A Cold War Fighter Pilot in Peacetime and War PDF Download
Are you looking for read ebook online? Search for your book and save it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Download A Cold War Fighter Pilot in Peacetime and War PDF full book. Access full book title A Cold War Fighter Pilot in Peacetime and War by Derek J. Sharp. Download full books in PDF and EPUB format.
Author: Derek J. Sharp Publisher: Fonthill Media ISBN: Category : History Languages : en Pages : 426
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— Historically rich in detail with previously unpublished photographs — A must-have for military enthusiasts, historians, modellers and those interested in the complexities of aircraft design and manoeuvres during the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…
Author: Derek J. Sharp Publisher: Fonthill Media ISBN: Category : History Languages : en Pages : 426
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— Historically rich in detail with previously unpublished photographs — A must-have for military enthusiasts, historians, modellers and those interested in the complexities of aircraft design and manoeuvres during the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…
Author: Fonthill Media Publisher: ISBN: 9781781557242 Category : History Languages : en Pages :
Book Description
Low level flying in military aircraft at speeds of up to 500 mph and as low as 100 feet above the ground is as challenging for the pilot as it is for the photographer wishing to capture the action. This is two books in one, the main subject is about military low flying; the skills, reasons and dangers from a pilot's perspective. The writer also talks about the challenges faced, revealing how and where the images were taken from mountainsides and desert canyons to cockpits for air to air. Pilots describe their training, mission planning, systems and the aircraft they love to fly; from A-7 Corsairs and F-4 Phantoms to Tornados, Typhoons, F-15 Eagles and Gripen. They fly low to deliver weapons or gather data and evade Radar. Pilots from air forces across Europe and the United States talk about the skills they need to be effective in very dangerous flying environments, discussing the challenging conditions they face when flying fast and low over snow, the sea or through mountain ranges at night. Commanders with years of low level flying give a fascinating insight in to their most memorable sorties.
Author: Harold Wade Publisher: Trafford Publishing ISBN: 1412225248 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 230
Book Description
Cold War Fighter Pilot covers experiences leading up to USAF pilot training for the author and then describes in considerable detail the flight training and a variety of experiences that are intended to explain what military pilots do as well as how and why they do it. Technical terminology is minimized or explained, yet enough of it is included to give the reader an idea of the complexity of the job. The author logged over 3,000 hours as a USAF fighter pilot, instructor pilot and maintenance fight test pilot, much of it in supersonic aircraft.
Author: Steven K Ladd Publisher: Air World ISBN: 1526761270 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 320
Book Description
Fighter pilots! Images of Baron Manfred von Richthofen and Eddie Rickenbacker in the Great War, Johnnie Johnson, Robert Stanford Tuck and Richard Bong in the Second World War, or Robin Olds in Vietnam, all spring to mind. Volumes have been written about them, past and present. Understandably, most of these revolve around the skill, cunning and bravery that characterizes this distinctive band of brothers, but there are other dimensions to those who take to the skies to do battle that have not been given the emphasis they deserve – until now. You do not have to be an aviation aficionado to enjoy Colonel Steve Ladd’s fascinating personal tale, woven around his 28-year career as a fighter pilot. This extremely engaging account follows a young man from basic pilot training to senior command through the narratives that define a unique ethos. From the United States to Southeast Asia; Europe to the Middle East; linking the amusing and tongue-in-cheek to the deadly serious and poignant, this is the lifelong journey of a fighter pilot. The anecdotes provided are absorbing, providing an insight into life as an Air Force pilot, but, in this book, as Colonel Ladd stresses, the focus is not on fireworks or stirring tales of derring-do. Instead, this is an articulate and absorbing account of what life is really like among a rare breed of arrogant, cocky, boisterous and fun-loving young men who readily transform into steely professionals at the controls of a fighter aircraft. From F-4 Phantom to A-10 Warthog is a terrific read: the legacy of a fighter pilot.
Author: Charles Banks Publisher: ISBN: 9781952311086 Category : Languages : en Pages : 185
Book Description
(Color Version) Many people have approached me asking what it felt like to fly jet fighters. In fact, most people have never flown in a small plane. They truly are missing the most incredible feeling of being airborne alone, among the clouds, looking down at the ground and feeling amazingly free. All takeoffs and landings are thrilling. These feelings are more or less intense for each type of plane flown.As you look back through our history, various conflicts dictated different missions and types of aircraft. Industry changed designs of airframes and weapons based on the mission, cost, and time to manufacture. In the 1970's and 80's, during the tensions of the Cold War, numerous borders around the world were being contested, sometimes using military force. Communist and Socialist dictators were taking over many countries. There was a worldwide feeling that it could all explode into World War III at any moment.In that climate, military pilots worldwide constantly prepared for the worst, hoping that being fully prepared would deter political and military action. This is the story of one of the pilots who flew the F-4, the F-105, the F-111, and the O-2 in defense of his country.This pilot prepared for fighting at high or low speed and high or low altitude with most of the missiles, rockets, and bombs that a fighter aircraft could carry. His missions in Vietnam steeled him for deadly combat. This combat experience prepared him to protect our country and our allies in the Far East and in Europe throughout a loyal career.
Author: Michael Petridis Publisher: Xlibris Corporation ISBN: 1669814742 Category : Fiction Languages : en Pages : 99
Book Description
You’ve seen the images from Hollywood. Macho, tough, with an almost John Wayne air about him, the fighter pilot has been famously portrayed as a gallant warrior. Now, take a look behind the scenes at a different look at the fighter pilot. Gone is the mystique and sense of danger. Instead is a fresh look at the comical aspects of being a fighter pilot; events, scenarios, during war and during peacetime, that show quite a different picture of the “hard as nails” image of the fighter pilot. Fictitious callsigns such as “Maverick” and “Ghostrider” are replaced with “Moe,” “Larry”, and “Curly.” Yes, there are scenes where these nonchalant, easygoing fighter-pilot types are racing through the sky, boring holes in the clouds, going supersonic; but it’s how and why they are there that makes the story interesting. Shooting rockets at the wrong target, scrambling to takeoff in the middle of the night from a dead sleep, ejecting from the aircraft after breaking it apart on the ground, getting lost while airborne, frantically trying to strafe a Soviet jet --- these are all the stories about real flying that never make the headlines of the daily paper. Working hard and playing hard, the fighter pilot genre is shown anew, much to the reader’s delight. Those who have pressed the edge and lived to talk about it know these stories; those aspiring to do so will simply be amazed, ready to stand in line for their turn.
Author: Dale C. Ford Publisher: Tate Publishing ISBN: 1617771538 Category : Biography & Autobiography Languages : en Pages : 144
Book Description
In 1949, Dale Ford joined the peacetime Air Force. Two days after he graduated from flying school, the Korean War started. What a jolt that was! Rather foolishly, he had not really considered that he might be called upon to fly combat someday. President Truman's order for our armed forces to support South Korea in their fight with North Korea quickly changed that. After about ten months of additional training, Ford found himself in the middle of that fight. He flew one hundred combat missions against the Russian Mig-15 in the swept-wing F-86 jet fighters of the 4th and 51st Fighter Interceptor Wings. He was not a hero or a jet ace. He was just a buck second lieutenant doing his job. Ford spent three years as a jet fighter pilot and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. Ford went on to receive a bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering from Purdue University. In 1956, he joined Convair Aeronautical Corporation, builder of the world's first supersonic bomber. He spent the next five years working closely with and flying with the B-58 test pilots as a flight test engineer. They blazed new ground taking this four-engine, 160,000-pound aircraft to twice the speed of sound in the 1950s and proved it was ready for production for the U.S. Air Force. Join author Dale Ford as he relives and relates one man's experiences through Two Hot Wars and One Cold War.
Author: Steven K Ladd Publisher: Air World ISBN: 9781526797957 Category : Languages : en Pages : 320
Book Description
Fighter pilots! Images of Baron Manfred von Richthofen and Eddie Rickenbacker in the Great War, Johnnie Johnson, Robert Stanford Tuck and Richard Bong in the Second World War, or Robin Olds in Vietnam, all spring to mind. Volumes have been written about them, past and present. Understandably, most of these revolve around the skill, cunning and bravery that characterizes this distinctive band of brothers, but there are other dimensions to those who take to the skies to do battle that have not been given the emphasis they deserve - until now. You do not have to be an aviation aficionado to enjoy Colonel Steve Ladd's fascinating personal tale, woven around his 28-year career as a fighter pilot. This extremely engaging account follows a young man from basic pilot training to senior command through the narratives that define a unique ethos. From the United States to Southeast Asia; Europe to the Middle East; linking the amusing and tongue-in-cheek to the deadly serious and poignant, this is the lifelong journey of a fighter pilot. The anecdotes provided are absorbing, providing an insight into life as an Air Force pilot, but, in this book, as Colonel Ladd stresses, the focus is not on fireworks or stirring tales of derring-do. Instead, this is an articulate and absorbing account of what life is really like among a rare breed of arrogant, cocky, boisterous and fun-loving young men who readily transform into steely professionals at the controls of a fighter aircraft. Phantom to Warthog is a terrific read: the legacy of a fighter pilot.
Author: Nigel Walpole Publisher: Air World ISBN: 1526758393 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 512
Book Description
“You’ll learn what these pilots went through knowing that their actions or reactions could trigger a global nuclear war.” —Historic Aviation RAF and East German Fast-Jet Pilots in the Cold War is the result of ten years of research, involving many visits to the former German Democratic Republic by a small Anglo/German team of military specialists. Their purpose was to explore the lives of RAF and East German fighter and ?ghter-bomber pilots, in the air and on the ground, at work and play, during the Cold War in North Germany. The book is based largely on personal testimony from these pilots, coupled with facts drawn from official archives and comment from other historical sources. Where possible, political considerations have been avoided and no outright criticism has been intended, readers being left to draw their own conclusions on the thinking, strategies, equipment and tactics discussed. Far from being an intellectual polemic on the Cold War, the text and photographs merely record a slice of history as seen through the eyes of a select few who took up arms in the defense of their respective homelands—and faced each other daily across the Iron Curtain. In an insightful conclusion, Nigel Walpole reassess the threat that both sides believed was genuine during those tense decades of the Cold War and examines the possible course and nature of a conflict which neither NATO nor the Warsaw Pact wanted but both actively planned for. “The writer has avoided politics where possible, and in doing so reassesses the threat and uncertainty—and ultimately the fears—both air forces faced. It’s truly fascinatingl.” —Flypast
Author: Derek J. Sharp
Author: Derek J. Sharp
Author: Fonthill Media
Author: Harold Wade
Author: Steven K Ladd
Author: Charles Banks
Author: Michael Petridis
Author: Dale C. Ford
Author: Steven K Ladd
Author: Nigel Walpole
Author: Robin Higham