1978 GAMA Aircraft Guide

[bigblockz8]

I wanted to know if anybody knows about this book and where I could find more like it. If not, have a look for fun

I contacted GAMA and long story short, they have no clue!
I got this a few years ago when I was 12 or so and didn't think much of it until I started flying. I bought a couple of books that were at a book sale at College Park Airport, some apparently from an airport manager/dealer.

This book is published by Ziff-Davis and was published in 1978.

It lists aircraft by type and shows their specs along with price. It's an awesome piece of history. Pretty cool to see what 20k would have bought back then! Also noteworthy are the specs of what sold for cheap.

Here are some shots...

(Note, I added all 20 pics here and then they didn't show, sorry to send you to Flickr!)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bigblockz8/sets/72157628930144669/

Here's the entire set of pics of the book

The book has about 40-50 pages

I have checked eBay, other auction sites, checked google but my efforts have not yielded results. I get the purpose of the book but I want to know more about it. I also have a couple of fighter jet POH's too but those were easy to find.

 

[Pilawt]

I'm just about certain that is a reprint of the Aircraft Directory section of the Flying Annual & Buyer's Guide. Flying magazine put out these wonderful annual editions every year beginning in 1965 (originally called Flying Annual & Pilot's Guide), which included industry forecasts, pilot reports of new and used models, and these excellent, comprehensive, stat-filled directories. The Flying Annuals sort of fizzled out as the industry tanked in the late 1980s.

The magazine probably allowed GAMA to reprint the directory section under its own name. Ziff-Davis published Flying magazine in those days, so no doubt this is the source.

I don't have the 1978 Flying Annual so as to compare it side-by-side, but here's a poor-quality photocopy of a page from the 1976 edition. The colors and paper stock in your photos look just the way they did in the magazine.

Search E-bay for the Flying Annuals; you may be able to find them there.

[Edit: I just looked closely at one of your photos, and the words "Flying Annual" are visible in the bottom margin. Case closed!]

 

[bigblockz8]

I'm just about certain that is a reprint of the Aircraft Directory section of the Flying Annual & Buyer's Guide. Flying magazine put out these wonderful annual editions every year beginning in 1965 (originally called Flying Annual & Pilot's Guide), which included industry forecasts, pilot reports of new and used models, and these excellent, comprehensive, stat-filled directories. The Flying Annuals sort of fizzled out as the industry tanked in the late 1980s.

The magazine probably allowed GAMA to reprint the directory section under its own name. Ziff-Davis published Flying magazine in those days, so no doubt this is the source.

I don't have the 1978 Flying Annual so as to compare it side-by-side, but here's a poor-quality photocopy of a page from the 1976 edition. The colors and paper stock in your photos look just the way they did in the magazine.

Search E-bay for the Flying Annuals; you may be able to find them there.

[Edit: I just looked closely at one of your photos, and the words "Flying Annual" are visible in the bottom margin. Case closed!]

Ahhh I overlooked that! Thanks!

 

[rpadula]

Be sure to add this to the "Airplane as investment? thread.

http://www.pilotsofamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?t=46737

Lessee a C152 in 1978 = $17,995. And today?