced by every woman who has the temerity to venture into a male-dominated career. . . . That several exceptional women have shirked off this sexism and, not only enter but thrive within these male-dominated areas, is a testament to their ability, integrity, and tenacity. Lola is one of those women."--Elizabeth Ives-Ruyter, former flight instructor & retired Assistant Crown Attorney


"In this compelling memoir, Lola Reid Allin takes us into the sky, the clouds, and all the exhilarating joy and terror of flying small planes. Coming of age in the early 1970s, her path is a quagmire of misogyny in every form. Her personal life throws more missiles at her, from parental disapproval to domestic violence made worse by police indifference. This story is a page turner . . . She keeps us engaged all the way to the last page."--Ellen Barker, author of Still Needs Work


"Lola Reid Allin has woven together a brilliant memoir that profiles her life as a young aviator during a time when being a female pilot was not a common career choice. It is a great read for someone looking for inspiration and a lesson in the importance of believing in yourself and not letting life's arrows or downturns influence your drive." --Cheryl Stinson Rodo, author of Blind Trust: Winner, Sinner


"Lola Reid Allin's memoir, Highway to the Sky, transcends genres to mix aviation history, the author's journey, and the feminist experience. . . . a compelling testament to the power of perseverance and the pursuit of one's dreams, offering inspiration to readers facing similar struggles in their own lives."--Readers Favorite, FIVE STARS


"Lola Reid Allin's memoir, Highway to the Sky, brings us to the heart of wanting something society says you can't have. In an era when women could be teachers or secretaries, we understand young Lola's determination and struggles as she navigates a misogynistic world of aviation and relationships. With elegant, descriptive language, Lola writes of her passions, triumphs, and disappointments as they propel her forward. Highway to the Sky is an enlightening read full of captivating imagery and adventure that gives hope to all to keep fighting for their dreams."--Erin Spaeth, Alaska Airlines Captain B-737, Retired


"When Lola Reid Allin agrees to her husband's suggestion they take flying lessons, she has no inkling that flying will be the mind-expanding and confidence-building experience of a lifetime. Along the way she navigates through the putdowns, rudeness, and treachery of a patriarchal society, learning when to deflect and when to retaliate. Her vivid prose and well-paced narrative make for an engrossing read."--Patricia Whittaker, Journalist (CBC, Winnipeg Free Press, Toronto Star) and author

About the Author

Lola Reid Allin is a commercial airline transport pilot, flight instructor, SCUBA divemaster, and an award-winning author and photographer whose work has appeared in national newspapers and publications and in juried national and international shows. Her professional aviation affiliations include Women in Aviation International, The 99s: International Organization of Women Pilots, and the Northern Lights Aero Foundation. An adventurer who lived with the Maya in Mexico and Belize for three years, Reid Allin has explored more than sixty-five countries in depth. When she isn't backpacking Baffin Island, trekking the Andes or the Himalayas, forging deep into the Guatemalan jungle, summiting Kilimanjaro, or guiding a dogsled team in the Yukon, she lives with her husband of twenty-five years in a small community east of Toronto, Canada.