"The Crew" a good read
 

Just finished reading a pretty good book called "The Crew". It was written by an airline pilot called Michael Patrick Collins. The last few lines on the back say it all.

'The Crew offers an exciting roller coaster journey through the world of international espionage and corruption at the highest level.'

'The author, an airline pilot with 22,000 hours, has written a story leaning heavily on a lifetime in the air. The cynicism for management and the establishment, evident in these pages, is common amongst those who fly the line.'

'A book for pilots and for those who, if they could have their time again, would join them.'

Definately worth a read. I borrowed a copy off a mate who says Amazon sells them.

Anybody else out there read it?

good books
 

Virga,

I was thinking the other day that I should start a thread on good books for pilots to read ,I havn't read the crew but just finished a great book called "SKUNK WORKS" Its all about the late great Kelly Johnson who was the bloke resposible for the development of the F104, U2,YF-12,SR-71 and its written by the bloke who followed in his footsteps called Ben Rich who developed the Have Blue project stealth bomber,I think now in operation called the F-117.
An absolutely awsome read,lots of cold war secrets and its all in paperback,paid $15 for it from a local bookstore.
Highly recommended.
RWS888:E

I still believe Earnest K. Gaan said it all in "Fate is the Hunter" and with an eloquence that remains unequalled. "Young neophytes with their enormous watches and matching appendages..........."
Just brillant!! :ok:

VIRGA

I went to Dymocks and Angus & Robertson today and they don't have a listing for this book on their databases. Can you please have a look and advise what the ISBN code is so I can track it from there?

Thanks

For anyone interested, Mike is still a current QF pilot, one of the growing ranks of over 60's pilots on the 767 after coming back from the -400.

I haven't read the book but have no doubt it would be a great read and congratulate Mike on the achievement of simply getting it published. No mean feat..

G'day KLN94, the ISBN is 1-84426-291-X. Hope that helps. Otherwise definately available on Amazon on the net. Also their is a website for the publishers on the back. www.upfrontpublishing.com

Rearwheelster, I too have read SKUNKWORKS and yes it is. 'The Crew' is a fair bit different as it is not a biography but a cracking story to the end.

Cutest, pass on my congratulations to the Author please, as you're obviously an acquaintance.

Hornet's sting; Kentucky Blues; Piece of cake; A good clean fight; Goshawk Squadron; damned good show. All by Derek Robinson and excellent reads. So many more and so little time to savour.

If Mike's book reads anything like his articles in the Ops rag I bet it's going to be a cracker. Must hit him up for a freebie next time I see him (yeah I know, in my dreams)

Heat

Michael Patrick Collins - The Crew

Information

ISBN No.:
184426291X

Pages:
220

Price (£):
9.99

Format:
5 x 8 in or 203 x 127 mm Perfect Bound

What next?

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Synopsis:

An ageing reporter, consigned to a South American backwater covering an election in which nobody is interested, spends his last nights in a bar. Striking up a conversation with a mysterious stranger, he is told a story of death and destruction and of wealth beyond his dreams, a story of eight long weeks in the lives of three men. The ensuing tale involves the corrupt management of a bankrupt airline on the verge of collapse, and soon it is the three unwitting crew of one of their freighters that become pawns in a game of greed and murder. As the pressure builds they realise that the only way that they will survive is to take measures into their own hands. The Crew offers an exciting roller coaster journey through the world of international espionage and corruption at the highest level. The author, an airline pilot with 22,000 hours, has written a story leaning heavily on a lifetime in the air. The cynicism for management and the establishment, evident in these pages, is common amongst those who fly the line. A book for pilots and for those who, if they could have their time again, would join them.


Plot sounds chilingly familiar, your normal day in the prosecution of aviation for a living :E :{

They "print on demand" one book, or thousands. check out the site, I'm ordering a copy today. :ok: thanks for the tip.

Now if I can only find a copy of the "Skunk Works" at my local book exchange :)

SeldomFixit,
Another good one by Derek Robinson is "War Story" follows Lieutenant Paxton when he was posted to France in 1916, very funny at the same time serious book :ok:
It is a prequel to Goshawk Squadron.

I have just finished reading "Chickenhawk" by Robert Mason - Vietnam, Huey's and some pretty hair raising accounts of the missions they flew....

Definitely worth a read...:ok:

Great Books
 

"Chickenkawk", "Skunk Works", "Fate is the Hunter", "Yeager
" ! Could not put these books down. "Qantas Rising" was a little like pulling teeth but I battled on. :ok:

The One got me into this whole game was "Reach for the Sky" (the story of Douglas Bader WWII RAF spitty driver). It's one of the classics:cool:

Thanks W.O.F - one of his I haven't read but will now. It's his ability to paint the cynacism with dark humour that I enjoy in his work.

rearwhelsteer888, i read that book a while ago as well and thought it was fantastic!

does anybody know the name of the book written by the ex SR71 pilot? To the best of my understanding, it was what started the "ground speed" joke.

Cheers!

Brian Shul was the blokes name. His book was Sleddriver.

http://www.sleddriver.com/

Goodgle is such a wonderful thing when you know the name of the book!

Enjoy.

sled driver
 

Inverted FL,
Keg's got it in one ,exept he didn't mention that it cant be found for less than about $400,I've looked high and low and no joy,If someone has got a copy and feels like lending it to me,they could be sure that I would enjoy it emensley and return it in perfect condition...Promise.
RWS888:E

Aiming High
 

On the topics of good books - I'd recommend Aiming High by Jon Johanson to anyone who hasn't read it. For those who don't know, Jon is the Aussie fella who piloted NOJ (the RV-4) around the world twice.

Not your typical airline captain with 20000hrs - just an ordinary Aussie with extraordinary passion for flying!

Soulman.

Virga,

Thanks for the recommendation. I ordered it from amazon.com and finished reading it last night. The author sure didn't like airline executives!
It was great to see the Australian involvement in the book including ASIO and the Aussie SAS plus a look at Cabramatta's seedy Asian crime element.
:ok: :ok:

Thanks VIRGA

Just finished reading my copy which I got thru amazon - it was a great read - one of those books that keeps you hooked until the end.

Don't you hate it when all you want to do is read a great book and you keep getting interupted? Very frustrating.... sorry for the delay in posting this but I felt I must sing the book's praises publicly.

I wonder if the Author has plans to write a biography of his aviation career? He's obviously had a lot of experience to draw from in his life - hopefully I have as successful an avation career.

I would suggest everyone get a copy and have a read - good value and great time passer whether in between sectors or sitting out bush waiting for the next charter to pop up.

:ok:

Make that DOESN'T. Mike is still flogging up and down the coast in a 767. He was great to watch in full flight at an AIPA SGM a couple of years back. I don't think he's changed too much since then. For an 'over 60' bloke, he's still great to talk to! :E

Thanks, Virga, that was a good one indeed! For a similar pleasure try "Fate is the risk" by Gunther Goering (ISBN 3-929017-20-2) it is told a "tale", but in fact most of it is a true story and happened as written in there. I know and flew with at least four guys the book deals with, and they confirmed the true story! It is about shipping guns and other stuff from A to B and I read it in one go!!

Hahn sounds good. Will do.

Keg you seem to know Mr Collins quite well, do you know if he's writting or written another book at all? Wouldn't mind getting my hands on it.

another excellent read.. written by the other Mike Collins ( that is the Apollo 11 Command Model Pilot.. the one who stayed in orbit)
'Carrying the Fire'
Hard to track down but def. worth the effort..

sleddriver
 

Anyone bothered to check the price of the limited edition reprint of Sleddriver, ONLY $427-00 USD, OUCH

I too, am an Ernest K Gann fan. His writing has that fantastically evocative style which makes you want to jump up and say "ME TOO" What a writer.! However, I have recently read a book, just as evocative and in the same wonderful modest style.
It is "First Light" by Geofrfrey Wellum and will be available from your local library. It is the story of a young lad who joins the airforce and flies Spitfires. Before you run off with the idea that this is another, "I flew against the Hun" type of book...it is not.
it is the story of everybody who ever learned to fly...the Highs, the lows, and the downright heartbreaking. It is written in a beautifully modest and realistic style, and by the time you get to the end of the book he was only 21.!! To see what he had seen and done what he had done at 21 years of age is phenomenal. Do yourselves a favour and get it. If you can put it down after you have picked it up, then the beers are on me.

A good one is 'Winged Victory' by V.M. Yates, (or Yeats?).
It was written by a WW1 Camel pilot, and far from being Biggles-style escapism is a deeply moving story of a Camel squadron and its exploits in France. It seems to have been written in the spirit of putting down things as truthfully as possible, so it's easy to relate to the fears, excitement, war-weariness and so on that is portrayed, as it all reads so true.
Another excellent book is 'Wings on my sleeve' by Eric Brown (I think). He was a British fleet air arm pilot in WWII who went on to become a test pilot, flying all kinds of weird and wonderful machines, including testing some of the German types just after the war ended. A bunch of great stories, and well written.

Just thought I might send this up to the top again.

I don't know about anybody else but I enjoy a good read and everyone on this thread seems to be coming out with some pretty good ones.

Sled Driver is an absolute beauty. I bought one of the first editions from Napoleon's in Pitt St, I thought it was pricey at $75 or thereabouts. The new edition has lots more pics but $400+ ?!?!? RWS888 I'm sure you're an honourable type but I'm not letting my copy leave my study :ok:

"Going Downtown" by Col Jack Broughton is a good read, not sure if it's still in print. It's a better book than his earlier "Thud Ridge". Also about F-105s is Ken Bell's "100 Missions North" which is good.

Has anyone read Milt Thompson's book about the X-15? "At the Edge of Space" is the name. I have "Hypersonic" on the same topic which is good but it get a bit anorak-like in the details.

"Chickenhawk" I enjoyed. "Sea Harrier Over the Falklands" is a cracking read if you can get past Sharkey Ward's monumental ego....

Hi all,

Rearwhelsteer888 - Isn't the F-12 and the SR-71, twin and single seat versions of the same airplane?
The F-12 being the much better version in its hey-day!

Saw a heap of SR-71s and U-2s parked at Palmdale, California, (about 120 miles north of LA), where Lockheed assembled both the C-141 and the P-3C years ago during my days of post production test flying of the RAAFs new P-3Cs in mid '86.

I've read that book relating the designing, development, test flying and in-service life of both the F-12 and SR-71.

It's a really interesting read, a fantastic airplane!

Cheers

Try, 'Sigh For a Merlin' by Alex Henshaw. He was the Spitfire test pilot based at Duxford, UK.

I bought a few copies when I went to Duxford about 5 years ago and wish I had of grabbed even more for other mates to read, as I won;t loan mine out, too teasured. Highly recommended reading. Just amazing stories.

Cheers,

Troup.

Virga,

Yes, Mike is working on the sequel to his story and more's the pity because his contributions have tailed off on Qrewroom. If you thought his book was entertaining, you should have read some of his posts about company goings-on. Absolute classics!!!

:O :D :p

How refreshing to hear. This guy sounds like a real good bloke and a 'typical and true' line driver. It's obvious now where the influence in the book comes from.

Can't wait for the next bit. Is it a sequel or another story?

Aside from that I'm seriously giving thought as to whether I should invest in a copy of 'Sled Driver' the limited edition. How much would I be able to hire it out to people for? Of course I would have to have security and perhaps an interview before the lease takes place. A maximum reading time may also be required.

What a great thread.

My library says that I have no chance of getting Sleddriver or Fate is the Risk from them... but the other books mentioned on this thread are coming through. If there are others please put them up on this thread.

Again, thanks.

You can get "fate is the risk" from www.amazon.de it is from the other side of the planet, but no problem at all.
cheers!

Hahn..a good drink.

I've tried but can't find it in the English Section. Any idea how much it would cost?

Can't read/speak much German.

Hi!
here is the link: http://www.amazon.de/exec/obidos/ASI...728032-0608829
if you are an amazon customer somewhere you can use your normal lock-in to order, at least it worked when I tried the other way round. Price is EUR 17,99 plus shipment. Hope it helps.

Hahn... now I'm concerned. If I order that will it be in German or English. The only thing that appears in English is the title.

Relax! The book will be in english, my word! In fact "fate is the risk" is the english translation of "Der den Kopf riskiert" and all the comments and recommendations are based on the original book. And one of the blokes writing a comment flew with a couple of the guys mentioned in the book as well.

Back to the top for more books.........

Just finished the biography of Sidney Cotton "The last flight out of Berlin"
very interesting read, beginning from his WW1 flying through to developing the air recon unit and spy flights over Berlin and germany before the outbreak of WW2 in his personal Lockeed Electra,and the pink and pale coloured spitfires.
then goes on to tell of his story after the war, gun running for royalty using surplus WW2 bombers, and onto his middle east exploits! great read, and lots of fantastic photos especially do WW2 times!

found the copy at my local ABC store in Miranda.