Download or read book Sled Driver written by Brian Shul and published by Lickle Pub Incorporated. This book was released on 1991 with total page 151 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: No aircraft ever captured the curiosity & fascination of the public like the SR-71 Blackbird. Nicknamed "The Sled" by those few who flew it, the aircraft was shrouded in secrecy from its inception. Entering the U.S. Air Force inventory in 1966, the SR-71 was the fastest, highest flying jet aircraft in the world. Now for the first time, a Blackbird pilot shares his unique experience of what it was like to fly this legend of aviation history. Through the words & photographs of retired Major Brian Shul, we enter the world of the "Sled Driver." Major Shul gives us insight on all phases of flying, including the humbling experience of simulator training, the physiological stresses of wearing a space suit for long hours, & the intensity & magic of flying 80,000 feet above the Earth's surface at 2000 miles per hour. SLED DRIVER takes the reader through riveting accounts of the rigors of initial training, the gamut of emotions experienced while flying over hostile territory, & the sheer joy of displaying the jet at some of the world's largest airshows. Illustrated with rare photographs, seen here for the first time, SLED DRIVER captures the mystique & magnificence of this most unique of all aircraft.

Download or read book Lions of the Sky written by Francesco Chierici and published by . This book was released on 2018-12 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tiny's voice screamed over the radio, "Fox-3! Smoke in the air. Tiny's still spiked, breaking left."Tiny fired a retaliatory shot and was turning for all he was worth in a desperate, last-ditch attempt to evade the incoming Chinese missile.Slammer jerked his trigger then pressed the mic switch, "Fox-3!" The AMRAAM left his plane with a surprisingly loud scream. A moment later the sky was latticed with smoke trails as Quick and Lips followed suit. He watched their missiles travel downrange with disbelief. The Rhinos were now too close to merging to take evasive maneuvers. Any turn away at this range would just put the Flankers on their tails.Committed to a head-on pass, he pulled his throttles to idle to reduce the infrared signature from his engines and held his breath, watching for any more missiles coming his way.Five missiles - four American and one Chinese - closed in on their prey with a combined closure rate of Mach 6, or 4,000 knots. Roughly one mile per second.It would be the longest six seconds of Slammer's life.

Download or read book Viper Pilot Enhanced Edition written by Dan Hampton and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2012-10-02 with total page 313 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Get inside the cockpit with Dan Hampton, the military’s most decorated F-16 pilot, in this enhanced e-book edition of Viper Pilot. Exclusive to this edition are 11 video interviews, where Hampton talks candidly about his time as a Wild Weasel and about the fighter jet that kept him alive through so many dangerous skirmishes. In addition, an interactive “first-person” cockpit diagram lets you get deeper into the action, providing a visual companion to the book that leaves you feeling like you’re sitting in the iconic F-16 itself. 151 combat missions 21 hard kills on surface-to-air-missile sites 4 Distinguished Flying Crosses with Valor 1 Purple Heart Sure to rank as one of the greatest aviation memoirs ever written, Viper Pilot is an Air Force legend's thrilling eyewitness account of modern air warfare. From 1986 to 2006, Lt. Col. Dan Hampton was a leading member of the Wild Weasels, the elite Air Force fighter squadrons whose mission is recognized as the most dangerous job in modern air combat. Weasels are the first planes sent into a war zone, flying deep behind enemy lines purposely seeking to draw fire from surface-to-air missiles and artillery. They must skillfully evade being shot down—and then return to destroy the threats, thereby making the skies safe for everyone else to follow. Today these vital missions are more hazardous than direct air-to-air engagement with enemy aircraft. Hampton's record number of strikes on high-value targets make him the most lethal F-16 Wild Weasel pilot in American history. This is his remarkable story. Taught to fly at an early age by his father, Hampton logged twenty years and 608 combat hours in the world's most iconic fighter jet: the F-16 "Fighting Falcon," or "Viper" as its pilots call it. Hampton spearheaded the 2003 invasion of Iraq, leading the first flight of fighters over the border en route to strike Baghdad. In the war that followed, he engaged in a series of brilliantly executed missions that earned him three Distinguished Flying Crosses with Valor; he notably saved a U.S. Marine unit from certain death by taking out the surrounding enemy forces near Nasiriyah. Two years earlier, on 9/11, Hampton's father was inside the Pentagon when it was attacked; with his dad's fate unknown, Hampton was scrambled into American skies and given the unprecedented orders to shoot down any unidentified aircraft. Hampton also flew critical missions in the first Gulf War, served on the Air Combat Command staff during the Kosovo War, and was injured in the 1996 Khobar Towers terrorist attack. With manned missions rapidly giving way to remote-controlled UAV drones, Viper Pilot may be the last memoir by a true hero of the skies. Gripping and irreverently humorous, it is an unforgettable look into the closed world of fighter pilots and modern air combat. Please note that due to the large file size of these special features this enhanced e-book may take longer to download then a standard e-book.

Download or read book Eagle in the Sky written by Wilbur Smith and published by Bonnier Publishing Fiction Ltd.. This book was released on 2018-01-01 with total page 333 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An action-packed story of love, duty and destiny, by global sensation Wilbur Smith. 'A master storyteller' - Sunday Times 'Wilbur Smith is one of those benchmarks against whom others are compared' - The Times 'No one does adventure quite like Smith' - Daily Mirror The higher you fly, the harder you fall . . . From a young age it's clear that David Morgan is a 'bird', a natural pilot, most at home in the air. His family want him to take over the family business, but David is determined to follow his destiny, and joins the South African Air Force, where he is commended for his skills. When he meets Debra, a beautiful young Israeli writer, David once again feels the pull of destiny. He joins the Israeli Defence Force and finds himself caught up in the country's struggles. But when the war separates him from Debra, David feels his two destinies pulling him apart. Can he become the man he always dreamed of being, without losing the woman he's fighting for?

Download or read book Lords of the Sky written by Dan Hampton and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2014-06-24 with total page 577 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The definitive history of combat aviation and fighter aircraft, from World War I to present INCLUDES 32 PAGES OF PHOTOGRAPHS AND 12 MAPS Lords of the Sky is the “dramatic, fast-paced, and definitive" (Michael Korda) history of fighter pilots and aircraft and their extraordinary influence on modern warfare, masterfully written by "one of the most decorated pilots in Air Force history” (New York Post). A twenty-year USAF veteran who flew more than 150 combat missions and received multiple Distinguished Flying Crosses, Lt. Colonel Dan Hampton draws on his singular firsthand knowledge, as well as groundbreaking research in aviation archives and rare personal interviews with little-known heroes, including veterans of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. Hampton (the New York Times bestselling author of Viper Pilot) reveals the stories behind history's most iconic aircraft and the aviators who piloted them: from the Sopwith Camel and Fokker Triplane to the Mitsubishi Zero, Supermarine Spitfire, German Bf 109, P-51 Mustang, Grumman Hellcat, F-4 Phantom, F-105 Thunderchief, F-16 Falcon, F/A-18 Super Hornet, and beyond. In a seamless, sweeping narrative, Lords of the Sky is an extraordinary account of the most famous fighter planes and the brave and daring heroes who made them legend.

Download or read book Vipers in the Storm Diary of a Gulf War Fighter Pilot written by Keith Rosenkranz and published by McGraw Hill Professional. This book was released on 2002-05-15 with total page 345 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During Operation Desert Storm, Captain Keith Rosenkranz piloted his F-16 "Viper" in 30 combat missions. Here he recounts these experiences in searing, "you-are-there" detail, giving readers one of the most riveting depictions ever written of man and machine at war.

Download or read book Breaking Sky written by Cory McCarthy and published by Sourcebooks, Inc.. This book was released on 2015-03-10 with total page 432 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Top Gun meets The Grace Year in this sexy, feminist dystopian adventure from the co-author of Once and Future, featuring Nyx, an elite fighter pilot who must put everything on the line to save her country, including her pride. And her heart. Chase Harcourt, call sign"Nyx", isn't one to play it safe. In 2048, America is locked in the second cold war—and the country's best hope is the elite teen fighter pilots of the United Star Academy. Chase is one of only two daredevil pilots chose to fly an experimental "Streaker" jet. All anyone cares about is that Chase aces the upcoming Streaker trails, proving the prototype jet can knock the enemy out of the sky. Only few know the pain and loneliness of her past. As the world tilts toward war, Chase discovers a military secret. There's a third Streaker, and it's young pilot, Tristan, can match her on the ground and in the clouds. Chase doesn't play well with others, but to save her country, she'll have to put her life in the hands of the competition. Breaking Sky is a gritty coming of age tale with tons of action, a fascinating dystopian society, humor, friendship, romance and heart-stopping, high-stakes flying that will leave you on the edge of your seat. Praise for Breaking Sky: "Smart, exciting, confident—and quite possibly the next Big Thing."—Kirkus "Breaking Sky is an action-packed thrill ride that smashes through all kind of barriers at a Mach 5 pace."—Carrie Jones, New York Times bestselling author of the Need series "Had me in its grip from take-off to landing. Chase is a kick-butt female and the swoon-worthy flyboys kept me up way past my bedtime." —Joy N. Hensley, author of Rites of Passage

Download or read book The Only Plane in the Sky written by Garrett M. Graff and published by Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster. This book was released on 2019-09-10 with total page 512 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “This is history at its most immediate and moving…A marvelous and memorable book.” —Jon Meacham ​“Remarkable…A priceless civic gift…On page after page, a reader will encounter words that startle, or make him angry, or heartbroken.” —The Wall Street Journal “Had me turning each page with my heart in my throat…There’s been a lot written about 9/11, but nothing like this. I urge you to read it.” —Katie Couric The first comprehensive oral history of September 11, 2001—a panoramic narrative woven from voices on the front lines of an unprecedented national trauma. Over the past eighteen years, monumental literature has been published about 9/11, from Lawrence Wright’s The Looming Tower to The 9/11 Commission Report. But one perspective has been missing up to this point—a 360-degree account of the day told through firsthand. Now, in The Only Plane in the Sky, Garrett Graff tells the story of the day as it was lived—in the words of those who lived it. Drawing on never-before-published transcripts, declassified documents, original interviews, and oral histories from nearly five hundred government officials, first responders, witnesses, survivors, friends, and family members, he paints the most vivid and human portrait of the September 11 attacks yet. Beginning in the predawn hours of airports in the Northeast, we meet the ticket agents who unknowingly usher terrorists onto their flights, and the flight attendants inside the hijacked planes. In New York, first responders confront a scene of unimaginable horror at the Twin Towers. From a secret bunker under the White House, officials watch for incoming planes on radar. Aboard unarmed fighter jets in the air, pilots make a pact to fly into a hijacked airliner if necessary to bring it down. In the skies above Pennsylvania, civilians aboard United 93 make the ultimate sacrifice in their place. Then, as the day moves forward and flights are grounded nationwide, Air Force One circles the country alone, its passengers isolated and afraid. More than simply a collection of eyewitness testimonies, The Only Plane in the Sky is the historic narrative of how ordinary people grappled with extraordinary events in real time: the father and son caught on different ends of the impact zone; the firefighter searching for his wife who works at the World Trade Center; the operator of in-flight telephone calls who promises to share a passenger’s last words with his family; the beloved FDNY chaplain who bravely performs last rites for the dying, losing his own life when the Towers collapse; and the generals at the Pentagon who break down and weep when they are barred from trying to rescue their colleagues. At once a powerful tribute to the courage of everyday Americans and an essential addition to the literature of 9/11, The Only Plane in the Sky weaves together the unforgettable personal experiences of the men and women who found themselves caught at the center of an unprecedented human drama. The result is a unique, profound, and searing exploration of humanity on a day that changed the course of history, and all of our lives.

Download or read book Once A Fighter Pilot written by Jerry Cook and published by McGraw Hill Professional. This book was released on 2002-04-26 with total page 239 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: * The true adventure tales of a U.S. Air Force fighter who flew more than 400 combat hours while on duty in Vietnam * Provides a rare insider's glimpse into the world of the flying elite, detailing their education, training, emotions, and day to day experiences * Poignant, sometimes funny, brutally honest, always exciting, and an eye-opening look at one of the most tumultuous eras in U.S. history.

Download or read book Ask the Pilot written by Patrick Smith and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2004 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Though we routinely take to the air, for many of us flying remains a mystery. Few of us understand the how and why of jetting from New York to London in six hours. How does a plane stay in the air? Can turbulence bring it down? What is windshear? How good are the security checks? Patrick Smith, an airline pilot and author of Salon.com's popular column, "Ask the Pilot," unravels the secrets and tells you all there is to know about the strange and fascinating world of commercial flight. He offers: A nuts and bolts explanation of how planes fly Insights into safety and security Straight talk about turbulence, air traffic control, windshear, and crashes The history, color, and controversy of the world's airlines The awe and oddity of being a pilot The poetry and drama of airplanes, airports, and traveling abroad In a series of frank, often funny explanations and essays, Smith speaks eloquently to our fears and curiosities, incorporating anecdotes, memoir, and a life's passion for flight. He tackles our toughest concerns, debunks conspiracy theories and myths, and in a rarely heard voice dares to return a dash of romance and glamour to air travel.

Download or read book Under a War Torn Sky written by L.M. Elliot and published by Usborne Publishing Ltd. This book was released on 2015-04-01 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Shot down on a mission, 19-year-old bomber pilot Henry is alone in a treacherous land. Desperate to get back to his family and the girl he loves, he is forced to rely on the kindness of strangers and the cunning of the French Resistance. But in his battle to survive the deadly journey across Nazi-occupied Europe, he must face a terrible choice: can he take someone's life to save his own?

Download or read book Fire in the Sky written by Amos Amir and published by Pen and Sword Aviation. This book was released on 2005 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Describes the early years of the Israeli Air Force - now one of the most efficient in the World. General Amos Amir's autobiography tells the story of the man, the warrior and the commander and the story of the struggling, newly-born Israeli Air Force. From the Six Days War of 1967 and onward, the IAF turned to be an extremely important component of the overall Israeli defense power. The years from the Sinai War in 1956, through the Six-Day-War, the Yom Kippur War in 1973 and the Lebanon War in 1982, were the years of Amir's flying, fighting and commanding career. Amir tells his own story in talented, vivid and fluent language. He succeeds in pulling the reader into his narrow cockpit from the early stages of his flying school to later air combats and reconnaissance missions. Tense dogfights, long-range reconnaissance missions and memorable aerial episodes, including piloting a Phantom jet from the deck of the American carrier Kitty Hawk, are vividly described. The book reveals previously untold stories about the traumatic Yom Kippur War of 1973 and the early stages of the war in Lebanon in the 1982.

Download or read book The Last Fighter Pilot written by Don Brown and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2017-07-31 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *A NATIONAL BESTSELLER!* The New York Post calls The Last Fighter Pilot a "must-read" book. From April to August of 1945, Captain Jerry Yellin and a small group of fellow fighter pilots flew dangerous bombing and strafe missions out of Iwo Jima over Japan. Even days after America dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima on August 6 and Nagasaki on August 9, the pilots continued to fly. Though Japan had suffered unimaginable devastation, the emperor still refused to surrender. Bestselling author Don Brown (Treason) sits down with Yelllin, now ninety-three years old, to tell the incredible true story of the final combat mission of World War II. Nine days after Hiroshima, on the morning of August 14th, Yellin and his wingman 1st Lieutenant Phillip Schlamberg took off from Iwo Jima to bomb Tokyo. By the time Yellin returned to Iwo Jima, the war was officially over—but his young friend Schlamberg would never get to hear the news. The Last Fighter Pilot is a harrowing first-person account of war from one of America's last living World War II veterans.

Download or read book You Can Fly written by Carole Boston Weatherford and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2016 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This history in verse celebrates the story of the Tuskegee Airmen: pioneeringAfrican-American pilots who triumphed in the skies and past the color barrierduring World War II. Illustrations.

Download or read book Jet Girl written by Caroline Johnson and published by Macmillan + ORM. This book was released on 2019-11-05 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A fresh, unique insider’s view of what it’s like to be a woman aviator in today’s US Navy—from pedicures to parachutes, friendship to firefights. Caroline Johnson was an unlikely aviation candidate. A tall blonde debutante from Colorado, she could have just as easily gone into fashion or filmmaking, and yet she went on to become an F/A-18 Super Hornet Weapons System Officer. She was one of the first women to fly a combat mission over Iraq since 2011, and one of the first women to drop bombs on ISIS. Jet Girl tells the remarkable story of the women fighting at the forefront in a military system that allows them to reach the highest peaks, and yet is in many respects still a fraternity. Johnson offers an insider’s view on the fascinating, thrilling, dangerous and, at times, glamorous world of being a naval aviator. This is a coming-of age story about a young college-aged woman who draws strength from a tight knit group of friends, called the Jet Girls, and struggles with all the ordinary problems of life: love, work, catty housewives, father figures, make-up, wardrobe, not to mention being put into harm’s way daily with terrorist groups such as ISIS and world powers such as Russia and Iran. Some of the most memorable parts of the book are about real life in training, in the air and in combat—how do you deal with having to pee in a cockpit the size of a bumper car going 600 miles an hour? Not just a memoir, this book also aims to change the conversation and to inspire and attract the next generation of men and women who are tempted to explore a life of adventure and service.

Download or read book Air Force written by and published by . This book was released on 1943 with total page 612 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Vols. 41, no. 11-v. 42, no. 5 include Space digest, v. 1-2, no. 5, Nov. 1958-May 1959.

Download or read book Sky High written by Marissa Moss and published by Random House Digital, Inc.. This book was released on 2009 with total page 34 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Presents the life and career of the Chinese American woman who dreamed of flying as a child and who went on to become one of only two Chinese American Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) to serve during World War II.