› › The Phantom Pilot

Confessions of a Phantom Pilot

Author : Tug Wilson

Publisher : Fonthill Media

Page : 344 pages

File Size : 48,71 MB

Release : 2021-12-02

Category : Biography & Autobiography

ISBN :

Get eBook

Book Description

‘The Confessions of a Phantom Pilot’ is the true story of a young RAF pilot who gets his dream to fly the old dirty workhorse fighter of the Cold War. From the first flight where he thought the jet was trying to kill him, through to his final trip of leading eight aeroplanes on a front line fighter squadron, you will relive his thoughts, feelings and anxieties as he stumbles his way through each flight relying on a bit of skill and a lot of blind luck. In essence, it is a love letter to the Phantom from a star-struck boy who felt like he was way out of his depth at the beginning of their affair. You will share stories of the outrageous drinking culture that was a major part of Cold War front-line operations, and marvel at how he didn’t do himself some serious damage either in or out of the cockpit. This is how it feels to be a front-line fighter pilot – the triumphs and the disasters are all laid out here in a completely open and honest way as the author looks back with a certain sense of nostalgia and mild embarrassment. What a blast though!



F-4 Phantom

Author : Robert Prest

Publisher :

Page : 236 pages

File Size : 30,78 MB

Release : 2017-04-21

Category :

ISBN : 9781909269637

Get eBook

Book Description

'A stone cold classic. One of the best military aviaton memoirs ever written' Rowland White, author of Vulcan 607 'I only have to think Speed, and I am at 600 knots in seconds. Think Height and I am gazing down from a eight-mile-high perch within one minute. Think Freedom and I am wrested away from a dank, cold world, cloudbase at 300 feet, through a brief shock of cloud to emerge into a golden blue world, another dimension, crystal clear for miles and miles' Fighter Pilot. Robert Prest had never wanted to be anything else. And even as a boy he had set his sights on flying the awesome McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom. The big, twin-engined interceptor offered an irresistible combination of charisma, power and performance. Air combat, strike, gunnery, bombing and rocketry, the F-4 was jack-of-all-trades, master of most. From the lonely pursuit of Soviet intruders out over the North Sea and strength-sapping high-g dogfights, to maintaining Quick Reaction Alert on Germany's Eastern border, ready to scramble Battle Flight at a moment's notice, Prest and his fellow aviators stood toe-to-toe with a powerful opponent. But the defence of the West came at a cost, and comrades in arms would pay with their lives. No other book so vividly brings to life the high-pressure, high stakes, high-speed world of an RAF fighter pilot on the Cold War frontline. But it's more than that. In capturing a sense of the wonder and magic of flying, Prest's book ranks aviation classics from writers like Saint-ExupEry, Richard Bach, Cecil Lewis and Ernest Gann. 'The best book I've ever read about flying fast jets for the Cold War RAF. Both thrilling and elegaic, F-4 Phantom makes poetry of complex, exacting world of the fighter pilot. This is as close as you'll ever get to flying the Phantom yourself.' Rowland White, author of Vulcan 607 'What First Light does for Spitfires and the Battle of Britain, Robert Prest does for the F-4 Phantom in RAF service ... Superbly written.' Royal Aeronautical Society Insight Perfect for fans of books like Skyfaring, Apache, First Light, Tornado Down, Fate is the Hunter or Sagittarius Rising



Phantom Over Vietnam

Author : John Trotti

Publisher : iBooks

Page : 0 pages

File Size : 28,35 MB

Release : 2003

Category : Fighter pilots

ISBN : 9780743445351

Get eBook

Book Description

In his two separate tours in Vietnam, US Marine Corps pilot John Trotti was uniquely placed to see and experience the war in Vietnam from the war's early and optimistic days during his first tour, to the cynicism found in his second.



Per Ardua

Author : David Gledhill

Publisher : Fonthill Media

Page : 403 pages

File Size : 46,27 MB

Release : 2019-09-17

Category : History

ISBN :

Get eBook

Book Description

Flying the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom was a young man's dream but the path from "Civvy Street" to operational on a fighter squadron was long, arduous and beset with obstacles. To succeed meant the chance to fly one of the most iconic combat aircraft that ever took to the air but not every fledgling aviator who began the journey fulfilled their ambition to wear the coveted "Op. badge". "Per Ardua--Training an RAF Phantom Crew" describes how Cold War aircrew assimilated the skills needed to fly and fight the complex fighter jet. It follows the progress through every stage and explains why it cost millions to train each pilot and navigator. Philip Keeble and David Gledhill, both former Phantom aircrew, recount the challenges and the emotions encountered during the rigorous training process in a frank yet light hearted way that will leave you wondering how anyone achieved the goal.



Sherman Lead

Author : Gaillard R. Peck, Jr

Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing

Page : 337 pages

File Size : 20,36 MB

Release : 2019-03-21

Category : History

ISBN : 1472829395

Get eBook

Book Description

Written by a pilot who flew near-daily combat missions, this engrossing book is the story of one man, his colleagues and his machine, the mighty F-4 Phantom II, at war. Sherman Lead is the gripping story of a year flying the F-4 in combat during the Vietnam War, told through the eyes of a fighter pilot. Operating out of Ubon Royal Thai Air Base, Thailand in 1968–69, Gail Peck and his squadronmates in the 433rd Tactical Fighter Squadron of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing were tasked with flying combat missions into North Vietnam and Laos at this time as part of Operations Rolling Thunder and Steel Tiger. The F-4 was heavily involved in the air-to-ground mission at this time, with targets being well defended by enemy anti-aircraft artillery and surface-to-air missiles. Gail Peck's arrival in-theatre coincided with the beginning of electro-optical and laser guided 'smart' bomb combat operations. There were periods of fierce combat interspersed with lulls, and the fighting was intense and unforgettable to those who participated. Some men lived through it, and others died without a clear understanding of why.



US Marine Corps F-4 Phantom II Units of the Vietnam War

Author : Peter E. Davies

Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing

Page : 205 pages

File Size : 32,90 MB

Release : 2012-11-20

Category : History

ISBN : 1782003185

Get eBook

Book Description

Twenty-five US Marine Corps squadrons flew versions of the Phantom II and 11 of them used the aircraft in South-East Asia from May 1965 through to early 1973. Rather than the air-to-air missiles that were the main component in the original F-4 armament, these aircraft carried an ever-expanding range of weaponry. Some toted 24,500-lb bombs and others strafed with up to three 20 mm gun pods, while most flew daily sorties delivering napalm, Snakeye bombs and big Zuni rockets. Many US Marines holding small outpost positions in Laos and South Vietnam against heavy Viet Cong attack owed their lives to the Phantom II pilots who repeatedly drove off the enemy. The book will examine these missions in the context of US Marine Corps close-support doctrine, using the direct experience of a selection of the aircrew who flew and organised those missions.



Once A Fighter Pilot

Author : Jerry Cook

Publisher : McGraw Hill Professional

Page : 239 pages

File Size : 27,70 MB

Release : 2002-04-26

Category : History

ISBN : 0071399208

Get eBook

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.



Iranian F-4 Phantom II Units in Combat

Author : Farzad Bishop

Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing

Page : 150 pages

File Size : 44,84 MB

Release : 2012-11-20

Category : History

ISBN : 1782007083

Get eBook

Book Description

Different versions of the jet have provided the backbone of the frontline strength of the Iranian air force since the 1970s, and whole generations of Iranian pilots and ground personnel have been trained to fly and maintain them. Indeed, the type bore the brunt of active combat operations during the long war with Iraq. Iranian F-4 Phantom IIs were also some of best equipped examples ever exported by the USA. Some Iranian Phantom II pilots gathered immense experience on the type, flying it in combat for more than ten years. This book removes the veil of secrecy surrounding Iranian Phantom II operations since the war with Iraq.



Phantom in the River

Author : Gary Wayne Foster

Publisher : Hellgate Press

Page : 234 pages

File Size : 31,4 MB

Release : 2021-06

Category :

ISBN : 9781954163218

Get eBook

Book Description

In the early afternoon of May 14, 1967, a U.S. Navy F-4B Phantom II fighter jet, flown by Ev Southwick and Jack Rollins, launched from the USS Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier sailing in the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of North Vietnam. As part of a massive aerial attack against the infamous Thanh Hoa Bridge south of Hanoi, in an area known to American airmen as "Route Package IV," Southwick and Rollins flew a flak suppression mission against the bridge's formidable air defenses. Their Phantom came under deadly antiaircraft fire. The two men never returned to the carrier. Phantom in the River is the true, detailed account of the two airmen, their harrowing mission and survival, and their plane - the F-4B Phantom II - a masterpiece of American aviation the Vietnamese referred to as Con ma. Includes more than 50 rare photographs.



Phantom from the Cockpit

Author : Peter Caygill

Publisher : Casemate Publishers

Page : 221 pages

File Size : 49,16 MB

Release : 2006-03-19

Category : History

ISBN : 1783409630

Get eBook

Book Description

The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom was the outstanding aircraft in many of the Western World's air forces during the 1960s and 70s. It played a key role in the 'Cold War' and saw action in Vietnam. It first flew in 1958 and went into operation with the US Navy in 1960. During its long front-line life it flew in the roles of an interceptor, fighter-bomber and reconnaissance aircraft.Apart from giving a comprehensive overview of the Phantom's history, this book looks particularly at the experiences of the Royal Air Force and Fleet Air Arm when they received a new model designed with a British Rolls-Royce turbofan instead of the original American power-plant. All was not sweetness and light when the first trials commenced and this book traces its development and progression from being a carrier-based attack aircraft flown by the Fleet Air Arm to the many successful roles it played as a land-based aircraft with the RAF.