"Steve Scheibner went to bed September 10, 2001, with his bags packed and ready to go. He was scheduled to be the pilot on "American Airlines Flight 11 the next day. When he woke in the morning, however, a rare last-minute substitution meant 'someone else' would pilot that plane--the first plane that hit the World Trade Center on 9/11.... His powerful and moving testimony of God's providence will inspire you to examine your own life in light of eternity."--P. [4] of cover.

This is the compelling story of a. man who learned to fly before WWII. He soon joined the regular army air corps as a private. As war became inevitable he completed flight training as a staff sergeant and had the wings of a military pilot. He flew bombers, fighters and transport aircraft before being sent to the Pacific area. Flying C-54's loaded with priority cargo and personnel in and the wounded out. It was one bloody island after another from the East Indies to Tokyo, not flying as a group but as a single sitting duck for the enemy and friendly fire. As a single plane he landed at Atsugi airport to bring out the first loads of decimated allied prisoners. This was followed by flying "the hump" to help Chang Kia-chek against the communists. Discharged as a captain, he flew for up-start airlines that went bankrupt one after another. Two major carriers did no better. He was called to active duty during the Korean War to drop a weather station in northeast Greenland. Again a civilian, he was a chief pilot, operations director, a student of design and aeronautical engineering while running an aircraft conversion shop. From Peru to the Artic wastelands and places around the world were his work area. This was followed by being a personal pilot and aviation consultant for powerful executives.

This is my story-the story of a pilot who flew airplanes for some thirty-seven years: ten years in the United States Air Force, primarily in jet fighters, and then twenty-seven years flying commercial jet airliners. I was inspired to write this story after reading the autobiography, a few years ago, of Gen. Chuck Yeager-he being the world-renowned test pilot, World War II fighter ace, and first man to break the sound barrier in the Bell X-1. My story is the story of an average pilot, an average guy who survived several close calls, had many interesting experiences along the way, and often wondered, "Am I still here because I was especially good or because I was especially lucky?" I think the answer is definitely a combination of the two, just as Yeager says or implies in his book. With him, it may have been a larger contribution of skill, but as he said, "The secret of my success is that I always managed to live to fly another day." I have to echo that comment. While flying around the country with American Airlines, during "hours of complete boredom" (as we say), we pilots often traded our "war stories" of our flying (and other) experiences. I often thought that I had many tales that were similar to some of Yeager's and that I should put my experiences down on paper, even if it would only be my family who might read it. So this, then, is my story, my life, primarily, as it revolved around my aviating experiences over some thirty-seven years, from the viewpoint of a pilot who has no particular claim to fame but who has survived "to fly another day." One of the best descriptions of a flying career says: "You start out with a big bag of luck and an empty bag of experience; you want to fill the bag of experience before you empty the bag of luck!" I guess I have done that.

The narrative description and condensed history of the Spitfire's construction, combat career and post-war service, bought together to tell the complete, concise history of the world's most famous aircraft of all time and undoubtedly the finest fighter of World War II. When Spitfire at War first appeared in 1974, it enjoyed critical acclaim, for the aircraft had never been described in such terms and detail before. It was followed by a second volume in 1985 and a third volume in 1990. All three volumes sold well and are hailed as classic works on the subject. These important works have been out of print for more than a decade, thereby denying them to the current breed of aviation buffs. The time has come to re-issue the three books as a single volume, the author 'cherry-picking' the choice cuts to produce the finest title on the mighty and beloved Spitfire.