Read an Excerpt from Chapter One

"View from the Cockpit" is the story of these flights and will be enjoyed by anyone who has ever looked longingly skyward, be they pilot, aviation enthusiast or would-be aviator.


View From The Cockpit




This is a personal view of aviation which puts the reader in the cockpit and shows what it is like to fly a wide range of aircraft, from aerobatic biplanes to the most advanced jet fighters such as the F-15, F-16 and F/A-18 Hornet. From the delights of puttering round in a classic Tiger Moth biplane to the awesome vertical climb of the F-15 Eagle. From supersonic flight in the F-16 to the challenge of learning to fly a Piper Cub on floats. The author was the first British writer to fly the Northrop T-38 supersonic trainer and the variable stability Learjet with the US Test Pilot School, and the first to fly with the Wild Weasels in their F-4 Phantoms. He flew the A-4 Skyhawk on a Marine Forward Air control sortie, and was the first British aviation writer to fly with the Blue Angels after their transition to the F/A-18 Hornet.



"View from the Cockpit" is the story of these flights and will be enjoyed by anyone who has ever looked longingly skyward, be they pilot, aviation enthusiast or would-be aviator.




Chapter 1

The challenge of flying the Pitts Special was one of the most rewarding experiences of the author's flying career. This aerobatic biplane is quick and responsive, but not the easiest to land.


The staccato bark of the engine is loud in my ears as I turn the tiny red, white and blue biplane on to the runway. Making small corrections on the rudder pedals I align the nose carefully along the grey strip of runway, the touch the brakes. The biplane shudders to a halt and my eyes flicker across the gauges to check that oil pressure and temperature are within limits. All is in order and the runway is clear.




Now there is nothing left but to take a deep breath… and go. My left hand firmly pushes the throttle forward. As the noise of the engine swells to a shattering explosion of power the acceleration pushes me firmly back into my seat. At this instant I always have a momentary feeling of kinship with the human cannonball seen at the circus years ago, and I wonder at his thoughts at the moment of launch…perhaps a fervent wish that he had chosen an alternate way of life. But for him-and for myself-there is no going back. For this is the cockpit of a Pitts Special, one of the best competition aerobatic airplanes in the world today.