Nickolai Sikorsky And John Cilio To Speak About Vintage Helicopters In Sherman, CT

Online, September 10, 2011 (Newswire.com) - The Sherman Historical Society is pleased to bring back local author John Cilio for the launching of his latest book on vintage aircraft called "Helicopter Evolution" on Saturday, October 1, from 1 - 4 PM at The Old Store in Sherman Center. The 134 page, 8 ½ x 11 paperback comprises a collection of black and white photographs and associated documentation. To mark the occasion Nickolai Sikorsky will speak at 1:30 PM and 3:00 PM about historic aviation and helicopters from the unique vantage point of growing up as the second son of Igor Sikorsky, the founder of Sikorsky Helicopters.

Both author and guest speaker will be available to autograph and discuss excerpts from the new book. The event is held upstairs at The Old Store Museum & Gift Shop located at 3 Rte 37 Center in Sherman, CT. For more information call 860-354-3083 or visit www.shermanhistoricalsociety.org or e-mail [email protected].

About the book: Helicopter Evolution: A Collection of Vintage Rotorcraft Photographs may be one of the most comprehensive visual histories of early helicopter ever assembled in a single volume. Although modestly titled, the book is an enthralling visual journey through the first 70 years of U.S.-based helicopter innovation. It features more than 175 photographs, some of them long thought lost and spotlighting innovations that might otherwise go undocumented. Those remarkable photographs, coupled with crisp narrative and fact-filled captions, take the reader back in time, clearly illustrating the tug and pull of emerging aerodynamic technologies and the men who continually innovated to push forward the concept of rotorcraft flying. From the very earliest bicycle-based helicopters to more modern rotorcraft incorporating fixed wing and jet engine technologies -- and even a few with nautical and automobile motifs -- virtually every major advance is illustrated.

"One of the most definitive books on early helicopters we have ever seen - and we've seen a lot. Great vintage photographs from when the aircraft were new. We have several of these unusual helicopters in our museum, come and see them in person." -Classic Rotors Museum

"A must read for any rotorcraft enthusiast. Truly a walk through the history of the early days of helicopter flight." -Ron Whitney, President/Publisher Rotorcraft Professional Magazine

"A fascinating book that has given me an entirely new appreciation for the helicopter industry and its pioneers." -Elan Head, Editor-in-Chief, Vertical Magazine

His choices of photographs incorporate rotorcraft visionaries who adapted the concept of the helicopter from invention to an important element of aviation. Richard Porter, Publisher, Atlantic Flyer says the book is, "A visual history, full of amazing insights and photographs about the early helicopters all the way up to the Bell Cobra!" And, in keeping with the up and down nature of the technology, the author includes once-promising concepts that never achieved their hoped-for potential. Helicopter Evolution includes an easy to use index listing the many manufacturers of helicopters and their key models portrayed in the book. Helicopter Evolution also features a foreword by Nikolai Sikorsky and the author closes the book paying tribute to Vietnam's Huey pilots with a poem, The Huey Pilot, by, I. S. "Bob" Parrish.

Author John Cilio is an aviation enthusiast who specializes in vintage aircraft focused on mid twentieth-century general aviation, military aircraft and the people that made them possible. He is a member of AOPA (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association), EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) and a member of the Danbury, Connecticut WWII Lost Squadron Veterans organization. John is an American Marketing Association Silver Effie winner and has spoken to large and small audiences in over 60 countries around the world. He lives in Sherman, Connecticut. Helicopter Evolution is his fifth book.

For more information or to purchase books about vintage aviation visit http://www.vintageflyer.com. Captioned photographs from the book, Nickolai or John are available to the press upon request at [email protected].