Approximately 80 miles to the northeast of Atlanta, Georgia rests the Athens-Ben Epps airport and the airplanes that continuously buzz about it. With two crossing runways and a control tower proudly sporting the official logo of the University of Georgia, the airfield remains relatively busy with corporate traffic, flight instruction, and military aircraft ranging from United States Army helicopters to United States Navy fighter jets. Although this stream of traffic has remained steady for some three decades, it wasn’t always so. The two asphalt runways that land 10,000 pound corporate airplanes almost every day now were on acreage that once possessed no runways at all, but still landed 1,500-pound biplanes in whichever direction the wind was blowing with ride-hopping and basic instruction being the only traffic. In To Lasso the Clouds, a great job is done explaining this rich piece of Georgia aviation history and providing much needed clarity on the conception of the airfield and the events that happened on and around it.
Although To Lasso the Clouds does paint a picture of aviation in Georgia during the golden age of aviation, it focuses chiefly on the story of Athens, Ben Epps, and his intrepid partner Zumpt Huff. Their stories are certainly critical to the history of aviation in Georgia, however the book’s subtitle “The Beginning of Aviation in Georgia” might lead one to think the book covers Georgia’s entire aviation history and not just the story of Athen’s contributions. The book was written more as a biography for each of the Athens boys who first flew an aircraft in the state. This is not to say it was poorly written, for although I initially believed it to be more inclusive to the entire state, I was very much interested in the story it did tell. Indeed, the history surrounding the Ben Epps and Zumpt Huff names are critical when researching the history of aeronautics in Georgia.
Dan Aldridge Jr. goes into remarkable detail when recounting the flying exploits of Ben Epps and Zumpt Huff. Details such as street names, exact times, and personal correspondence are described in exceptional detail and it is quite clear that Mr. Aldridge did astonishing levels of research in preparation for this book. This fantastic detail included the contemplation of each model of aircraft design by the two aviators, details of the shop where aircraft construction was completed, how Ben Epps and Zumpt Huff came to form a partnership, and much more. The much debated date of Epps’ and Huff’s first flight in their first monoplane is even solidified and explained in the fifth chapter, clarifying a piece of state history that went unknown for over 100 years. The exploits of Epps and Huff are made vividly clear in this literature, and the author does a remarkable job of appearing almost as if he were present for the events discussed in each chapter. The timeline within the book extends from Ben Epps and Zumpt Huff writing to Glenn Curtiss in the early 1900s to Ben Epps barnstorming, building his own biplanes, and growing a family around the family airstrip. After reading To Lasso the Clouds, one will have a complete picture of the beginning of aviation in Georgia as it pertains to the city of Athens. Highlighted in this book is not a complete picture of Georgia’s aviation history, but a rather comprehensive view of Ben Epps, Zumpt Huff, and their aviation exploits; of course including the first flight recorded in the state of Georgia. The chapters detail the two men’s individual beginnings, their partnership, the aircraft they developed and flew, the very details of their flying exploits, the different models they developed, and more of the like. If you’re from Georgia or an aviation nut, this will be a fantastic addition to your bookshelf.
