The Spirit's Journey

"Dave is a man of determination and dedication in overcoming a challenge-a man who will not take "no" for an answer. After a near-fatal airplane accident, Dave's doctors told him he would never walk again. But he did! They told him he would never return to his job at Ford Motor Company. But he did! And they told him he would never fl y an airplane again. But he did! The Spirit's Journey describes Dave's lifelong involvement in aviation with many interesting and humorous anecdotes ..."

-Bob Pauley, private and glider pilot, aviation photographer, and author

"There is a story buried in this manuscript of when Mac McKenzie flew my mother and me for my first airplane ride. After the flight (I must have been three or four years old), Dave and I sat in the airplane and talked. He explained all the controls, instruments; and how they related to flying an airplane. I was hooked for life. He is responsible for my start in what turned out to be a very great and successful career in aviation ..."

-Captain John D. Patten, Delta Airlines, Retired

"There's little doubt in my mind, there's something we learn about ourselves, from the people that enter our lives. ... After reflecting on Dave McKenzie's determination to succeed, courage, and will to overcome the adversities as told in his book, I hope you gain insight to your life's perspective, its experiences, and that you become the person you truly wish to be."

-John O. Maxfield, corporate pilot



In the heartwarming memoir The Spirit's Journey, Dave McKenzie shares the inspiring story of how he overcame lifelong pressures, family opposition, and incredible personal hurdles in order to follow his dream of flying an airplane.

As a young boy, he felt there could never be any odor more pleasant than the exhaust fumes that emitted from a small airplane engine. As each airplane he rode in started its take-off run, Dave would revel in the sensation of freedom he felt-even as a passenger. He shares how both his mother and his teachers opposed his preferred career choice of becoming a pilot, but he also details how he relied on his determination, effort, and intelligence to make the most of his love of aviation while still enjoying a career as an automobile chassis designer. Yet his adventuresome choices were not without challenges. After he becomes an aerobatic pilot, he chronicles the disasterous air show and subsequent injuries that nearly ended his life and his dreams.

Dave McKenzie's story proves that the human spirit is a much stronger force than we ever imagined-even when faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles.