One of the greatest pilot's memoirs of WWII - a true aviation classic.

Paul Gillcrist was a navy carrier pilot for almost thirty years, from the early days, of flying propeller planes from straight deck carriers, to the days of high-tech, lethal "teen" jets and supercarriers. In his remarkable career - from "nugget", to competent jet aviator, to test pilot, to Vietnam fighter pilot, to air wing commander, to head of "Fightertown, USA," Gillcrist flew the F-8 Crusader, F-4 Phantom, F-14 Tomcat, and a myriad of other tactical aircraft. He took part in the Navy\s transition to jet aircraft, when accident rates were high and many feared that jets would not be able to operate in the harsh, demanding environment of "blue water ops." Gillcrist saw the introduction of critical innovations - the angled deck, steam catapult, optical landing system - that saved carrier jet aviation from extinction. Few aviators have had such varied and fascinating experiences, and few could write about them with such eloquence. Available now in a new hard cover reprint edition, Feet Wet (aviator talk for reaching the safety of water) is a chronicle of adventure, heroism, courage, and humor, with some of the most exciting passages ever written on flying. From his magical first flight - the sheer exstasy of being airborne, to the heart-pounding excitement of his first night "trap," the terror of ejecting from a test plane spinning out of control, to dodging SAMs and jousting with MiGs over Hanoi - Gillcrist takes the reader into his world and vividly conveys what all pilots live for - the tremendous "high" of all-out flying. As part of his absorbing stories. Gillcrist shares technical information on carrier aviation; the reader sees, step-by-step, how an airplane is launched, and then trapped again on a small deck aboard a moving ship - this, the most dificult feat in aviation. Paul gillcrist retired in 1985 after a 33-year career as a naval aviator. He commanded a fighter squadron, a carrier air wing, a major jet base, and as a flag officer, the Pacific Fleet fighter wing. He flew 167 combat missions in three Vietnam combat deployments, for which he was awarded seventeen combat decorations. Paul Gillcrist is also the author of Tomcat! The Grumman F-14 Story, Crusader! Last of the Gunfighters, and Vulture\s Row: Thirty Years in Naval Aviation (all three titles are available from Schiffer Publishing Ltd.).

"Fast-paced, exciting and informative, with a realism and authenticity that this old carrier aviator has not seen in a long, long time." Admiral J. L. Holloway III, USN (Ret.), Chief of Naval Operations, 1974-78 A fine Tom Clancy-style account...From the start, the reader is in the cockpit. Kirkus Reviews The book that straps you into the cockpit of one of the world's most exhilarating and dangerous occupations. Slammed back into his ejection seat, catapulting from the heaving aircraft-carrier at 150 miles per hour in two seconds, he plunges into the darkness above the black waves. He is a rookie pilot on his first flight off the deck of the famed USS Midway, a "nugget" strapped in the electronics-crammed cockpit of one of the world's most expensive, sophisticated - and powerful - military machines. He is a member of the elite EA-6B Prowler squadron - call sign Ironclaw. And for Sherman Baldwin, a Yale grad turned navy carrier pilot on the eve of the Gulf War, the adventure has just begun. Here is the real world of military aviation - a world far more exciting than the depiction in bestselling novels and popular Hollywood films. Baldwin records in white-knuckled prose what it's really like to make the grade as a navy carrier pilot: the high-stakes, high-pressure world of piloting multimillion-dollar aircraft, precision flying through enemy fire over hostile territory, and zero-tolerance aircraft landings in the dead of night, when one miscalculation could result in a fatal crash. He also offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at the humor and camaraderie that bind these special individuals together, characters with nicknames like "Beast," "Chief Rat," and "Simba." From the mission-planning room to chaotic action of the carrier deck to emergency midair refuelings and the outbreak of the Gulf War, Baldwin captures the G forces of the world's steepest and most dangerous learning curve.

Whether a Part 121 airline or a Part 135 charter operator, in the aviation industry a company survives by its compliance with the applicable Federal Aviation Regulations, or "FARs."Air Carrier Operations introduces aviation students to the significant FARs affecting airline operations. Using this book, both students and professionals will gain an appreciation of the variety of regulatory issues involved in air carrier operations, and can gather the background information they need to identify relevant regulations and apply them to their particular operations or their future employment. The book examines the many rules governing an air carrier and focuses primarily on 14 CFR Part 121 air carriers, although coverage includes Part 119 and relevant portions of 14 CFR Parts 117, 135, 91, and 61. The text emphasizes Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) flight operations, particularly useful to instrument-rated pilots and aircraft Dispatchers. A college textbook, this book is ideal for air carrier flight operations or airline operations courses and it also provides excellent preparation for airline interviews and initial pilot and dispatcher training.

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 I have been involved in fun activities my entire life. I was never much of a spectator, and I have always been interested in trying new things. I was never much of a flyer, but I did enjoy flying with my brother in 1938. #2 In late-middle or early-old age, I realize that war is never as one imagines it could be. The man who enlists only for the duration of the war has a year or two to endure before it dawns on him that the war might never happen. #3 I wanted to join the Navy, so I went from Whitehaven to Carlisle and presented myself at the Naval Recruiting Office. The officer I spoke to told me that I would have to wait until I was called up. I then decided to join the Fleet Air Arm, since it sounded like hard work for an old man like me. #4 I had decided I wanted to be a pilot, come what may. The chairman of the triumvirate I now faced, a Rear-Admiral, couldn’t have been more friendly in his greetings. Then he handed me over to an Instructor Lieutenant-Commander.