Blades the Autobiography of a Rescue-Helicopter Pilot


Book Description

This four-part novel follows the life of a teenage boy over five years, taking him from Darwin, in Australia's tropical north, to California's wilderness. In "Street Kid," we meet 12-year-old Julian Moreland and his widowed father, Craig, a military helicopter pilot. Craig's decision to retire from the army and accept employment south in Melbourne as a civilian pilot turns to tragedy. Julian finds himself alone and homeless, until he saves the life of a baby girl and is taken in by her wealthy family. At age 17, and newly qualified as a helicopter pilot, Julian saves the lives of three more children, including two American boys lost in the mountains of southeastern Australia, in "High Country." He also meets the love of his life, Alison, the missing boys' sister. Invited to visit Los Angeles by the parents of the rescued boys, Julian finds himself flying helicopter missions during a wildfire emergency in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, saving even more lives. Meanwhile, love continues to blossom between him and Alison, his American sweetheart, in "California Dreaming." When Julian returns to Australia, his world begins to fall apart, as the traumas of his past catch up with him. It is only after a serious act of violence against a close friend, that Julian starts the long road back to controlling his life in "Aftermath."




Rescue Pilot


Book Description

Naval aviator Dan McKinnon recounts the dramatic at-sea rescues conducted during his anything-but-peaceful peacetime service in the US Navy from 1956-1959. Rescue accounts include an ejected test-pilot; a crew member washed overboard their air carrier flight deck; and an amazing mission in the Red China Seas. The long shipboard assignments common to Navy history of time period are also portrayed along with details of flight training and survival training.







Britannica Student Encyclopedia


Book Description

Entertaining and informative, the newly updated Britannica Student Encyclopedia helps children gain a better understanding of their world. Updated for 2015, more than 2,250 captivating articles cover everything from Barack Obama to video games. Children are sure to immerse themselves in 2,700 photos, charts, and tables that help explain concepts and subjects, as well as 1,200 maps and flags from across the globe. Britannica Student is curriculum correlated and a recent winner of the 2008 Teachers Choice Award and 2010 AEP Distinguished achievement award.




The Official Illustrated History of RAF Search and Rescue


Book Description

In February 2016 the RAF's Search and Rescue Force (SARF) celebrated its 75th anniversary. In June that year the world-renowned and universally admired service was officially disbanded, despite attempts from many, including HRH Prince William, to save it as part of the RAF. This book is an official, fully illustrated, in-depth account of the SARF's rich and glorious history, from its origins in World War II through to its recent withdrawal. The book contains a foreword by HRH Prince William himself, plus action-packed and awe-inspiring photographs from the RAF's archive of photographs and exclusive interviews with former crewmembers, telling their own dramatic stories of derring-do. Officially endorsed by the RAF, An Illustrated History of the RAF Search and Rescue Force is the first, and probably the only, major book of its kind written on this subject. It is an essential purchase for anyone with an interest in military history, British history, the Royal Family and those who love stories of extreme and daring rescue missions.




Black Cat 2-1


Book Description

“This moving memoir about the gritty life of a military helicopter pilot fills a gap in the genre of Vietnam literature.”—Foreword Reviews In the Vietnam War, 2,197 helicopter pilots and 2,717 crew members were killed. Black Cat 2-1 is the story of one pilot who made it home and the valiant men he served with who risked their lives for the troops on the ground. Bob Ford invites readers into the Huey helicopters he flew on more than 1,000 missions when he and his men dared to protect and rescue. For those whose voices were silenced in that faraway place or who have never told their stories, he creates a tribute that reads like a thriller, captures the humor of men at war, and resounds with respect for those who served with honor. An Oklahoma Book Award Finalist “Bob Ford’s account of his year in the command seat of his ship of salvation is a priceless contribution to the literary canon of that war.”—David A. Maurer, Special Forces veteran, author of The Dying Place “[Ford] brings to life his story so the reader can experience what it may have been like—and how the troops felt at the time. With moments that feel like they were written for a movie, Black Cat 2-1 will take you in the air over Vietnam and through some of the hardest missions you could expect.”—Week99er “This memoir is hard to beat.”—Air & Space/Smithsonian “Capably written.”—Publishers Weekly “Refreshing . . . evocative descriptions of combat flying.”—The VVA Veteran




Price of Exit


Book Description

"The risk of a fatal catastrophe was constant. The NVA was the enemy, but the ultimate opponent was, quite simply, death. . . ." For assault helicopter crews flying in and around the NVA-infested DMZ, the U.S. pullout from Vietnam in 1970-71 was a desperate time of selfless courage. Now former army warrant officer Tom Marshall of the Phoenix, C Company, 158th Aviation Battalion, 101st Airborne, captures the deadly mountain terrain, the long hours flown under enormous stress, the grim determination of hardened pilots combat-assaulting through walls of antiaircraft fire, the pickups amid exploding mortar shells and hails of AK fire, the nerve-racking string extractions of SOG teams from North Vietnam. . . . And, through it all, the rising tension as helicopter pilots and crews are lost at an accelerating pace. It is no coincidence that the Phoenix was one of the most highly decorated assault helicopter units in I Corps. For as the American departure accelerated and the enemy added new, more powerful antiaircraft weapons, the helicopter pilots, crew chiefs, and gunners paid the heavy price of withdrawal in blood. For more than 30 Percent of Tom Marshall's 130 helicopter-school classmates, the price of exit was their lives. . . .




Dangerous Days, the Autobiography of a Photojournalist


Book Description

This four-part novel follows the lives and adventures of three teenage boys, from Victoria, Australia, to the seat of government in Whitehall, England, during eleven turbulent months. In Storm Ridge, we meet 14-year-old Wesley, his best friend, Graham, and their worst enemy, Scott. A class hiking trip turns to disaster as Wesley, Graham and Scott are trapped on a snow-capped mountain with nine others and forced to lay aside their differences for a chance at survival. Months later, on a camping trip with Wesley's cousins, the three experience a terrifying game of cat-and-mouse with violent drug traffickers, in Paddle Hard. Emily, an exchange student from England, becomes the kidnapping target of foreign terrorists after a failed assassination attempt on her father in Paris. Guided by an aboriginal tribal elder, the boys follow her captors through the remote desert as they plan to rescue her before it is too late, in Outback Heroes. And when Wesley and Graham travel to England as Emily's guests, they're determined to discover how the terrorists were able to find Emily in the vast Australian outback. What's uncovered is an appalling, twisted history of cruelty, betrayal, and attempted murder as the Enemies Within are finally revealed. Author Bio: Author J. William Turner was born the youngest of three children in Reading, England. His family immigrated to south-eastern Australia during the mid-1960s where he attended school and began working for the Australian Commonwealth Public Service in Melbourne and Geelong. Dangerous Days is his second published novel.




100 Inventions That Made History


Book Description

Incredible inventions and inspiring innovations have transformed the world today, so you can't imagine life without them! This tour through time tracks the brilliant breakthroughs of great geniuses starting with ancient times and ending in the modern era. Packed full of awesome ideas, from airplanes, batteries, and chocolate, to video games, wheels, and X-rays, you'll hear the inside story on the brainwaves behind them all. You'll meet the masters of invention who dreamed up the greatest gadgets and gizmos ever. From the everyday essentials we take for granted to fabulous firsts like the car and the television, this roll call of history's most groundbreaking inventions is guaranteed to educate, engage, and entertain the whole family. Part of DK's best-selling top 100 in History series, 100 Inventions That Made History presents an in-depth exploration of each important invention in unprecedented detail with eye-catching visuals and informative text, while stunning galleries reveal a selection of mind-blowing inventions on a shared theme. Also included are the disastrous prototypes that never got off the ground and the futuristic fantasies that may soon be up and running. Open your eyes to a world of wonder... and who knows, you might become the trailblazer of tomorrow!




Danger Close


Book Description

"A memoir of active combat by an elite female helicopter pilot stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan vividly describes her division's high-risk battles and the ways they were challenged to perform under extreme duress, sharing additional insights into her experiences as a woman in a male-dominated unit, "--NoveList.