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Confessions of a Phantom Pilot

Author : Tug Wilson

Publisher : Fonthill Media

Page : 344 pages

File Size : 20,5 MB

Release : 2021-12-02

Category : Biography & Autobiography

ISBN :

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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!



Confessions of a Flying Instructor

Author : Tug Wilson

Publisher : Fonthill Media

Page : 276 pages

File Size : 36,38 MB

Release : 2023-04-16

Category : History

ISBN :

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Book Description

After surviving three years flying the RAF’s greatest and scariest fighter (the mighty Phantom), Tug Wilson tried his hand at teaching some of the flying skills he probably should have known when he was on the Cold War front-line. Despite being slightly more mature and having the responsibility of teaching, and looking after, trainee pilots and navigators in the cockpit of a Hawk fast-jet trainer, Wilson manages to almost kill himself (again) and at least one of his students. This book build on the insecurities, amazement, and pure unadulterated joy that the author felt while flying aircraft in his beloved RAF. It is an open and honest account of his professional and personal life, much in the style of his first book―'Confessions of a Phantom Pilot’ (which has been described as a “Cracking good read” by Tug, his family, and all his mates from the Phantom that were happy to be mentioned in it. Ever wondered what a fast-jet pilot goes through while learning the intricacies of air-defence and low-level flying? Or even how to cheat in air combat? ‘Confessions of a Flying Instructor’ is a personal examination of an often overlooked aspect of the RAF.



Harrier: How To Be a Fighter Pilot

Author : Paul Tremelling

Publisher : Penguin UK

Page : 0 pages

File Size : 37,41 MB

Release : 2023-05-30

Category : Transportation

ISBN : 9781405951937

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Book Description

Discover the exhilarating first-hand account of one man's white-knuckle life as a fighter pilot with the Royal Navy Sea Harriers 'A searingly honest, keenly observed, well written and extremely funny military memoir . . . A must read' RAF NEWS 'An outstanding first-hand account from inside the cockpit, told with flair and humour' JOHNNY MERCER MP, author of We Were Warriors 'Puts you in the cockpit for carrier landings, missile firings and some of the most intense close air support stories imaginable' MIKE SUTTON, author of Typhoon _________ Paul Tremelling spent nearly twenty years with the Royal Navy's Sea Harriers, charged with standing in the way of Her Majesty's enemies. In the cockpit or crew room, the pressure was relentless, the humour merciless. It's no place for the faint-hearted. Whether landing on a pitching aircraft carrier deck in the middle of the night or screaming in to save the lives of heroes under fire in Afghanistan, there was no room for self-doubt; only honesty, confidence and do-or-die hard truth. Combining visceral action with sharp intelligence, laced with acerbic humour, Harrier pulls no punches in bringing to life the hi-octane, unforgiving world of the fighter pilot, in the air and on the ground. Strap-in . . . _________ 'Mad, bad and dangerous to know . . . Tremelling lights the burners in an extraordinary memoir that leaves most military memoirs sitting behind in the hangar' JAMES BRABAZON, author of My Friend the Mercenary 'This isn't a book for the faint-hearted. It is a book for anyone who appreciates insight into how a fighter pilot trains, trains more, thinks (fast), handles the aircraft and onboard tech . . . then fights' FLYER 'Tremmers puts you in the cockpit for carrier landings, missile firings and some of the most intense close air support sorties imaginable. Insightful, laced with humour, and highly recommended' MIKE SUTTON, author of Typhoon 'An inspiring, enlightening and thrilling insight into how modern aviators earn their pay. The stories from Afghanistan alone are justification enough to read this brilliant book. A masterpiece' PAUL BEAVER, author of Spitfire People 'A memoir that reads like a fast-paced thriller. Harrier launches straight onto the classics shelf of aviation literature' JOHN TEMPLETON SMITH, author of White Lie



Honor Denied

Author : Allen Cates

Publisher : iUniverse

Page : 177 pages

File Size : 40,5 MB

Release : 2011-11-11

Category : History

ISBN : 1462057470

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Book Description

Air America flight crews, hired as civilians, but castigated as mercenaries, malcontents, and psychopaths, operated military aircraft and performed yeoman service for twenty-five years until the war in Southeast Asia ended on a rooftop in downtown Saigon. They have never been recognized for their sacrifices. Author and former Air America pilot Allen Cates cuts through the myths and subterfuge surrounding this elite stealth Air Force used by the United States to fight a secret war in Honor Denied. The culmination of Catess years as a pilot and his in-depth research into Air Americas murky past, this intense study follows his escape from rural, small-town America to the US Marines, as well as his time as an officer and pilot flying combat operations in Vietnam and rescue missions for Air America. Peppering the narrative with vivid personal details, Cates describes the background and purpose of this unique organization and then discloses the startling casualtiesboth those killed in action and those wounded and injured with permanent disability. He shines the light on their cause, long hidden from the general public, and reveals how these brave men and women were denied recognition and benefits by those who knew the truth, including the US President, secretaries of state and defense, and even the director of the CIA. Proud, yet never boastful, Honor Denied tells a story that needs to be toldand heard.



Fighters in the Blood

Author : Black' Robertson

Publisher : Air World

Page : pages

File Size : 24,68 MB

Release : 2020-12-19

Category : Biography & Autobiography

ISBN : 9781526784865

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Book Description

This is no ordinary memoir. Moving back and forth through time, two stories with fascinating parallels gradually unfold. One is of a Second World War Spitfire ace whose flying career came to a premature end when he was shot down and lost an eye, the other is about his progeny, a second generation fighter pilot who rose to the rank of air marshal. There were times when the lives of both father and son, 'Robbie' and 'Black' Robertson, hung in the balance - occasions when survival was simply a matter of luck. The narrative is unique in its use of two separate and distinct voices. The author's own reminiscences are interwoven with those of his father recorded more than thirty years ago. Intensely personal and revealing, controversial too at times, this memoir is above all about people. There is a final irony though. The son spent a lifetime training for the ultimate examination - one that despite strictly limited preparation his father passed with flying colors. To Black Robertson's eternal regret, he was never able to put his own training to the test. His father was awarded the DFC and retired as a flight lieutenant after five years or so. He himself served for nearly thirty-six years, earned a Queen's Commendation, an OBE and CBE and served as an ADC to HM The Queen. But after reaching almost the top of the RAF tree, in one important sense he retired unfulfilled; his mettle was never tested under fire. Anyone interested to know more about flying, about the RAF, about leadership, about character even, need look no further than this beautifully crafted, immensely readable account.



A Cold War Fighter Pilot in Peacetime and War

Author : Derek J. Sharp

Publisher : Fonthill Media

Page : 396 pages

File Size : 29,24 MB

Release : 2019-03-19

Category : History

ISBN :

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Book Description

— Historically rich in detail with previously unpublished photographs — A must-have for military enthusiasts, historians, modellers and those interested in the complexities of aircraft design and manoeuvres during the Cold War — A fascinating and eye-opening memoir that will appeal to fliers and non-fliers alike on how to fly the fastest jets in the RAF This is the remarkable and true story of Squadron Leader Derek J. Sharp and his incredible adventures. Nothing perhaps was more astonishing than his survival after striking a mallard duck at 500 mph and his subsequent return to pilot in command. That he survived to the age of thirty was astonishing; that he continued unashamedly on to a ripe old age was nothing short of a miracle. Conceivably, he followed the advice written on a fridge magnet in his kitchen: ‘Never drive faster than your guardian angel can fly’. This fascinating book follows the adventures of Sharp from schoolboy to highly respected aviator. He flew fighters and nuclear bombers, finally seeing action in the first Gulf War flying defenceless transport jets close to the Iraq border. Sharp consequently survived Saddam Hussein’s Scuds and American Patriot missiles – ‘friendly fire’ aimed directly at the author. He flew Her Majesty The Queen and lived in a time long before political correctness, the breathalyser and motorcar safety checks. He achieved all that he set out to do, and more. That would undoubtedly be his epitaph…



Thud Pilot

Author : Victor Vizcarra

Publisher :

Page : 160 pages

File Size : 46,12 MB

Release : 2018-01-19

Category : Thunderchief (Jet fighter plane)

ISBN : 9781781556450

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Book Description

Thud Pilot is the personal account of a combat fighter pilot who flew the Air Force's premier fighter-bomber in the most dangerous skies over North Vietnam. In the first five years of the Vietnam War, the F-105 Thunderchief conducted 75 percent of the Air Force bombing missions over North Vietnam. Thud Pilot tells the story of the courageous men who flew the F-105 from its earliest combat deployment in 1964, and on through 1966, the year of its heaviest losses. The author's more significant missions, including his ejection and rescue over North Vietnam are described in detail and are accompanied by map drawings depicting the mission routes from take-off to refueling orbits, the target, and return. The book is full of several 'firsts' in the expanding air war over North Vietnam, including 'Operation Spring High, ' the first counter Surface-to-Air-Missile (SAM) strike in the history of aerial warfare. The personal perspective from years of combat experience reveals just how the political mismanagement and inane Rules of Engagement made them as much the hunted as they were the hunters. Thud Pilot goes beyond the battle air space and shares the emotional impact on the families left behind.



War for the Hell of It

Author : Ed Cobleigh

Publisher :

Page : 276 pages

File Size : 11,9 MB

Release : 2016-05-03

Category : Fighter pilots

ISBN : 9781629670720

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Book Description

What's it like to fight an unwinnable war? What's Mach 2? What does night ground attack feel like? How was the Phantom to fly? It's all here, the sights, sounds, smells, violence, political frustrations, the terror and triumph of survival in the sky over Vietnam. Death in the air but exotic pleasures available back on base in Thailand. Live it n



Per Ardua

Author : David Gledhill

Publisher : Fonthill Media

Page : 403 pages

File Size : 30,51 MB

Release : 2019-09-17

Category : History

ISBN :

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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.



Flying Freestyle

Author : Jerry Pook

Publisher : Pen and Sword Aviation

Page : 0 pages

File Size : 47,85 MB

Release : 2009

Category : Air pilots, Military

ISBN : 9781844158249

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Book Description

During a twenty-five year flying career in the RAF, Jerry Pook has flown Hunter Fighter/Ground Attack aircraft in the Gulf, Harriers in West Germany, the supersonic Starfighter with the Dutch Air Force, the Harrier in Belize, Central America and the Tornado bomber at the Tri-national Tornado Training Establishment where he trained German and Italian pilots and navigators. Jerry had a long relationship with the Harrier Fighter/Ground Attack vertical take-off aircraft. This he flew in West Germany at the height of the Cold War operating from Wildenrath and off-base operations with Field Wing operations based in the fields and woods of the German countryside. Jerry saw action during the Falklands War when based on HMS Hermes and flying one of the few RAF Harriers in the Ground Attack role in support of the troops fighting ashore. He then enjoyed flying the American-built Starfighter RF 104G during a 3 year exchange tour with the Dutch Air Force - he describes the Starfighter as ' beautiful to fly, smooth and sophisticated, supremely fast and powerful - if you took liberties with it you knew it would kill you in an instant.' After 3 years with No 1(Fighter) Squadron and again flying the Harrier he moved to the then new Tornado, flying in its bomber role. This he continued to fly operationally and in the instructional role for 13 years until grounded from military flying for medical reasons.