Twentyfive years ago, I read Skywriting, by Fred Hoinvuille. Can't remember much about it now, but it made me decide that I could/would fly.

[This message has been edited by E cam (edited 01 August 1999).]

Any of Brian Lecombers (the famous aerobatic pilot) novels (Talkdown) and (Deadweight) come to mind.About time he wrote some more!! Come on Brian.

I have not looked recently in the US Flying Magazine to see if Len Morgan was still authoring a column I believe is named "Vectors".

Len was a World War II era pilot that had a complete career at Braniff International, retiring just before that company's demise, and if you admire Ernie Gann's writing style, you will love his. The beauty is that all his anecdotes are short, one to two pages and you don't even have to buy the magazine!!!
http://kozmo.yakima.net/~demo/gif/smiley06.gif


[This message has been edited by DeeTeeS (edited 01 August 1999).]

FHM works best for me!

If you like to read about how things were before they invented airways, I recommend either:

"The flight of the Mew Gull" by Alex Henshaw, about long range single seat record breaking. At one stage he decides to check out the Mew by flying from Gravesend to Marseilles, back up to Scotland and then back to Gravesend - without landing in between!!

or:

"The Dangerous Skies" by A E Clouston, about flying the DH 88. Now available from Amazon.

However, if you're just after a cure for insomnia, then try the JAR-OPS manual; it's almost as interesting as reading logarithm tables!! By the way, Amazon are currently advertising the classic 'Fate is the Hunter' for £7.94!!

[This message has been edited by BEagle (edited 01 August 1999).]

Someone previously mentioned all of Ernie Gann's books are good reads. I agree, but one that poses a chillingly realistic scenario to those of you out there flying amid the jungles of this profession, is "Band of Brothers". In brief, about a crash wherein the aircrew are held "criminally" negligent!
The scarey thing is that it could happen.
Cheers, EBD

What about the book:

"Long walk to the hotel" by Miss. D. Crewbus ;)

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"Rolls over and goes back to sleep"

Ernest Gann has been mentioned a lot above but no-one has mentioned his novel "The High and the Mighty" about a DC-4 which loses an engine half way between Honolulu and San Francisco. Young Captain panics and grizzled old co-pilot saves the day. Was made into a film in the fifties with John Wayne as the hero. I have it in battered old paperback so may not be available anymore. But if anyone wants a good aviation thriller this is it, and well worth searching for.

Oops, sorry Banoi, just noticed it hidden in your list!

[This message has been edited by Groundloop (edited 03 August 1999).]

If you are able to get a copy I would suggest The Scarlet Angel by Alban Ali.This is the story of a seven-thousand mile journey from India to the UK, mostly a Comper Swift. The book was first published in 1934 by Duckworth. My copy took 5 years to find! You wont find any copies in the UK library system. Well worth the search though.
Then there is Adventure with Fate by Harald Penrose. Why not try The Flight of the Mew Gull by Alex Henshaw.If you want a First World War book there is the classic Sagittarius Rising by Cecil Lewis.
You may note that all these works are non-fiction.

Two thumbs up for chickenhawk, it is a great book.

I would recommend 'THUD RIDGE' by Col. Jack Broughton. It describes his combat flying in vietnam serving on the F-105(the meanest airplane ever!) and is extremely good and well written.

DeeTeeS, Len Morgan still has a column in flying and yes, his columns are a joy to read.

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Ramrise



[This message has been edited by Ramrise (edited 03 August 1999).]

Y'all made some excellent suggestions. I second the motion for Ernest Gann's 'Fate Is the Hunter' & 'Flying Circus'; 'Forever Flying' by Bob Hoover; 'Reflections of a Pilot', by Len Morgan (WW2 transports thru Braniff Airlines "The point, that a pilot can get into trouble while doing precisely what he was taught to do-should be made clear in school, yet I've never heard it mentioned". "Unthinking adherence to the book in every situation is unrealistic, indeed, foolhardy. A review of accidents in recent years proves...".); "Tex Johnston, Jet-Age Test Pilot', by Johnston and Barton; 'Air America' by Christopher Robbins; 'Chickenhawk', by Robert Mason (time after time they landed in their zones at almost zero airspeed, while the VC were actually waiting for them, firing AK-47s at the Hueys from fairly close range: no 200-400 knot+ passes with Zuni rockets or guns). After looking at 'Thud Ridge', I was too angry with our former government (again) to want to read any more of it, due to the corrosive thinking of many of our (then) senior political and Pentagon military career officers. The focus on 'ticket-punching' for numerous Pentagon promotions was, to many, much more important than their clear duty and responsibility to take care of their 'working' troops and pilots, only prolonging the military/civilian nightmare.

By far the finest story that I have read in many years is 'MY SECRET WAR '. by Richard Drury. Drury has a style so close to Ernest Gann as to be uncanny. It is the story of his experiences flying Skyraiders during the Vietnam era, including graphic descriptions of night dive bombing and coming back on limited panel instrument flying (AH shot out), no navaids and then full tilt into a line of Cb. Drury also writes a wonderful column in the US magazine Airways. He is a current airline pilot. You can get the book (around $8US) via an American firm called The Scholar's Bookshop. at www.scholarsbookshelf.com
Gann himself warmly praised the book - so it must be good.

Bob Mason wrote a sequel to "Chickenhawk" entitled "Chickenhawk - Back in the world - life after Vietnam". ISBN:0140158766

There isn't any flying in it, but Bob's description of his life after experiencing the horrors of Vietnam is a very moving, open, honest confession of what he became. If the last page of "Chickenhawk" shocked you, then get hold of this book (and a box of tissues if you cry easily).

Very highly recommended.

I am a loyal ppruner and have recently finished writing my first thriller. I am seeking a publisher now. The first three chapters takes place in a DC-10 (the plane I currently fly) which is bombed. The rest of the book is non-aviation until the end in which there is another exciting flying scene. I would love to have some feedback from fellow professionals so if you would like to see the first chapters contact me at [email protected]

[This message has been edited by Flying Guy (edited 05 August 1999).]

And I thought I had read everything there was in terms aviation!!

Thanks guys just off to the bank to increase the old overdraft to buy some more books.

For Aussies, Mac Job's air Crash series, the history of Australian aviation, told through every airline crash in Australia.

For others, the Air Disaster series - good, factual writing on disasters of the jet age of aviation.

Fiction: Gostrider One by Gerry Carroll, also author of North SAR, Gostrider is a book about flying Skyhawks and Phantoms in Vietnam. Unfortunately Corroll died in 1993.

Excellent thread here. Obviously a lot of reading to catch up on. I've already ordered some of the books reviewed and I've no doubt that many of you have too.

Unfortunately this thread is getting a bit too long so I'm going to close it but I'm also archiving it for posterity.

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Capt PPRuNe