Since 1912, when a young man named George Gray landed an open-cockpit biplane on a farmer's field, aviation has played an important role in communities located throughout the six-million-acre Adirondack Park. From the novelty of planes landing on skis, daredevil flying circuses, and toy deliveries by Santa to forest fire patrols and exploration of the vast backcountry, airplanes opened the Adirondack wilderness and made remote communities more easily accessible for tourists and adventurers. Yet this golden age tor aviation would not last, for as car travel became easier and more affordable in the mid- to late 20th century, air travel in the Adirondacks would fade in importance and necessity. Through a range of historic images and postcards, Aviation in the Adirondacks tells the story of pilots who linked communities by air and transported goods and people and of the small towns and airfields that they called home. Aurora Pfaff is a writer and editor living and working in New York State's Adirondack Park. She has a master's degree in English from Harvard University but as a child dreamed of becoming an astronaut. She finally took her first flying lesson in 2022. Images used in Aviation in the Adirondacks come from the Adirondack Experience: The Museum on Blue Mountain Lake, Historic Saranac Lake, Keene Valley Library, Piseco Lake Historical Society, Saranac Lake Free Library Adirondack Research Room, Town of Webb Historical Association, individuals, and other organizations.

The Images of Aviation series celebrates the history of flight from the early experimental, lighter-than-air craft to modern commercial, military, and private air machines. Using archival photographs, each title presents the distinctive stories from the past that commemorate aviation and its impact on American industries and communities. Arcadia is proud to play a part in the preservation of local heritage, making history available to all.