Richard Bach

American writer who published four books on his life passion, flying, with moderate success. He leaped to fame with his simple, short and inspirational allegory, "Jonathan Livingston Seagull," first published in August 1970, with a small print run and little promotional efforts. It became a runaway best seller by word of mouth, though Bach, reportedly a direct descendant of Johann Sebastian Bach, insisted it was more of a visionary gift than something he personally wrote.

Richard David Bach was born to Roland, a Red Cross chapter manager and former US Army chaplain, and his wife, Ruth. The tall and rangy youth grew up in Oak Park, Illionis and Long Beach, California. When his high school creative writing teacher promised an "A" only if the student had a check for a published article, Bach sold a story about an astronomy club to the local newspaper. He attended Long Beach State College for a year, highlighted by flying lessons on weekends which he had in exchange for polishing a fellow student’s plane. He was drawn to the idea of flight, and quit college to join the US Air Force, where he became a fighter pilot with a ground assignment as supply officer. Consequently, he left the Air Force in 1959 and joined the Air National Guard, so he could fly jet fighters on weekends while living as a civilian.

During the ‘60s, he tried to support both his growing family and his private airplane. He worked as a technical writer for Lockheed Aircraft, and as an editor of "Flying" magazine for three years. He also took on directing the Antique Airplane Association as well as editing its magazine, "The Antiquer." In between, he did some charter-piloting, barnstorming through the Midwest, and occasional odd jobs. He failed the "personal image" test required to become a commercial airline pilot.

He sold many articles to flying publications, but his poetic style may have worked against him in getting the more lucrative reporting assignments.