Sugar Alpha: The Life and Times of Señor Huevos Grandes

by Roger Nelson, Melissa Nelson

" Skydiving and drug smuggling pioneer Roger Nelson lives life out of the box. Fueled by a love for adrenaline and adventure, Roger goes after everything he wants with gusto. But now Roger is ready to retire from smuggling. With a parachute center to run and a family to raise, Roger knows it is time to stop the cat-and-mouse games he has been playing with the authorities for years.

He and his longtime partner, Hanoi, plan one final run to Belize, where they intend to fill their Douglas DC-3 with enough cannabis to set them up for life. But then Hanoi dies in a plane crash in an attempt to make some “legitimate bucks” flying fish in Alaska while they wait for the growing season to end.

Left without a partner or plane, Roger remains determined to return to his family for good. To do so, he decides to stay true to himself and follow through with his retirement run. Roger must rely on a colorful cast of characters and the most unlikely airplane for a gig ever—Sugar Alpha, the legendary DC-3 with the secret fuel tanks and not-so-secret paint job—to help him complete the most daring run in the history of smuggling. "

389 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 19, 2013

Reviews

[Adam Tuttle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty much exactly what I was expecting. Heard about this book on the Skydive Radio podcast and figured for a $3 kindle purchase it was worth a shot. I can easily say it was better than some of my $10 kindle purchases. If you're interested in skydiving, planes, or even just thrilling stories, this one doesn't disappoint; and to know that it was at least mostly based on the truth makes it all that much more incredible. Be sure to read the Foreword and Preface, as they setup the story well.

[Katherine · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the first book in a very long time that I have given up on ... usually when I'm not particularly gripped by a book, I still struggle on to the end even if I end up skipping pages. This however, didn't hook me at the beginning, and after seventy pages I threw in the towel.
It was very highly recommended to me by somebody else so perhaps my expectations were not fair.

[Kristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the story line in this book! I did however notice several (like more than 10) editing errors which took away from the quality of the read —not sure why there were so many? I’ve never read a book with so many errors. I’d be curious to see if anyone else noticed them. I read this on a Kindle.

[Kevin Mead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good read

Skydivers will love this book but anyone that has the love for adrenaline and not getting caught will just love this deep dive into a smugglers viewpoint. Great addictive story

[Alexander Sharafanenko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Waiting for the 2nd part and the movie!

[Bob Poulsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book mostly because I know so many of the characters from my days hanging out at the DZ.

[Renau Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun read. Growing up during the times that some of the subject matter was on the news, I felt connected. Also, being an insider in the skydiving industry, I very much enjoyed that aspect.

[kendra chase · Rating 5 out of 5]

A legendary tale!

[Chad Gillihan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow !!

Just couldn't put it down !! Very interesting stories and amazing behind the scenes of other cultures and people within them, fascinating !!