Download or read book Ferry Command Pilot written by Capt Donald M McVicar Obe and published by . This book was released on 2015-06-20 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: November, 1940: after Hitler's Blitzkreig devastated Europe, Britain held out alone against the Nazis. North American factories were producing badly-needed warplanes in quantity, but how to get them over there? Nazi U-boats were decimating freighter convoys with great loss of life and cargo, including aircraft. Why not fly them across? It's hard for those of us in the 21st century to believe it, but the stormy North Atlantic had rarely been flown in winter. It was considered suicidal to even try. Yet desperate times call for desperate measures. This book honors the unique but little known group which, beginning in November 1940, delivered almost 10,000 warplanes across the uncharted oceans, suffering losses comparable to losses in combat. Why did this brave group not become famous?Well, it had several names over the war years; it was comprised of both military and civilian personnel from several countries and military organizations. Best known as the Royal Air Force Ferry Command based in Montreal, Quebec, it evolved into No. 45 Group RAF Transport Command with headquarters in England. The most important reason? This was a secret mission. So for almost forty years, the story of Ferry Command was unknown to the public. Ferry Command Pilot is told firsthand from the pilot's seat by then-twenty-six-year-old Ferry Command Captain Don McVicar. A Canadian civilian pilot, he was unusual in that he was also a crack navigator and radio operator, skills that brought him and his crews back from many dangerous missions. He received the King's Commendation and the Order of the British Empire. After a long turbulent career in Canadian aviation, Don McVicar gathered together his many logbooks, photographs, memories, and those of survivors with whom he had remained in touch, and wrote the first real book about the Royal Air Force Ferry Command. In 1981 Airlife published Ferry Command in hardcover, followed by North Atlantic Cat, A Change of Wings, Mosquito Racer and More Than A Pilot. His self-published A Railroad From the Sky, Distant Early Warning, and From Cuba to Oblivion completed his acclaimed autobiographical aviation series. In 1990, with Ferry Command sold out, no longer in print but in demand by his readers worldwide, he split it into Ferry Command Pilot and South Atlantic Safari, which he self-published, printed-on-demand: revolutionary ideas in 1990! After writing several hundred thousand well-received words, he had the confidence to make these versions a bit juicier, truer to the wide-open spirit of a bush pilot from the Canadian West. He's not afraid to tell a corny joke or to tell the truth about some of his rougher landings! Although Captain McVicar passed away in 1997, he foretold the power of the internet to help authors and artists in particular to get their work out into the world. 2015 would have been his 100th birthday, and is the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. Don McVicar would be pleased to see his book back out in the world! This edition of Ferry Command Pilot was carefully illustrated, edited and designed by his daughter, Donna McVicar Kazo, a professional artist, editor, writer and graphic designer. It was important to Captain McVicar to identify those who flew with him, even those whose performance was less than stellar. Where else would their small - yet vital - contributions to the defeat of Hitler be recognized? This edition is a tribute to all of those good guys - and gals. May we be so brave.

Download or read book Nancy Love and the WASP Ferry Pilots of World War II written by Sarah Byrn Rickman and published by University of North Texas Press. This book was released on 2008 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "When the United States entered World War II, the Army needed pilots to transport or "ferry" its combat-bound aircraft across the United States for overseas deployment and its trainer airplanes to flight training bases. Male pilots were in short supply, so into this vacuum stepped Nancy Love and her Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS). Initially the Army implemented both the WAFS program and Jacqueline Cochran's more ambitious plan to train women to do many of the military's flight-related jobs stateside. By 1943, General Hap Arnold decided to combine the women's programs and formed the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), with Cochran as the Director of Women Pilots. Love was named the Executive for WASP."

Download or read book Ocean Bridge written by Carl A. Christie and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page 458 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The timely delivery of aircraft was crucial in the Second World War. This is a full account of the pioneering efforts of the Ferry Command, whose efforts spawned international air travel as we now know it.

Download or read book The Originals written by Sarah Byrn Rickman and published by . This book was released on 2017-09-05 with total page 418 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Who were The Originals?Experienced women pilots ¿ the first to fly for the U.S. military28 women who dared to challenge 1940s barriers of gender, politics and bureaucracyFarm girls, socialites, daughters of working families, college graduates; from 15 different states; married and single; three with young childrenYoung women ¿ ages 21 to 35Three of them died serving their countryWorld War II heroines with ¿the Right Stuff¿Based on personal interviews with the nine who were still alive as of 2000, on papers and diaries, and on interviews and correspondence with descendants and others who knew them. This book tells the story of the WAFS, who they were, how they are different from the WASPs (Women Airforce Service Pilots), and how they ultimately became part of the WASPs. A must reference book for libraries in aviation communities, but it reads like a novel. Second Edition, Revised and Updated.

Download or read book Command Of The Air written by General Giulio Douhet and published by Pickle Partners Publishing. This book was released on 2014-08-15 with total page 620 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the pantheon of air power spokesmen, Giulio Douhet holds center stage. His writings, more often cited than perhaps actually read, appear as excerpts and aphorisms in the writings of numerous other air power spokesmen, advocates-and critics. Though a highly controversial figure, the very controversy that surrounds him offers to us a testimonial of the value and depth of his work, and the need for airmen today to become familiar with his thought. The progressive development of air power to the point where, today, it is more correct to refer to aerospace power has not outdated the notions of Douhet in the slightest In fact, in many ways, the kinds of technological capabilities that we enjoy as a global air power provider attest to the breadth of his vision. Douhet, together with Hugh “Boom” Trenchard of Great Britain and William “Billy” Mitchell of the United States, is justly recognized as one of the three great spokesmen of the early air power era. This reprint is offered in the spirit of continuing the dialogue that Douhet himself so perceptively began with the first edition of this book, published in 1921. Readers may well find much that they disagree with in this book, but also much that is of enduring value. The vital necessity of Douhet’s central vision-that command of the air is all important in modern warfare-has been proven throughout the history of wars in this century, from the fighting over the Somme to the air war over Kuwait and Iraq.

Download or read book Beaufighters Over Sea Sand and Steaming Jungles written by Jack Colman and published by Fonthill Media. This book was released on 2019-12-08 with total page 424 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In October 1943, Jack Colman changed from Liberators to Beaufighters and was selected for Torbeau training in Scotland. He joined a strike wing at North Coates attacking North Sea convoys off the coast of Holland. Later, Jack and his Beaufighter were sent to the Far East where he was deployed to fly out of Assam over Burma supporting the Forgotten Army. Midway through the tour, they converted to Mosquitoes - a change he was not particularly happy about. After a short rest converting pilots to Mosquitoes, he felt lucky to be put in charge of a small unit flying service personnel to various venues in southern India. Jack's enthusiasm for flying is maintained and his lucky escapes documented. His fascination with the cultural and social experiences gained in India leaves its mark as he comments on the privileges he experiences, now as a commissioned officer, and of the wealth chasm between the princes and the poor of India. This is a book not just about flying but how one man and his comrades lived through those unique and special times.

Download or read book Ferry Command Pilot written by Donald M. McVicar and published by Dorval, Quebec : Ad Astra Books. This book was released on 1990 with total page 149 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book South Atlantic Safari written by Capt Donald M McVicar Obe and published by . This book was released on 2015-08-22 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1981, Captain Don McVicar, KC, OBE, published "Ferry Command" which described his dangerous flying adventures in the service of the Royal Air Force Ferry Command, a secret organization based at Dorval airport, near Montreal, Canada. It was the first of thirteen well-received volumes of his turbulent life in the Golden Age of Aviation. When "Ferry Command" sold out, its publisher, Airlife in Great Britain, did not print a second edition, so Capt. McVicar divided it into "Ferry Command Pilot" and "South Atlantic Safari" adding new material to both, and self-published them in 1990. While "Ferry Command Pilot" is a tale of the Arctic and brutal flying over the frigid North Atlantic, "South Atlantic Safari" soars over the warm Caribbean, the jungles of South America, the equatorial South Atlantic, touching down on the burning deserts of Egypt. Capt. McVicar must master the sleek but dangerous B-26 Marauder which had earned the nickname "Widow Maker" due to its high accident rate. He is charged with delivering the first American-built bomber to the battle front of the RAF in Africa. Capt. McVicar's writing style was very much cherished by aviation enthusiasts from all walks of life, who often remarked that they felt as if they were right there in the cockpit with him, wrestling the temperamental aircraft to keep it from falling from the sky. This edition marks the return of the second half of this classic tale of a secret but vital wartime organization to the world. "Ferry Command Pilot" was published by Words on Wings Press in June 2015 to commemorate what would have been Capt. McVicar's 100th birthday. The foreword is written by the navigator of that historic B-26 Marauder delivery to Africa, F/L E.E. "Ted" Biss, RCAF. The addition by the author of little-known histories of three other ferrying organizations--the British Air Transport Auxiliary, Consairways, and Pan American Air Ferries--adds even more historical value to this tale, as does a comprehensive index compiled by the editor, Donna McVicar Kazo, along with a list of all RAFFC aircrew and groundcrew mentioned in the book. Some photographs were supplied by William VanDerKloot, producer/director of "Flying the Secret Sky, The Story of the RAF Ferry Command" as the tale of his father, Capt. William VanDerKloot's service as Prime Minister Winston Churchill's pilot is interwoven with Capt. McVicar's.

Download or read book North Atlantic Crossroads written by Darrell Hillier and published by . This book was released on 2021-08-16 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: North Atlantic Crossroads chronicles the activities of the Royal Air Force Ferry Command Gander unit during WWII. Includes a detailed bibliography, index, endnotes, and fifty photographs.

Download or read book Air Force Combat Units of World War II written by Maurer Maurer and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 1961 with total page 520 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book A Human Error Approach to Aviation Accident Analysis written by Douglas A. Wiegmann and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-12-22 with total page 174 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Human error is implicated in nearly all aviation accidents, yet most investigation and prevention programs are not designed around any theoretical framework of human error. Appropriate for all levels of expertise, the book provides the knowledge and tools required to conduct a human error analysis of accidents, regardless of operational setting (i.e. military, commercial, or general aviation). The book contains a complete description of the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS), which incorporates James Reason's model of latent and active failures as a foundation. Widely disseminated among military and civilian organizations, HFACS encompasses all aspects of human error, including the conditions of operators and elements of supervisory and organizational failure. It attracts a very broad readership. Specifically, the book serves as the main textbook for a course in aviation accident investigation taught by one of the authors at the University of Illinois. This book will also be used in courses designed for military safety officers and flight surgeons in the U.S. Navy, Army and the Canadian Defense Force, who currently utilize the HFACS system during aviation accident investigations. Additionally, the book has been incorporated into the popular workshop on accident analysis and prevention provided by the authors at several professional conferences world-wide. The book is also targeted for students attending Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University which has satellite campuses throughout the world and offers a course in human factors accident investigation for many of its majors. In addition, the book will be incorporated into courses offered by Transportation Safety International and the Southern California Safety Institute. Finally, this book serves as an excellent reference guide for many safety professionals and investigators already in the field.

Download or read book The Women with Silver Wings written by Katherine Sharp Landdeck and published by Crown Publishing Group (NY). This book was released on 2020 with total page 450 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The thrilling true story of the daring female aviators who helped the United States win World War II--only to be forgotten by the country they served. When Japanese planes executed a sneak attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Cornelia Fort was already in the air. At twenty-two, Cornelia had escaped Nashville's debutante scene for a fresh start as a flight instructor in Hawaii. She and her student were in the middle of their lesson when the bombs began to fall, and they barely made it back to ground that morning. Still, when the U.S. Army Air Forces put out a call for women pilots to aid the war effort, Cornelia was one of the first to respond. She became one of just over 1,100 women from across the nation to make it through the Army's rigorous selection process and earn her silver wings. In The Women with Silver Wings, historian Katherine Sharp Landdeck introduces us to these young women as they meet even-tempered, methodical Nancy Love and demanding visionary Jacqueline Cochran, the trailblazing pilots who first envisioned sending American women into the air, and whose rivalry would define the Women Airforce Service Pilots. For women like Cornelia, it was a chance to serve their country--and to prove that women aviators were just as skilled and able as men. While not authorized to serve in combat, the WASP helped train male pilots for service abroad and ferried bombers and pursuits across the country. Thirty-eight of them would not survive the war. But even taking into account these tragic losses, Love and Cochran's social experiment seemed to be a resounding success--until, with the tides of war turning and fewer male pilots needed in Europe, Congress clipped the women's wings. The program was disbanded, the women sent home. But the bonds they'd forged never failed, and over the next few decades, they came together to fight for recognition as the military veterans they were--and for their place in history.

Download or read book Nancy Batson Crews written by Sarah Byrn Rickman and published by University of Alabama Press. This book was released on 2009-08-02 with total page 231 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A riveting oral history/biography of a pioneering woman aviator. This is the story of an uncommon woman--high school cheerleader, campus queen, airplane pilot, wife, mother, politician, business-woman--who epitomizes the struggles and freedoms of women in 20th-century America, as they first began to believe they could live full lives and demanded to do so. World War II offered women the opportunity to contribute to the work of the country, and Nancy Batson Crews was one woman who made the most of her privileged beginnings and youthful talents and opportunities. In love with flying from the time she first saw Charles Lindbergh in Birmingham, (October 1927), Crews began her aviation career in 1939 as one of only five young women chosen for Civilian Pilot Training at the University of Alabama. Later, Crews became the 20th woman of 28 to qualify as an "Original" Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS) pilot, employed during World War II shuttling P-38, P-47, and P-51 high-performance aircrafts from factory to staging areas and to and from maintenance and training sites. Before the war was over, 1,102 American women would qualify to fly Army airplanes. Many of these female pilots were forced out of aviation after the war as males returning from combat theater assignments took over their roles. But Crews continued to fly, from gliders to turbojets to J-3 Cubs, in a postwar career that began in California and then resumed in Alabama. The author was a freelance journalist looking to write about the WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) when she met an elderly, but still vital, Nancy Batson Crews. The former aviatrix held a reunion of the surviving nine WAFS for an interview with them and Crews, recording hours of her own testimony and remembrance before Crews's death from cancer in 2001. After helping lead the fight in the '70s for WASP to win veteran status, it was fitting that Nancy Batson Crews was buried with full military honors.

Download or read book Ferry Pilot written by Kerry McCauley and published by . This book was released on 2022-06-16 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Kerry McCauley has the job most pilots only dream of; delivering small used aircraft to locations around the world. In his 30 years an international ferry pilot, Kerry has delivered almost every kind of airplane you can name to almost every location you can think of. In his long career Kerry battled fuel system malfunctions over the Atlantic, a total electrical failure at night over the Sahara, getting lost over Africa and being struck by lightning off the coast of Portugal. Kerry's almost insatiable, reckless quest for danger and adventure also led to putting international smuggler and bank robber on his resume. Kerry found the answer to the question "what could possibly go wrong?" time and time again. But his skill, ingenuity and luck were what allowed him to survive the countless mishaps, catastrophes and close calls including a nearly fatal plane crash. While "Ferry Pilot" is an account of one man's crazy thirst for thrills and adventure, his coming to grips with the dangerous nature of his career and just how much he wants to test the depth of his luck bag. It's also a portrait of the perseverance and bravery of a devoted family man who lost many close friends and his first wife to the dangerous skies.

Download or read book Pilot s Information File written by United States. Army Air Forces War Department and published by . This book was released on 1945 with total page 262 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book WASP of the Ferry Command written by Sarah Byrn Rickman and published by University of North Texas Press. This book was released on 2016-03-15 with total page 463 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: WASP of the Ferry Command is the story of the women ferry pilots who flew more than nine million miles in 72 different aircraft—115,000 pilot hours—for the Ferrying Division, Air Transport Command, during World War II. In the spring of 1942, Col. William H. Tunner lacked sufficient male pilots to move vital trainer aircraft from the factory to the training fields. Nancy Love found 28 experienced women pilots who could do the job. They, along with graduates of the Army's flight training school for women--established by Jacqueline Cochran--performed this duty until fall 1943, when manufacture of trainers ceased. In December 1943 the women ferry pilots went back to school to learn to fly high-performance WWII fighters, known as pursuits. By January 1944 they began delivering high performance P-51s, 47s, and 39s. Prior to D-Day and beyond, P-51s were crucial to the air war over Germany. They had the range to escort B-17s and B-24s from England to Berlin and back on bombing raids that ultimately brought down the German Reich. Getting those pursuits to the docks in New Jersey for shipment abroad became these women's primary job. Ultimately, more than one hundred WASP pursuit pilots were engaged in this vital movement of aircraft.

Download or read book Pilots in Command written by Kristofer Pierson and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: