Flying Over Rainbows

Experiences of Buzz Fiorini by Dwayne Parsons

Flying Over Rainbows is a compilation of stories that recaps the highlights of Buzz Fiorini's life written by a friend and author, Dwayne Parsons. Through extensive taped interviews with Buzz and several of his friends, Parsons gathered the stories and anecdotes necessary to write his book.

In narrative fashion, Parsons tells how this Pennsylvanian moved to the Pacific Northwest out of a passion for skiing and fishing, how he fell into a career guiding fishermen and hunters, and how he discovered legendary fishing waters in southern Alaska and western Canada that created unforgettable memories for him and hundreds of clients. Those clients included influential corporate customers of Boeing and celebrities who became friends, such as John Wayne and Bing Crosby.

Flying Over Rainbows describes how Fiorini developed his passion for fishing and his talent for teaching others. His creativity, innovation and professionalism as a fishing guide and pilot earned him the respect of his peers and the great contemporaries he met along the way. We learn about a man ahead of his time as a conservationist who practiced integrity and compassion when it came to the resource he treasured most - wild fish and their habitats.

Perhaps the greatest lesson learned from Buzz through this book is that life should be lived to the fullest, and, at the same time, how pleasure can be enhanced by sharing life experiences with others.

This hardcover book includes eight glossy pages of black and white photos dating back to 1947, as Buzz gave instructions to his first staff of the Buzz Fiorini Ski School at Snoqualmie Pass. Also included is an appendix of letters received by Buzz, such as a thank you note from Secretary of the Interior Walter Hickel.

Click to read an excerpt from Flying Over Rainbows.

About the subject and author
Sebastian Lawrence "Buzz" Fiorini grew up in Sayre, Pennsylvania, the son of a brewery owner. He and his wife, Julie, moved to Bremerton, Washington, in the early 1940s, where Buzz worked at The Boeing Company in Seattle. Buzz started guiding fishing trips in 1946 while Boeing was on strike, a move that led him to a 40-year-long career guiding in western Canada and Alaska, piloting a floatplane into some of the most remote and productive fishing waters of those regions.

Fiorini also owned and operated the largest ski school of its kind and established a ski and sporting goods shop in Seattle, Fiorini Sports, that still opertes today. Now retired and in his early 80s, Buzz lives in Seattle and travels and fishes frequently with his companion Gail Shamp.

Author Dwayne Parsons lives along the Missouri River in Montana, where he also is an avid fly fisherman.