R3500vdp From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Posted (8 years 10 months 3 weeks 6 days 7 hours ago) and read 2225 times:
I would like to start a topic to see if anybody can post some great novels around civil aviation. The type of novels that you pick up on a rainy Sunday and cannot put down.
I can start with two by the writer Nevil Shute:
No Highway... A novel that describes a fictious British aircraft suffering from metal fatigue, which was written before the comet crashes. Great story.
Slide Rule... Describes the career of Nevil Shute himself in aviation and includes an interesting description of the R101 airship disaster and the start of the Airspeed aircraft company, founded by Nevil Shute.
PS: If this post should be moved to the hobby forum, feel free to move it, no offense.
LongHauler From Canada, joined Mar 2004, 4281 posts, RR: 36 Reply 2, posted (8 years 10 months 3 weeks 6 days 7 hours ago) and read 2199 times:
"Night over Water" by Ken Follet
Set in 1939, the true star in my opinion was the flight on the Pan American Boeing 314 Clipper. I am astounded at the tremendous amount of research must have gone through, as it is as best I can tell, a very accurate representation of a flight on a Boeing Clipper.
Never gonna grow up, never gonna slow down .... Barefoot Blue Jean Night
Jc2354 From United States of America, joined May 2004, 537 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (8 years 10 months 3 weeks 6 days 5 hours ago) and read 2174 times:
I would think the granddaddy of all aviation novels would be "The High And The Mighty". A good book, and a good movie, too.
NorthStarDC4M From Canada, joined Apr 2000, 2804 posts, RR: 40 Reply 7, posted (8 years 10 months 3 weeks 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 2047 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW CHAT OPERATOR
The only series writter of civil aviation i know of is John J Nance.
He's written a single military aviation fiction (Scorpion Strike), but also somewhere around 10 civilian books, most pertaining to airliners. Though in many cases he isnt right on technical facts, they are still good reads.
The titles i can remember:
Final Approach
Phoenix Rising
Pandora's Clock
Madusa's Child
Turbulence
Skyhook
Headwind
Blackout
The Last Hostage
i think i might be missing one...
He's working on another one currently, supposedly to be out in early 2005.
Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.
Continental From United States of America, joined Jun 2000, 5476 posts, RR: 21 Reply 8, posted (8 years 10 months 3 weeks 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 2048 times:
I read Hard Landing when I was in Cape Cod, MA a few years ago. The book's based in the BOS airport, but the story plot is rather lame and highly dubious.
Gerry From Australia, joined Jul 1999, 241 posts, RR: 1 Reply 9, posted (8 years 10 months 3 weeks 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 2000 times:
Brian Lecomber - "Talk Down". A pilot has a heart attack in a Piper Arrow (I think) over England and the club's flight instructor goes up to "talk" the girlfriend in the aircarft, down. Very expertly detailed. A great read. See also "Dead Weight" by the same author.
Also great is "The Pilot" by some one Davis. Line pilot flying DC8s has a drinking problem.
7E7Fan From Sweden, joined May 2004, 72 posts, RR: 1 Reply 10, posted (8 years 10 months 3 weeks 3 days 15 hours ago) and read 1999 times:
I'd have to nominate 'Freefall' by William Hoffer and Marilyn Mona Hoffer. True story about an Air Canada 767 that runs out of fuel at 41.000 feet due to some tragic miscalculations. Anyway... it's getting old but I still take it out and read it from time to time as I can really feel the tension in that cockpit as they handle the situation.
DC3CV3407AC727 From United States of America, joined Dec 2003, 314 posts, RR: 2 Reply 11, posted (8 years 10 months 3 weeks 3 days 13 hours ago) and read 1996 times:
Band of Brothers, and Blaze of Noon, by the bard, Ernest Gann,God bless and rest him!
the rumble of round engines is like music to me,likewise the thunder of thr JT8D
Al319 From United States of America, joined Jun 1999, 81 posts, RR: 0 Reply 12, posted (8 years 10 months 3 weeks 1 day 2 hours ago) and read 1953 times:
Thomas H Block, has written some pretty good suspense thrillers about terror in the skies. So far I have read Forced Landing and Orbit both are pretty well written and entertaining its worth checking out. You should be able to pick up some used copies on Amazon.
Kerberos From Canada, joined Apr 2004, 119 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (8 years 10 months 2 weeks 4 days 18 hours ago) and read 1883 times:
I once read an exerpt from a book about the true story of a Pan Am Clipper that was caught in Australia on December 7th, 1941, and of course could not fly back to Hawaii. They were forced to fly the long way back to New York, with no support other than what they could bargin for along the way. The crew paid for fuel out of their own pockets etc.
Does anyone know the name of this book? I'd love to read the whole story.
This is your captain speaking. I’ve turned off the no-smokin’ sign. Hell, if the plane is smokin' why can't you?
CougarAviator From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 349 posts, RR: 0 Reply 15, posted (8 years 10 months 2 weeks 2 days 4 hours ago) and read 1808 times:
Light this Candle. Great biography on Alan Shepard.
CVGpilot From United States of America, joined Dec 2003, 588 posts, RR: 1 Reply 16, posted (8 years 10 months 1 week 6 days 5 hours ago) and read 1782 times:
The best book is "Flight of Passage" by Ricker Buck, its about 2 young men who fly a J3-Cub across the US. Its a true story, its really good!
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