Explora Books Announces Production of the Official Trailer for ‘Burning Desire to Fly,’ Highlighting the Memoir’s Most Striking Stories of Survival, Service, and the Sky

December 09, 2025 at 00:06 AM EST

Explora Books has begun production on the official book trailer for Burning Desire to Fly by Charles Cone, a memoir that threads together nearly a century of aviation history with the deeply human story of a man whose determination to fly never dimmed. While the trailer is still in development, the creative direction draws from the memoir’s most compelling moments—scenes that capture not only the intensity of military aviation, but the quiet, persistent force of a life shaped by purpose.

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, 9th Dec 2025 – Cone’s story begins in upstate New York during the Great Depression, a setting that might seem distant from multi-engine aircraft and Cold War missions. Yet these early chapters plant the seeds of what becomes a lifelong pursuit. The book traces how a young boy, inspired by radio shows, cereal-box heroes, and the distant swirl of air races, carved his path toward the cockpit against physical challenges and financial scarcity. This early grit frames everything that follows.

Some of the memoir’s most riveting passages recount the high-risk world of WWII and Korean War aviation. Cone describes emergencies with the clarity of someone who has lived through them: a flat spin broken at low altitude, a typhoon that extinguished all radio and navigation signals, engines dying asymmetrically on takeoff, a runaway propeller during a heavy PBM launch. These moments aren’t embellished—they’re delivered plainly, which makes them even more absorbing. Throughout, Cone credits survival to instinct, training, and sometimes an intervention he considers miraculous.

Other chapters pull back the curtain on lesser-known corners of military life: flying the classified Redbird aircraft in Korea; managing nuclear-armed B-47 deployments during the Cuban Missile Crisis; witnessing the harsh reality of postwar Asia, from widespread starvation to political executions. These episodes lend the memoir a rare mix of technical detail and historical immediacy.

Later in the book, Cone’s world expands beyond conflict. His commitment to education, his leadership roles, and eventually his work as a volunteer pilot for medical patients broaden the memoir into something more reflective. It becomes not just the story of a pilot, but of a man continually reshaping his life in service of others.

As Explora Books moves forward with the trailer’s production, these defining scenes—grit, risk, faith, and the steady pull of flight—form the heart of its vision.

Burning Desire to Fly is available now through major booksellers.

About Explora Books

Explora Books is a Vancouver-based firm helping authors break through the noise of the self-publishing world. Our mission is pushing the boundaries of creativity in amplifying your story globally. Creativity reimagined. Using focused research and strategic marketing, we give writers clear paths to visibility and measurable growth. Our team simplifies each stage of self-publishing with practical guidance and reliable support. Committed to innovation and high standards, Explora Books works to give authors a real chance to be seen, heard, and published on their own terms.