Need Some Aviation Themed Novel Suggestions

[Speed Daemon]

"The title says it all." But in case it doesn't, I'm looking for fictional stories that have aviation at the center of the story. Books like Runway 08, Airport, No Highway (In the Sky), Airframe, Mayday etc. Civil or military aviation is good. Just looking for titles that I haven't read yet.

Thanks! :trytofly:

 

[Dngrsone]

The only one I can think of is Flight of the Intruder... I've mostly only read non-fiction Naval aviation history. I have a nice coffee-table book on the history of the aircraft carrier, and I studied a lot of US Naval aviation history some years back.

 

[shmn]

As a former Naval Flight Officer (EA-6Bs), I must concur with the above suggestion.

Another favorite of mine is Tom Clancy's Red Storm Rising. It's dated due to the cold-war backdrop, but when this came out...it shook the halls of the Pentagon and the military with its implications. It's a great read and wonderfully researched by a man who, in his prime, was one of the best (before he sold out his name).

 

[Dngrsone]

As a former Naval Flight Officer (EA-6Bs), I must concur with the above suggestion.

Another favorite of mine is Tom Clancy's Red Storm Rising. It's dated due to the cold-war backdrop, but when this came out...it shook the halls of the Pentagon and the military with its implications. It's a great read and wonderfully researched by a man who, in his prime, was one of the best (before he sold out his name).

Deviating slightly from the topic at hand, what's your opinion of the Growler program?

 

[shmn]

Deviating slightly from the topic at hand, what's your opinion of the Growler program?

Well I'm not really up to speed on the Growler as I resigned my commission before they came on-line. But I still talk with friends in the community and the general impression is as one would expect.

The Growler is certainly less capable as a receiving platform giving limited space for electronics and only one "backseater" to handle the load. But in today's world, many of those functions are automated now and pre-planned. How much can be changed in a dynamic situation is unknown to me. And they will carry less jamming pods than the Prowler usually did but they will carry some A/A missiles which the Prowler never had.

But logistically it makes the airwing stronger in that there is more parts and technology continuity between platforms and the Growler can stay embedded in a package as opposed to having the slow, defenseless Prowler back behind the line of scrimmage having to be protected as a high value asset. The Prowler's only self defense was to dive for the deck and run like hell. Not a comforting prospect.

Overall, it's a good move for the Navy and should make the airwing more capable in today's climate. I know a lot of guys who don't like the upgrade...but I think most of the arguments stem from nostalgia. Nevertheless, the loss of jamming/scanning capabilities is real...but I don't know how much of an impact it really has today.

I sure would have like to ride in one. I did get a ride in an F-15E Strike Eagle while stationed in Turkey...now that's the machine to take to war...what a beast!

 

[shmn]

Here is a photo I took in the late 90's (slide film)...this was on the way down to Point Mugu for a HARM missile shoot...I believe this was taken somewhere around the Mono Lake area near Yosemite. The squadron was VAQ-133.

 

[Dngrsone]

Well, in my opinion anyway, the Superhornet is what the F/A-18 should have been to begin with.

But the Navy's need to force that airframe into the role of multipurpose platform like the F-4 was is counterproductive to a degree.

FFS, they slapped tanks on one of the biggest gas-hogs in the fleet and called it a tanker! It's like those commercials for the pickup truck-- sure, you can pull a freight-car down the rails with one, but that doesn't mean that BNSF should scrap their diesel-electrics and start buying F-250s.

Had I stayed in, I could have been in on the ground floor of the program, and was given the opportunity to evaluate the initial specs; the first thing I flagged was the plan to re-utilize the Prowler pods...

If you guys are going to spend the money to outfit the airframe with internal EW gear, handle the additional power requirements of additional pods, et al, then invest in a new set of pods with improved capabilities!

 

[SiempreTuna]

Only thing I can think of is Biggles (Captain W. E. Johns) - stories of a WWI, Sopwith Camel-flying Ace .. but I read 'em when I was a kid, so I assume that's who they're aimed at

They must be out of copyright so you can probably get them on somewhere like Project Guttenburg.

 

[Peter D]

Antoine de Saint Exupery wrote many novels with aviation themes. They're semi-autobiographical. Flight to Arras, Wind, Sun and Sand and others. Well worth reading.

 

[SueDNim]

Fight of the Phoenix by Elleston Trevor

West With the Night, by Beryl Markham (I know it's not a novel, but it reads like one.)

The Night Flier, by Stephen King

 

[ballisticn8]

I'm a little late to this party buy check out Dale Brown, he's got an entire series of books focused on a character named Patrick McLanahan. Some of the stories are a bit older so the planes arent quite up to date but excellent stories IMO.

FYI - Dale was a navigator/bombardier in the B-52 and FB-111 so he writes having some insight.