What’s your favorite Aviation/Airplane book?

[subhunter]

Feet Wet: Reflections of a Carrier Pilot By: Paul T. Gillcrist
http://www.bookfinder4u.com/IsbnSearch.aspx?isbn=0764302841&mode=direct

Fulcrum: A Top Gun Pilot's Escape from the Soviet Empire

By: Alexander ZuyevMalcolm McConnell
http://www.bookfinder4u.com/IsbnSearch.aspx?isbn=0446364983&mode=direct

 

[zout]

Subhunter - I am surprised at you.

I am more of a U.S. Calvary - Lewis & Clark buff - BUT this real life story was intriquing to me.
The book is called: Blink Man's Bluff - it is a Submarine story.

THe U.S. subs set listening devices during the cold war - It will have you sitting on the edge of your seat (untold stories) like finding a hydrogen bomb lost by the AF and more.
Amazing irony is the Soviet Union never found this device till years later - sat on their underwater phone lines for years - plus they did the same to other countries.
Check it outi

 

[subhunter]

Ya there were some good sub books. Sorry to say they make BMB look like
posers.

Thunder Below
Clear the Bridge
Wahoo
Are in a class by themselves.

For one that will shock the hekk out of you read
Red Star Rogue
Its a book everyone should read.

Final Patrol was a good book too.

Ya tapping the phone line was funny. Why the hekk they did not put a
Made in France sticker on the thing still puzzles me. That would have
had the ruskies looking in the wrong direction.

 

[steve87]

Fate is the Hunter by Ernest Gant

if you are a pilot you will really like this book. He describes every part of flying that pilots think about. There are a lot of neat stories.

Other great ones are

Stuka Pilot
Thud Ridge
The Blonde Knight

 

[Barrman]

I second the "Fate is the Hunter" nomination. Actually, just about anything by Gann is great reading for pilots and anybody that likes aviation.

The autobiography of Jimmy Dolittle, "I could never be so lucky again" is a great read as well.

 

[mistaken1]

Aces of the Eighth.

Stories of memorable missions from some of the top aces of the eighth air force in WWII europe.

FIGHTER ACES of the EIGHTH Air Force Squadron/Signal - eBay (item 370357110564 end time Apr-28-10 18:00:22 PDT)

 

[tinindian]

The Blonde Knight is one of my favorite boks. I think that a movie about Hartmann's life would amazing. I do not think it will ever happen because of the reluctance to show a German Officer in good light.

 

[PureMayhem]

Blue Moon over Cuba -The story of the Cuban Missile Crisis

I was 7 years old when this happened. We lived in Jacksonville Florida at the time and my father was in VFP-62, the squadron that took the photographs of the missiles in Cuba. Dad was gone for 2 weeks and the Navy wouldn't tell my mother where he was but we knew it was related to the blockade of Cuba. Captain Ecker was the CO and Lt. Coffey was a family friend. You can see more about it at VFP62.com

 

[jpg]

Feet Wet: Reflections of a Carrier Pilot By:Paul T. Gillcrist
http://www.bookfinder4u.com/IsbnSearch.aspx?isbn=0764302841&mode=direct

Gillcrist wrote a series of books about Naval Aviation. I've read them all. Highly recommended. His first arrested (carrier) landing was in a Grumman Hellcat, and his last was in an F14. He commanded Top Gun, and consulted on the script for the movie. Later, he was tasked to select a replacement for the F5 aggressor aircraft used at Top Gun. As part of the selection process, he qualified in and evaluated every fighter aircraft available in the free world at the time. The guy has lots of good stories.

 

[CARNAC]

For this 5 year old thread----

Sterlings Desert Raiders. It's not about planes but they sure did blow up a lot of them.

 

[frank8003]

'Tiss another thread resurrected, good.

71 years ago a book published described flying.
There is no change seen to date.
It is book ISBN 0-07-036240-8

Wolfgang Langewiesche (1907–2002)

 

[quarkz]

SAS & LDRG. Good choice. My 48' CJ2A is being morphed into an parade SAS jeep.

 

[subhunter]

LOL forgot about this old thread.

 

[Another Ahab]

The story of Hans Marseille, in North Africa during WWII, is pretty remarkable.

If you don't about this man, you might want to check him out.

War: it's complicated.


View attachment 1COVER-Star of Africa.pdf

 

[KaiserM109]

Catch 22 by Joseph Heller

I read it straight through while convalescing at Walter Reed AMC and died (almost) laughing. My new father-in-law was a wing commander at Shaw AFB and a WWII bomber pilot, so I bought him a copy. He ranted and raved about how wrong it was and would hardly speak to me again. I thought his reaction lent credibility to the book.

ALSO To War in a Stringbag by Charles Lamb was very revealing. It is about a squadron of Fairey Swordfish, which was the plane that stuck the rudder on the Bismarck.

 

[Another Ahab]

Catch 22 by Joseph Heller

Catch-22 is an absolute classic. I am long overdue for a re-read of Yossarian's adventures.

 

[TB58]

TM 1-1520-248-10 especially chapters 5&9
One I really liked about ten years ago but havent read recently is Chickenhawk, Huey pilot in Vietnam. I probably should read it again and see how I feel about it at this point in my life.

One that I read at a young age and reread recently was west with the night. Talk about a book that makes you want to walk away from everything, buy a plane and go fly the bush of Africa. Not a very long book, but the wonans life is one many wish they had.

 

[clinto]

Chickenhawk is amazing. One of the best books I've ever read. Strongly recommended.

 

[Another Ahab]

TM 1-1520-248-10 especially chapters 5&9
One I really liked about ten years ago but havent read recently is Chickenhawk, Huey pilot in Vietnam. I probably should read it again and see how I feel about it at this point in my life.

One that I read at a young age and reread recently was west with the night. Talk about a book that makes you want to walk away from everything, buy a plane and go fly the bush of Africa. Not a very long book, but the wonans life is one many wish they had.

That was Beryl Markham, and the book is an excellent read. She had a quote in there that has stuck with me all these years:

- She talked about the fears we all have to do something unknown, and she likened it to flying toward a huge cloud and talking about how imposing it looks from a distance. And that how, once you reach it, it's really nothing at all, just water vapor, and you breeze right through it. Master your fears.

"West with the Night"; that's a good read right there I'll agree with you.

 

[Piper Cub]

Some good sounding books listed here! I'll have to check out every book mentioned, even the ones I've already read! I like the books Sled Driver by Brian Shul about his experiences in the SR71. He's a very interesting man to read about and to meet in person. Also X-Plane Crashes: Exploring Experimental, Rocket Plane & Spycraft Incidents, Accidents & Crash Sites is a fascinating book. Many of the incidents in that book happened very close to home in Palmdale.