Author: William T. Creech
Publisher: AuthorHouse
ISBN: 1420844725
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 226
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Book Description
This Book is a story of the life and times of a professional Fighter pilot. Where did he come from? What are the early life experiences that effected his abilities and capabilities to be a Great Fighter Pilot? What characteristics of a person and his experiences are important in becoming a leader of men and of becoming a superb fighter pilot? Why does this fighter pilot relegate himself to being the Third Best Fighter Pilot, rather than the first best? What is it like to be shot down in the jungles of North Burma, alone and with no help toward survival other than his own will? And later in that combat tour, how does one manage survival in the unending expanse of the Gobi Desert? What are the pressures that are forced upon the leader of a combat fighter squadron? How does he maintain a high morale in a unit when there are few positive factors available to assist? How are political pressures dealt with on a day to day basis? This book is a MUST READ for any young commander of fighter pilots. It's also a great read for those who are just interested in the subject of flying. The author's answers to all these questions are studies in perseverance, loyalty, dedication, and intense desire to do what many others would find impossible.
Author: Christina Olds
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 142992909X
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 417
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Book Description
Fighter Pilot is the memoir of legendary ace American fighter pilot and general officer in the U.S. Air Force, Robin Olds. Robin Olds was a larger-than-life hero with a towering personality. A graduate of West Point and an inductee in the National College Football Hall of Fame for his All-American performance for Army, Olds was one of the toughest college football players at the time. In WWII, Olds quickly became a top fighter pilot and squadron commander by the age of 22—and an ace with 12 aerial victories. But it was in Vietnam where the man became a legend. He arrived in 1966 to find a dejected group of pilots and motivated them by placing himself on the flight schedule under officers junior to himself, then challenging them to train him properly because he would soon be leading them. Proving he wasn't a WWII retread, he led the wing with aggressiveness, scoring another four confirmed kills, becoming a rare triple ace. Olds, who retired a brigadier general and died in 2007, was a unique individual whose personal story presents one of the most eagerly anticipated military books in recent memory. Please note: This ebook edition does not include the photo insert from the print edition.
Author: Erik Schmidt
Publisher: Casemate
ISBN: 1612008259
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 242
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Book Description
This myth-busting military biography reveals the true story of the legendary WWII German flying ace—and how his story was manipulated during the Cold War. Over the course of 1,404 wartime missions, Luftwaffe fighter pilot Erich Hartmann claimed a staggering 352 airborne kills. His storied career contains all the dramas you would expect: frostbitten fighter sweeps over the Eastern Front, drunken forays to Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest, a decade of imprisonment in the wretched Soviet POW camps, and further military service during the Cold War. Then, just as Hartmann’s career was faltering, he was adopted by a network of writers and commentators deeply invested in his reputation. These men, mostly Americans, published celebratory stories about Hartmann and his elite fraternity of Luftwaffe pilots. With each dogfight tale put into print, Hartmann’s legacy became loftier and more secure, and his complicated service in support of Nazism faded away. Black Tulip digs beneath this one-dimensional account of Hartmann’s life, revealing a man who was neither a full-blown Nazi nor an impeccable knight.
Author: Brian Shul
Publisher: Lickle Pub Incorporated
ISBN: 9780929823089
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 151
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Book Description
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.
Author: Eddie C. R. Baker
Publisher: Conran Octopus
ISBN:
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 256
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Book Description
Author: Robert D. Loomis
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 218
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Book Description
Author: Mac 'Serge' Tucker
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
ISBN: 1743318707
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 338
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Book Description
Sit down and strap yourself in for an exhilarating ride to the sound barrier and beyond with a real life Topgun!
Author: Mike Spick
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1510754369
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 264
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Book Description
Get in the cockpit with some of the greatest German flying aces of all time! In this exciting book, Mike Spick shows how the Luftwaffe's leading fighter pilots were able to outscore their allied counterparts so effectively and completely during World War II. When the records of the Jagdflieger pilots became available after the war, they were initially greeted with incredulity—the highest claim was for 352 kills, and more than one hundred pilots had recorded more than one hundred victories. However, post-war research proved that these claims had in fact been made in good faith and confirmation had only been given after rigorous checking. To discover the secret of this success, aviation history expert Mike Spick examines the exploits of these aces and sets out the context in which they took place. Every major theatre is covered in detail including the conditions peculiar to each: climate, relative numerical and qualitative strengths, the presence or absence of radar and other measures, and the relative merits of the planes being flown. He focuses on the methods and tactics used by individual aces and uses first-hand sources wherever possible to put the reader right alongside the pilot in the cockpit.
Author: Clarence E. "Bud" Anderson
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
ISBN: 1524563420
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 576
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Book Description
Bud Anderson is a flyers flyer. The Californians enduring love of flying began in the 1920s with the planes that flew over his fathers farm. In January 1942, he entered the Army Air Corps Aviation Cadet Program. Later after he received his wings and flew P-39s, he was chosen as one of the original flight leaders of the new 357th Fighter Group. Equipped with the new and deadly P-51 Mustang, the group shot down five enemy aircraft for each one it lost while escorting bombers to targets deep inside Germany. But the price was high. Half of its pilots were killed or imprisoned, including some of Buds closest friends. In February 1944, Bud Anderson, entered the uncertain, exhilarating, and deadly world of aerial combat. He flew two tours of combat against the Luftwaffe in less than a year. In battles sometimes involving hundreds of airplanes, he ranked among the groups leading aces with 16 aerial victories. He flew 116 missions in his old crow without ever being hit by enemy aircraft or turning back for any reason, despite one life or death confrontation after another. His friend Chuck Yeager, who flew with Anderson in the 357th, says, In an airplane, the guy was a mongoosethe best fighter pilot I ever saw. Buds years as a test pilot were at least as risky. In one bizarre experiment, he repeatedly linked up in midair with a B-29 bomber, wingtip to wingtip. In other tests, he flew a jet fighter that was launched and retrieved from a giant B-36 bomber. As in combat, he lost many friends flying tests such as these. Bud commanded a squadron of F-86 jet fighters in postwar Korea, and a wing of F-105s on Okinawa during the mid-1960s. In 1970 at age 48, he flew combat strikes as a wing commander against communist supply lines. To Fly and Fight is about flying, plain and simple: the joys and dangers and the very special skills it demands. Touching, thoughtful, and dead honest, it is the story of a boy who grew up living his dream.
Author: Jerry W. Cook
Publisher: McGraw Hill Professional
ISBN: 0071630619
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 238
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Book Description
* 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.
