Skywritings

Storming Heaven
By Dale Brown

Let's hope this horrifying tome of terror from the skies will remain a gripping work of fiction. Brown made a name for himself with Flight of the Old Dog in 1987, and he keeps it with this latest effort.

To give you a taste of the plot, the book ends with Air Force One aflame and screaming towards the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. That comes after international terrorists have done their worst by bombing major airports in the United States.

The fascinating aspect of the book, as far as pilots are concerned, is not the all-too-realistic look at the life of a terrorist, but the equally realistic treatment of tactical fighter flying. Brown's extensive research, including interviews with fighter pilots familiar with tactical missions, keeps the book honest and believable. Perhaps he gets carried away just a little, however, in the White House scene where Hillary and Bill are discussing famous author Dale Brown. Available in bookstores for $22.95. Published by G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York, New York. — Alton K. Marsh

The Lost Squadron
By David Hayes

"All you gotta do is brush the snow off and fly 'em out," Greenland Expedition Society co-founder Pat Epps thought in 1981 when he mounted an expedition to retrieve six Lockheed P-38 Lightnings and two Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses that made forced landings on the Greenland ice cap during World War II. Six expeditions later, in July 1992, a Lightning was recovered — not on the surface, but from beneath 257 feet of ice.

In The Lost Squadron, David Hayes chronicles the history of the airplanes, which were being ferried to Europe in June 1942 when bad weather caused them to run low on fuel and make forced landings on the ice cap. Their crews survived and were rescued, but the airplanes were abandoned. Fifty years later, after five Greenland Expedition Society efforts and attempts by others to find the missing aircraft in a moving glacier, a P-38 was painstakingly disassembled in a claustrophobic ice cavern and winched, one component at a time, up a narrow shaft melted into the ice.

The book also addresses the challenges that the society faced during the period, from fundraising efforts and concerns about management philosophies to the negotiations needed to acquire (and later reacquire) the salvage rights to the aircraft. Sub-surface radar finally located the airplanes 25 stories beneath the surface of the ice. The expeditions, which were increasingly expensive, could be mounted only during Greenland's brief summer months.

Today the recovered P-38 is undergoing a meticulous restoration in a hangar owned by 1992 expedition sponsor Roy Shoffner at the airport in Middlesboro, Kentucky. The airframe was found to be in fairly good condition; but many small components, such as switches and electrical junction boxes, were damaged when they filled with water that froze and expanded as the airplane moved below the freezing level in the glacier.

Visitors are welcome to visit the restoration hangar, which is open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 8 a.m. to noon Sundays. First flight of the restored airplane is anticipated in late 1996.

The Lost Squadron is a well-written and objective account of the squadron's story, generously complemented by color photographs from the expeditions, as well as historical black-and-white images. Aviation history and military aircraft enthusiasts will particularly appreciate the book. Published by Hyperion/Madison Press. Available for $40 plus $4.50 shipping from The Lost Squadron, Post Office Box 218, Middlesboro, Kentucky 40965; telephone 606/ 248-1149. — Michael P. Collins

Skygods: The Fall of Pan Am
By Robert Gandt

Robert Gandt, a Pan Am pilot for 26 years, has written an amusing and informative nonfiction book on the dethroning of the world's premier air carrier. He opens the cockpit door and the boardroom door to show us what really happens behind the scenes at a powerful airline.

Incidents reported include a landing by a 20-year-old stewardess during a ferry flight and a successful intervention by Pan Am executives to keep Lyndon Johnson from derailing the development of the Boeing 747.

The book is entertaining right from the dust cover, which includes this definition of a skygod: "1: Being who reigns supreme while aloft in a man-made flying contrivance. 2: aeronautical creature endowed with godlike attributes and worthy (in his or its estimation) of human worship." Available in bookstores for $23. Published by William Morrow and Company, New York, New York. — AKM

The Right-Seat Handbook
By Charles F. Spence

Aviation writer Charles F. Spence has prepared a guide for curious passengers and even "white-knuckle" fliers who want to know just how those small aircraft fly. Spence is a former AOPA vice president for public relations.

The 122-page paperback book, illustrated with black-and-white photos as well as cartoons by the author, offers travel tips for the passenger who is more interested in the destination than flying. Available for $11.95 plus shipping from McGraw-Hill Tab Books, Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania 17294-0850; telephone 800/822-8158. — AKM

Spirits in the Sky
By Martin Bowman

An extensive collection of color photography by Patrick Bunce is the basis for Spirits in the Sky: Classic Aircraft of World War II by Martin Bowman, who has written more than a dozen books on American air operations during World War II in Europe. But the author goes beyond that theme in this book by including aircraft that saw service only in the war's Pacific Theater.

Each chapter is dedicated to a particular aircraft type. Aside from Bowman's introduction, the book contains no text per se, but each photo caption contains well-researched anecdotes or historical information regarding the depicted aircraft. Artists' drawings of each airplane in paint schemes representing different operational units complement the presentation.

Bunce's photography offers a variety of images, with his air-to-air work and dramatic ground shots — taken very early or late in the day — commanding the most attention. Several simulated dogfighting photos and images of bombers made from gun turrets of other bombers in close formation are particularly noteworthy. Only interior photographs of any of the aircraft are conspicuous by their omission. Available for $14.98 from Smithmark Publishers, Incorporated, 16 East 32nd Street, New York, New York 10016; telephone 212/532-6600; fax 212/638-5768. — MPC

U.S. Aviator's Sportplane Resource Guide
By J. R. Campbell

This 732-page directory of the sportplane industry covers 590 aircraft and includes howto chapters on covering the aircraft, maintain-ing engines, welding, and woodworking. After the build is over, there are additional chapters on insurance, test flying, and even homebuilt aerobatics. Available for $44.45, including shipping, from Kindred Spirit Press, 3000 21st Street NW, Winter Haven, Florida 33881. — AKM