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Snake Pilot: Flying the Cobra Attack Helicopter in Vietnam
Zahn reconstructed his year of combat in Vietnam with surprising detail, capturing the cockiness, angst, and attitude of the naive nineteen-year-old 1st Cavalry Division attack helicopter pilot of 1970 and 1971. . . . I recommend it to those interested in Army aviation, the Vietnam War, and leadership of aviation units. Based on audiotapes he recorded during the war and sent home to his family, Randy Zahn’s Snake Pilot recounts his experiences flying AH-1 Cobra helicopters during the Vietnam War. First deployed in Vietnam in 1967 and loaded with a formidable arsenal of weaponry, the Cobra was the first helicopter designed from inception as an attack aircraft. It dramatically changed the nature of the war in Vietnam by offering the Army, for the first time, its own powerful and highly accurate weapons platform for close-air-support missions. Randy Zahn arrived in Vietnam shortly before the 1970 U.S. invasion of Cambodia, one of the most impressive demonstrations by the Cobra in the war. He describes his stunning transformation from a naive, middle-class teenager from southern California to a hardened killer during his tour in Vietnam. Unlike the pilots who flew the fast-moving strike jets, Zahn experienced the war “up close and personal,” witnessing the grisly effects of the Cobra’s firepower on enemy soldiers. The author does not glorify killing but rather explains in sharp relief the kaleidoscope of emotions associated with fear, revenge, hate, remorse, pity, and even ecstasy. He captures many of the ironies and nuances inherent in Vietnam, especially during the final years of the conflict. Zahn displays a sensitivity rarely found in memoirs written by battle-hardened warriors. This human element, combined with the vast amount of archival research and interviews with members of his former unit, ensures that Snake Pilot will become the definitive account of the role helicopters played in Vietnam.
302 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
July 22, 2019
Snake Pilot is exactly what it says on the cover, a memoir of one year flying Cobras in Vietnam. Growing up outside Los Angeles, Zahn always want to fly. Air Force pilots were officers and gentlemen, which meant they had a college degree 19 year old Zahn had no patience to get, but the Army would put anybody in helicopters if they could make the cut. Zahn was something of a natural, scoring in the top 10% of his training cohorts, which meant he got Cobras, and the 1st of the 9th, Air Cavalry.
Early in his tour, Zahn bought a portable tape recorder and used it to send audio tapes to his parents, who saved all of them, the archive forming the raw material for this book. The emotional focus is on the friendships he made with his peers, and conflicts with his immediate superiors, paper-pushing careerists who didn't understand the skill it took to fight and survive in the combat zone.
Cobras mostly worked as the red part of a Pink Team. The Loach scout would fly low and slow, looking for trouble, and when they found it, the Cobra would roll in with rockets and miniguns. Cobras had an important job, protecting, guiding, and killing on behalf of their scouts, and hunting down any other trouble that might come in. The sense of battle is carried by reconstructed dialog; radio calls punctuated with rocket runs and cries for help.
Zahn is a professional helicopter pilot, not a writer, but this memoir has more literary merit than most, with a clear writing style and deep personal honesty about what he felt, and what he fought for. It's interesting to note that Zahn claims first hand accounts of what I've long considered to be urban legends of the Vietnam War, including Russian 'advisers' fighting as infantry in South Vietnam, and NVA anti-aircraft gunners chained to their weapons. As far as helicopter pilot memoirs go, Snake Pilot is behind Mills' Low Level Hell on Loaches, and the incredible Chickenhawk by Robert Mason about Hueys, but it's a solid read and worth your time.
Early in his tour, Zahn bought a portable tape recorder and used it to send audio tapes to his parents, who saved all of them, the archive forming the raw material for this book. The emotional focus is on the friendships he made with his peers, and conflicts with his immediate superiors, paper-pushing careerists who didn't understand the skill it took to fight and survive in the combat zone.
Cobras mostly worked as the red part of a Pink Team. The Loach scout would fly low and slow, looking for trouble, and when they found it, the Cobra would roll in with rockets and miniguns. Cobras had an important job, protecting, guiding, and killing on behalf of their scouts, and hunting down any other trouble that might come in. The sense of battle is carried by reconstructed dialog; radio calls punctuated with rocket runs and cries for help.
Zahn is a professional helicopter pilot, not a writer, but this memoir has more literary merit than most, with a clear writing style and deep personal honesty about what he felt, and what he fought for. It's interesting to note that Zahn claims first hand accounts of what I've long considered to be urban legends of the Vietnam War, including Russian 'advisers' fighting as infantry in South Vietnam, and NVA anti-aircraft gunners chained to their weapons. As far as helicopter pilot memoirs go, Snake Pilot is behind Mills' Low Level Hell on Loaches, and the incredible Chickenhawk by Robert Mason about Hueys, but it's a solid read and worth your time.
July 16, 2022
Ever since I first read Stephen Ambrose's Band of Brothers and realized that a subtext of that work is "male intimacy?" I have struggled, in the absence of male intimacy myself, to understand this. All of my reading in memoirs of soldiers in Vietnam and in Afghanistan been in the service of this question.
Zahn's book is extraordinary for his emotional intelligence and intuition. While he doesn't wear his heart on his sleeve, it is revealed especially when a superior officer, with no understanding of the complexity of Cobra pilots' job, puts any of his team and especially any of his friends at unnecessary risk. A full page rant. He also has choice words for officers who feel entitled to respect because of their rank, making it clear that in combat respect is earned. And not to be forgotten are the military's small daily clusterfucks.
In his relationships, with for example Kevin, a friend who was killed, I begin to understand the 'closer than a brother' language -- an attempt to take language from 'the World' in order to make sense of or translate the experience. I have concluded that that closeness that comes out of combat in unique, and those of us (like me) will always be 0n the outside looking in. The contrast is most clear when Zahn comes home and only wants to be alone, mourning the loss of friends and also the loss of the closeness and clarity that combat can bring to certain men.
In order to tell us about his experience, fifty years later Zahn had to have unpacked so much pain to be able to live it again and describe it all to strangers like me, who are in awe of his articulately disciplined emotional vulnerability.
I hope he has been able to mentor men!
Zahn's book is extraordinary for his emotional intelligence and intuition. While he doesn't wear his heart on his sleeve, it is revealed especially when a superior officer, with no understanding of the complexity of Cobra pilots' job, puts any of his team and especially any of his friends at unnecessary risk. A full page rant. He also has choice words for officers who feel entitled to respect because of their rank, making it clear that in combat respect is earned. And not to be forgotten are the military's small daily clusterfucks.
In his relationships, with for example Kevin, a friend who was killed, I begin to understand the 'closer than a brother' language -- an attempt to take language from 'the World' in order to make sense of or translate the experience. I have concluded that that closeness that comes out of combat in unique, and those of us (like me) will always be 0n the outside looking in. The contrast is most clear when Zahn comes home and only wants to be alone, mourning the loss of friends and also the loss of the closeness and clarity that combat can bring to certain men.
In order to tell us about his experience, fifty years later Zahn had to have unpacked so much pain to be able to live it again and describe it all to strangers like me, who are in awe of his articulately disciplined emotional vulnerability.
I hope he has been able to mentor men!
April 5, 2020
I love memoirs from Vietnam and this one is pretty good. The anecdotes are fun, the author's experience is crazy and it reads well. Mixing action, reflections and overall honesty about the closing moments of this senseless war, I recommand Zahn's book to any enthusiast.
October 4, 2018
A page turner, a really remarkable story of a remarkable young man who proved what most Americans believe: we can do anything we really want to do. A must read!!
November 7, 2024
Very good reading
Very good perspective from a Snake pilot. Enjoyed the book immensely. Similar quality book as Chickenhawk by Robert Mason. Enjoy
Very good perspective from a Snake pilot. Enjoyed the book immensely. Similar quality book as Chickenhawk by Robert Mason. Enjoy
July 11, 2025
Cobra helicopter pilots experiences flying ointment Vietnam and Cambodia 1970/71
June 3, 2012
Written in memoir/adventure novel/operational manual for Cobra helicopter format the book has many options for enjoyment or Vietnam curiosity. Many may read this as a anti-war book, I did not. With pages of operational complaints and superior officers incompetance along with the question that most ask from war which is "Why do my friends have die and for what"? I still got the impression that Warrant Officer Zahn enjoyed what he did. Along with the love of flying the lifelong bonding with total strangers and smiles, tears and memories shaped him more than most men shall know in a lifetime. Mr. Zahn's experiences were enlightening and educational and his book was a joy to read. Thank you to all the men, and women that were mentioned in this book. You did the impossible in an impossible environment, both politically and physically.
For those that need a little more substance. The author descibes his adventure and training on the Cobra attack helicopter. This need to join the military, in 1969-70, at the height of Vietnam had nothing to do with the war but with Mr. Zahn's love of flying. After flight school and shipped directly to the 1st Cavalry he describes his advancement in the two-seater attack bird and how they operated with the smaller OH-6 scout bird. Mission by mission his descriptions take you to the operations. When not flying he describes how things are on the ground. With much bravado, that I take at Mr. Zahn's words are accurate, he praises the talented and degrades U.S. officers that fail to meet his view of how things are to be done out in the field. By utilizing his original letters, and cassette tapes you get ot experience his joys and his discomforts that he sent back home to family and friends. As I stated the book sometimes reads as an unbelievable novel about a time that many would rather forget.
For those that need a little more substance. The author descibes his adventure and training on the Cobra attack helicopter. This need to join the military, in 1969-70, at the height of Vietnam had nothing to do with the war but with Mr. Zahn's love of flying. After flight school and shipped directly to the 1st Cavalry he describes his advancement in the two-seater attack bird and how they operated with the smaller OH-6 scout bird. Mission by mission his descriptions take you to the operations. When not flying he describes how things are on the ground. With much bravado, that I take at Mr. Zahn's words are accurate, he praises the talented and degrades U.S. officers that fail to meet his view of how things are to be done out in the field. By utilizing his original letters, and cassette tapes you get ot experience his joys and his discomforts that he sent back home to family and friends. As I stated the book sometimes reads as an unbelievable novel about a time that many would rather forget.
December 12, 2014
The beginning was likeable and interesting as the writer was not totally lacking the ability to write fluent and catching text.
But as in many fighting man memoirs the story started soon repeating itself. "The we went there and then we did that and then we came back..."
The criticism against the war and its reasons was surprisingly mild and was mainly aimed towards stupid commanding officers while the writer himself was infallible and clever. Keeping in mind that he was only 20 years old during the happenings one might doubt whether that was the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
Once again it became obvious that thousands of tons of bombs and ammunition were wasted in the jungle without clear evidence of any results. Let alone whether the casualties were Vietkong or civilians. This had to be read between the lines as the writer seemed to be very committed to the cause and was also very sure about their successes and kills.
A futile war if any.
Cobra pilotti.
Koalal Kustannus 2011
But as in many fighting man memoirs the story started soon repeating itself. "The we went there and then we did that and then we came back..."
The criticism against the war and its reasons was surprisingly mild and was mainly aimed towards stupid commanding officers while the writer himself was infallible and clever. Keeping in mind that he was only 20 years old during the happenings one might doubt whether that was the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
Once again it became obvious that thousands of tons of bombs and ammunition were wasted in the jungle without clear evidence of any results. Let alone whether the casualties were Vietkong or civilians. This had to be read between the lines as the writer seemed to be very committed to the cause and was also very sure about their successes and kills.
A futile war if any.
Cobra pilotti.
Koalal Kustannus 2011
December 19, 2014
Snake Pilot is well written and provides the perspective of a young, 19 year old, Cobra pilot in Vietnam. The author, Randy Zahn, provides a very readable autobiography of his time in the military from before flight school until his return from Vietnam. He intersperses the book with excerpts from the tapes he sent home, opening the window to the feelings and emotions he experienced while facing death on a daily basis and dealing with the constantly changing leadership. This open window makes the book very personable; however, the expressions of frustration and anger, no matter how revealing, do become tiresome after a while. Some might not enjoy a story like this, but anyone who is interested in understanding a pilot’s experiences in Vietnam or the Vietnam War in general would certainly want to read this book.
July 25, 2011
Sotilasmestariksi ylenneen ja useamman kunniamerkin ansiokkaasta palveluksestaan saaneen Randy R. Zahnin muistelmateos ""Cobra-pilotti : taisteluhelikopterilentäjänä Vietnamissa"" (Koala, 2009) on mielenkiintoinen lisä suomeksi käännettyyn ilmailukirjallisuuteen, siillä vaihteeksi on mukavaa lukea muutakin kuin toista maailmansotaa käsitteleviä opuksia. Vietnamia kuvataan ihannoimatta ja kaunistelematta, mutta kuitenkaan moralisoimatta tai tuomitsematta, vaikka Zahn välillä kyseenalaistaakin niin esimiestensä kuin maansa toimien järkevyyden. Lukijalle välittyy myös hyvin se tunnemyrsky, jonka läpi helikopterilentäjän on ollut suunnistaminen; tutuiksi tulevat niin suru, pelko, kiukku, uupumus kuin vihakin.
March 9, 2012
A visceral experience, reading the memoirs of an early Vietnam attack-helicopter pilot in combat against the most brutal excesses of the Vietcong, and the loss of warriors - well remembered in the memoirs of the pilot from his audio tapes sent home and held for decades - this is more visceral than most memoirs. Those which most warriors/pilots block out are unavoidable in this one since they come back in actual words from the moments they happened. 'Back from the dead' are memories of the past, and few recollections recall as much as countless hours of audio re-interpeted to lengthy stories.
Another classic example of warrior biography, not self-aggrandizing, always self-effacing, and honest with grizzly details to honor the dead of either side.
Another classic example of warrior biography, not self-aggrandizing, always self-effacing, and honest with grizzly details to honor the dead of either side.
December 30, 2013
The book covers about 3 years of Randy's life as he goes through flight school and then off to Viet Nam to fly Cobras for the 1st Cav. The book was well written, the language would be as expected which is the way the guys there spoke. Not over bearing but does get harsh at times, but I understand that, I was there too.
February 21, 2011
It was pretty good if you like AH-1 or Vietnam history. My only complaint is half the book consists of exact transcripts of tapes he sent home from Vietnam. While this is interesting, it gets old pretty fast when you realize all he does is complain.
October 27, 2016
Excellent read.
Great book about what is to be a helo pilot in a war.
The book is not detailed on what it means to fly but it depicts how teams works in a war and how they depend on each other.
Great book about what is to be a helo pilot in a war.
The book is not detailed on what it means to fly but it depicts how teams works in a war and how they depend on each other.
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December 28, 2012great book I loved hearing how a bird I worked with.
December 5, 2021
Ei ehkä se tavanomaisin sotatarina, joka kertoo nuoren kaverin tuntemuksista keskellä sotaa. Taistelulentäjän kokemukset jäivät mielestäni kuitenkin toissijaiseen asemaan
April 7, 2018
Tough book to get through
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews