My first book choice was a particularly easy choice to make. As a young child my dreams often wandered to the skies and I have aspired to be a pilot ever since. Becoming one the United States Air Force’s elite pilots must be among every young man’s dreams at some point in his life. Unfortunately for myself, I found out this year that I am not medically qualified to become an Air Force pilot but that I am restricted to the commercial industry. Nevertheless, I still look up to and have great respect and admiration towards the brave men and women of our nations Armed Services. I hope this have given you a more personal look at why I have chosen to write my review on this book. United States Air Force Lieutenant Colonel (retired) Dan Hampton is one of the most decorated fighter pilots the skies have ever seen. His book Viper Pilot takes you on an uncensored journey into the cockpit of his Block 50 F-16 Fighting Falcon during his 20 year career protecting our servicemen and women from high above the battlefield. This book caught my undivided attention because of the extraordinary way in which it was composed. Colonel Hampton takes you right to the edge of the action and gives you the sensation that you in the cockpit with him on each palm sweating mission. Col Hampton begins this journey by explaining to his audience the responsibility with which he was entrusted during his career: a “Wild Weasel” pilot. These squadrons were the elite, the best of the best in the Air Force. Tasked with destroying SAM (Surface to Air Missile) sites, this is one of the most dangerous assignments a pilot can receive. Col Hampton has been called “The most lethal F-16CJ Wild Weasel in the United States Air Force. The danger associated with this task is ... ... middle of paper ... ...verwhelming. This book is a tribute to the people who give their lives each day to ensure that every service member has a chance to make it home to see their family. Colonel Hampton served a grateful nation and had a career that most can only dream of. This book gives the public a chance to see what everyday life is like for the ones who lay it on the line everyday while we are going about our busy lives. I can say with regret that there are days when I don’t stop to think about how many men and women are protecting me at that very moment. This book has helped me to do just that and I am better for having read it. To Lieutenant Colonel Dan Hampton and all the men and women of the Armed Services, I thank you. Works Cited Viper Pilot: A Memoir of Air Combat. By Hampton D. Print. (Harper Collins Publishers, 2012. X-337 pp. Illustrations, glossary, index. $23.00.)
In this essay, the author
- Opines that their first book choice was a particularly easy choice to make. they have always dreamed of becoming an air force pilot, but are restricted to the commercial industry.
- Explains that dan hampton's book viper pilot takes you on an uncensored journey into the cockpit of his block 50 f-16 fighting falcon during his 20-year career protecting our servicemen and women from high above the battlefield.
- Describes col hampton's role as a "wild weasel" pilot in the air force. the danger associated with this task is portrayed throughout the book.
- Describes col hampton's training days at vance air force base in enid, oklahoma. hampton describes the advanced and demanding life of a pilot in upt (undergraduate pilot training).
- Opines that the book is a tribute to the people who give their lives each day to ensure that every service member has the chance to see their family.
- Opines that the book gives the public a chance to see what everyday life is like for those who lay it on the line everyday.
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- Informative Speech: The Fokker Triplaneexplanatory essayThis speech is about a particular type of aircraft made famous for its use by the Red Baron of Germany in World War One. Many people know that the Red Baron was a real person from history. Others may only know him as an adversary of Snoopy from the comic strip Peanuts, or as a ghost-like magic man dreamed up by lonely housewives hungry for a particular brand of frozen pizza. Well, his real name was Manfred von Richthofen. He was the greatest ace of World War One, and towards the end of his career he flew a bright red aircraft with three wings.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that those three wings that gave outstanding lift also gave a lot of drag.
- Explains that fokker v6 was an experimental attempt to mount the mercedes inline engine in a triplane. it was heavier and slower, and lost the maneuverability given by the oberursel rotary engine.
- Explains that the dogfighter had to be controlled at all times.
- Explains that fokker triplanes were prized for their outstanding climb and maneuverability, qualities that keep you alive in aerial combat.
- Explains that they have drawn upon dozens of sources in the past thirty years as they researched this topic.
- Explains that manfred von richthofen was the greatest ace of world war one, and he flew a bright red aircraft with three wings.
- Explains that anthony fokker was a gifted pilot and shrewd businessman who built airplanes for the germans after being turned down by the allies.
- Analyzes how the colors of richthofen's circus in the day the red baron died are depicted.
- Explains that some top aces managed to hold on to one or two for personal use when conditions favored them. after the war, only two or three originals were left. none survived the next war.
- Explains that aircraft were slapped together to get them to the front as quickly as possible. dale titler quotes an allied squadron pilot who closely examined the wreckage of the red baron's machine after richthofen was shot down in april of 1918.
1294 wordsRead More - The P-51 Mustang: The Best Fighter Everexplanatory essayThe P-51 Mustang is regarded by many sources as the greatest fighter plane ever created. With the technological advancements this plane achieved, to it’s service record, to it’s importance in winning World War Two, the Mustang is truly one of the greats. The Mustang played a key role in long range bomber support and saved countless bomber crew’s lives, and pilots loved to fly it. The P-51 had the most aerial victories of any American fighter in World War Two and it was flown by some of America’s top aces. The P-51 was a beast of a fighter plane
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the p-51 mustang is regarded by many sources as the greatest fighter plane ever created. the mustang played a key role in long-range bomber support and saved countless crew’s lives.
- Explains that the mustang was one of the fastest fighter aircraft in world war two. it had a sleek aerodynamic body, laminar flow wings, and external fuel tanks. the p-51 had an electric gyro gun sight.
- Explains that the mustang was first produced in the summer of 1941 and was designated as the xp51. early test flights showed it had promise but the usaaf did not immediately order the aircraft.
- Explains that the mustang was the plane that helped america own the skies and air superiority is one of the biggest reasons why we won.
- Explains that the p-51 was a dogfighter and influenced the design of canopies on later fighter jet aircraft.
- Explains the technical specs of the mustang, the basic history, and why the p-51 mustang was so important in both winning world war two and its influence on later times.
- Cites sherman, stephen e., "aces of the eighth air force in world war two" and jackson, david d.
1178 wordsRead More - Flying Through the History Booksexplanatory essayRabinowitz, Harold. Conquer the Sky: Great Moments in Aviation. New York, NY: Metro, 1996. Print.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the invention of the airplane was the most exciting and important invention for the transportation industry during the industrial revolution.
- Explains that the wright brothers are accredited with the end result of the airplane’s first successful flight.
- Explains that humans always had a passion to fly in the sky like birds. once flying evolved, people began using airplanes to transport themselves to different parts of the world.
- Explains that the new age for airplanes allowed for another mode of transportation for goods such as foods and clothes.
- Explains that pilots were heroes because they lived a short life for the sake of their country. dogfights evolved to dropping bombs on the ground and major cities and countries for political reasons.
- Explains that the president and other american representatives fly to other countries to maintain peace and discuss foreign business. roosevelt became the first president to fly in an airplane in 1943.
- Opines that the invention of the airplane was the most exciting and a very important invention for america during the industrial revolution.
- Cites bennstein, adam, and jeffrey l. ethell. "fdr becomes first president to travel by airplane on us official business."
766 wordsRead More - Grumman Research Papersexplanatory essayGrumman’s A-6 Intruder entered the United States Armed Forces just prior to the involvement of American Forces in Vietnam. The specifics for the airframe emerged during the conflict in Korea, requiring a modernized attack platform with state-of-the-art technology, which could complete its specific mission, without regard to weather conditions. Many corporations accepted this task, with one emerging from the shadows that would become a force multiplier, serving the United States Navy and Marine Corps for decades to come. From pre-production until retirement, the Grumman A-6 Intruder included many technological first, proving itself through time and again, evolving to accept multiple platforms and missions, instilling confidence in crews who piloted the “Big Ugly”, and increasing their lethality due to increased precision thanks to technological advancements. A large quantity of the information compiled to complete this research paper comes from publications authored by Naval Aviators and
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the grumman a-6 intruder entered the united states armed forces just prior to the involvement of american forces in vietnam, requiring a modernized attack platform with state-of-the-art technology.
- Explains that the navy's requirement for a modernized attack aircraft began during the conflict in the korean war, long before the united states involvement in vietnam.
- Explains that the weather conditions in the region prevented the skyraider from completing its assigned mission, especially during the monsoon season. the airframe was a single seat aircraft, requiring the pilot to navigate around obstacles in search for the target.
- Explains that the navy began looking into available aircraft that could assume the role of a medium attack aircraft following the end of the korean war.
- Explains that the navy would task grumman corporation with the requirements to build an airframe, develop the avionics, supply the powerplants and weapon systems, essentially building an entire weapon system that would be ready for immediate testing and fielding.
- Explains that the intruders avionics package was ahead of its time, with diane spearheading the airframe as the very capable, all-weather aircraft, the navy was searching for.
- Explains that the navy would accept the a-6 intruder after successful testing on the 10th of october 1963.
- Describes how the "sunday punchers" arrived in the tonkin gulf on the uss independence in support of operation rolling thunder ii.
- Explains that attack squadron va-85, 'black falcons', lost half of their intruders and seven kia in the tonkin gulf.
- Explains that the intruder gained a bad reputation as an overpriced aircraft, with compounding maintenance issues, placing it on the chopping block by navy and government officials.
- Explains how the "tigers" created the all-weather coordinated strike tactic that would further reduce their vulnerability during bombing runs.
- Explains that the marine corps would deploy their a-6 intruders to vietnam in march of 1967. their missions were more focused close air support (cas) and bombing runs along the ho chi minh trail, targeting vehicles and supplies belonging to the viet cong.
- Explains that the grumman a-6 intruder became a combat multiplier for the united states and aviation, achieving compounding success.
2057 wordsRead More - Pros And Cons Of F-35 Advancementsexplanatory essayThe F-35 advancements make it a true multirole fifth generation aircraft; however, with new innovative technologies, there will be challenges in the advancement. Research has revealed deficiencies verses rewards that the F-35 has to offer to the military and that Lockheed Martin is still trying to work out bugs that the program is experiencing. In addition, further testing and extensive budgeting is required for the success in order to deliver a final safe product to all three military branches. Enclosed is a real life experience from a member of the telegraph and his encounters with the fight simulator program.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the f-35 advancements make it a true multirole fifth generation aircraft; however, with new innovative technologies, there will be challenges in the advancement.
- Explains that the f-35 is one of the most advanced fifth generation fighters ever produced.
- Explains that the pentagon and the defense industry are trying to downplay the f-35's true cost.
- Explains that the pilot's helmet provides extreme situational awareness in every aspect. the f-35 program is more than five years behind and the costs have risen by 90 percent.
- Explains that the f-35 program does not have the initial operational testing & evaluation that every major fighter program has completed. the aircraft will require protection in combat due to performance issues and limited weapons load out.
1298 wordsRead More - Boeing Aircraft Annotated Bibliographyexplanatory essaypilots as it fights and bombs its way through the European and, eventually, the Pacific
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the book covers the boeing company and its airplanes from the very early years up until today.
- Explains that this book covers many of the various details about the airplanes that were made by boeing.
- Opines that some of the information was so in depth that they found it useful for the project.
- States that hess, w.n., fighting mustang, united states of america.
- Explains that the book that i reference here covers many different aspects of the p-51.
- Explains that the book covers the p-51 from its inception until the end of the european, pacific, and pacific war.
- Explains that thunderbolt at war covers the p-47 and pilots as it fights and bombs its way through the european and, eventually, the pacific.
- Describes maneuverability at high altitudes vs. low, bomb runs, airspeed, and incline.
- Opines that while the book gave a general idea of the p-40 and its capabilities, it was not nearly as in depth as they would have preferred.
433 wordsRead More - Airborne Division Significanceexplanatory essayThe purpose of this paper is to discuss the importance of the Army’s airborne division and how crucial they are in today’s fight. The modern-day airborne forces like the 82nd Airborne Division may have many supporters, but there are many critics in the military to include Congress that thinks the concept is outdated and obsolete in today’s fight. The airborne community has a lengthy past going back to World War Two. The idea of a mass tactical forced entry jump was used many times back in the 1940’s, but since then the tactic has been used less and less over the years. Again, many high-ranking leaders and civilians realize the danger and risk associated with jumping a large mass of paratroopers intreleeo
In this essay, the author
- Explains the importance of the army's airborne division and how crucial they are in today’s fight.
168 wordsRead More - How To Write A Letter To Ronald Fitzexplanatory essayBut it also opened my eyes, to something I never thought I would find, at least on a personal level. It showed me that war is not what they say it is back home. It is not full of glory and victory. It is full of death and destruction. So please, for me, don’t listen to what they tell you, and carry on my words for the generations to come for I have been accused of murdering my commanding officer, I only have 2 days to live from this date May 8th, 1916. So please take what i am saying and pass it on the future generations, for they need to know my words: Every once in awhile soldiers push hard enough that a light breaks through the clouds and a world beyond the war glimmers, behind every gunsight is a human being and only a few soldiers know this but if history only remembers one out of one thousand of those men then the future will be filled of stories of who they were and what they did but despite this will these men continue to fight? But until that answer comes, those men who will be forgotten will stand, they will look look death in the eye, and they will continue to
In this essay, the author
- Explains ronald fitz was a french, simple man who believed in peace, not war and agony. but during the great war, that belief was frowned upon.
- Explains that private fitz was in the 6th infantry unit of the french army, led by the infamous peter vandenberg. sarge was known for his brutality in training and of course combat.
- Narrates how artillery shells could be heard a mile away from unit 6's position. sarge couldn't believe what he was witnessing. biplanes flew overhead dropping explosives on helpless men.
- Describes how the men were ordered to meet up with another infantry unit because they wouldn't be able to do much with only 5 men. they rode to a vast trench system in the south west portion of the battle where they were shocked at what they found.
- Describes how ronald grabbed his lee enfield rifle and began returning fire to the germans. he felt a sharp pain in his left shoulder and everything went black.
- Narrates how ronald fitz was sentenced to death for killing colonel vandenberg of the 6th infantry division. he had 2 days to live.
- Opines that if history only remembers one out of one thousand of those men, the future will be filled with stories of who they were and what they did.
- Opines that ronald's words would continue to inspire thousands of people to change their thoughts on how war had an impact on the minds of soldiers.
1216 wordsRead More - Reflective Essay: My First Vietnam Warexplanatory essayMy friend and I grabbed our bags and slung them onto our shoulder as we boarded Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, one of the largest cargo aircrafts transporting soldiers in the military. Before I reached the end of the ramp of the plane, I turned around and waved one last goodbye to my wife, as a single tear drifted down my cheek that said goodbye. After I reached my seat and sat down, my knees nudged the soldiers’ knees in front of me, “Oh, sorry”, I replied as I shoved my legs under the seat. I fastened my seatbelt and looked around the small area where we were at, chills ran down my spine but I was immediately comforted, when I gazed up at the magnificent american flag hanging on the interior of the plane.
In this essay, the author
- Recounts how they waved goodbye to their wife as they boarded the lockheed c-5 galaxy, one of the largest cargo aircrafts transporting soldiers in the military.
- Describes how they were awoken to the sound of someone banging on the outside of the airliner and rushed to help ron, who was pinned between two large beams of steel.
- Describes how they swallowed hard, wiped the blood from their arm, and followed a trail of light knowing they may never see their family or ron again.
- Narrates how they woke up blinded by the sun and looked around until they saw the ground through their glassy hands. they ran to an iranian soldier and yelled "where is ron?"
776 wordsRead More - F-35 Pros And Consexplanatory essay2. The F-35 Lightening II has the potential to become one of the most versatile aircraft in the Air Force’s arsenal. It is one of only two fifth generation aircraft, designed to replace an array of ageing aircraft, to include, the A-10 Thunderbolt, the F-16 Falcon, the F/A 18 Hornet, and AV-8b Harrier. To be able to replace this long list of aircraft, the F-35 was designed with some of the most advanced sensors and sophisticated weapons systems, giving the aircraft 360 degrees of situational awareness. When asked about the survivability of the aircraft in air to air combat, Air Force Chief General Mark Welsh stated, “(the enemy
In this essay, the author
- Explains the position paper on why the united states should accept full procurement of the f-35 aircraft.
- Explains that the f-35's financial cost is one of the major downfalls to the project, as the dod is starring at a 391.2 billion dollar bill for 2,443.
- Opines that the benefits of the f-35 lightening ii outweigh the costs of initial production, and the us cannot rely on having only one fifth generation aircraft to battle our adversaries.
554 wordsRead More