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The Jungle Express: Flying Counterdrug Missions in Central and South America
A #1 AMAZON BESTSELLER!
A war on drugs. A continent of uncontrolled airspace. A squadron of trash-hauling cargo pilots caught in the middle.
Flying and aviation writing at its best! Based on Bleriot’s experience as a counter-drug pilot in South America, The Jungle Express tells the story of the pilots and crews of the C-27 Spartan, a twin-engine cargo plane used to fly counterdrug support to remote jungle locations in the 1990s during the War on Drugs.
From the runways of Panama to the dirt strips of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Peru, the thrill and danger of flight come to life in a world with no radar, no air traffic controllers, and few airports. Bleriot excels at putting the reader in the cockpit – no flying experience required – as crews struggle to get people and cargo where they need to go, even when there’s no runway at the end of the line.
"The best flying stories in 50 years... - Dave Schlener, former bush/commercial pilot
“Terrific story, well-written and entertaining! – Jerry Anderson, aviation artist and owner of Jerry Anderson Art
Fans of Dale Brown and Vince Flynn will love the military and aviation realism, while admirers of Ernest Gann, Richard Bach, and Antoine de Saint Exupery will soar in the studied appreciation of the flying world.
If you like adventure, exotic locations, and plenty of inside-baseball observations of pilot life, you'll love this laugh-out-loud aviation memoir from Michael Bleriot!
Order today with one click for Kindle or print!
A war on drugs. A continent of uncontrolled airspace. A squadron of trash-hauling cargo pilots caught in the middle.
Flying and aviation writing at its best! Based on Bleriot’s experience as a counter-drug pilot in South America, The Jungle Express tells the story of the pilots and crews of the C-27 Spartan, a twin-engine cargo plane used to fly counterdrug support to remote jungle locations in the 1990s during the War on Drugs.
From the runways of Panama to the dirt strips of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Peru, the thrill and danger of flight come to life in a world with no radar, no air traffic controllers, and few airports. Bleriot excels at putting the reader in the cockpit – no flying experience required – as crews struggle to get people and cargo where they need to go, even when there’s no runway at the end of the line.
"The best flying stories in 50 years... - Dave Schlener, former bush/commercial pilot
“Terrific story, well-written and entertaining! – Jerry Anderson, aviation artist and owner of Jerry Anderson Art
Fans of Dale Brown and Vince Flynn will love the military and aviation realism, while admirers of Ernest Gann, Richard Bach, and Antoine de Saint Exupery will soar in the studied appreciation of the flying world.
If you like adventure, exotic locations, and plenty of inside-baseball observations of pilot life, you'll love this laugh-out-loud aviation memoir from Michael Bleriot!
Order today with one click for Kindle or print!
555 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 9, 2012
45 people are currently reading
3 people want to read
About the author
Michael Bleriot
5 books2 followerslibrarian's note: this author also writes as D.M. Sears
Michael Bleriot is a pilot who flew for several years in Central and South America supporting the counter-drug effort. He flew out of the former Panama Canal Zone, where many of his stories are based. He went on to fly strat airlift and helicopters later in his career and now flies for a major airline.
Michael Bleriot is a pilot who flew for several years in Central and South America supporting the counter-drug effort. He flew out of the former Panama Canal Zone, where many of his stories are based. He went on to fly strat airlift and helicopters later in his career and now flies for a major airline.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 31, 2024
As a pilot, I enjoyed it. Good descriptions of what it was like to fly in Central America in a small cargo plane.
I did mark it down a star because for the last 25% of the book it's as if he ran out of flying stories to tell. If it's the flying you're after, you can stop reading once he goes on the language immersion trip.
And the last chapter is basically all about him picking up some kind of (unexplained) stomach bug, and detailed (and admittedly humorous) descriptions of his gastrointestinal distress.
I did mark it down a star because for the last 25% of the book it's as if he ran out of flying stories to tell. If it's the flying you're after, you can stop reading once he goes on the language immersion trip.
And the last chapter is basically all about him picking up some kind of (unexplained) stomach bug, and detailed (and admittedly humorous) descriptions of his gastrointestinal distress.
June 13, 2024
This book is listed in Men’s Adventure Fiction on Amazon, but that’s kind of a stretch. There’s no real plot here, just a collection of anecdotes and stories about flying C-27s in Central and South America in America’s War on Drugs. But that’s okay. As a pilot, I enjoyed reading it—besides, I also have an ulterior motive as well. The various episodes are entertaining and there’s a touch of Joseph Heller in Bleroit’s descriptions making it fun to read. Due to my selfish motives, I’ll probably read more of the Emerald Series.
October 4, 2020
Funny and exciting stories about flying a twin-engine turboprop plane in and out of remote jungle airstrips in Central and South America. One of a series of books with these adventures: Flying Naked is the best of the bunch but this one is a close second. It's a great beach read or a curl up on a wintry day read since it moves fast and takes place in the tropics.
April 11, 2023
Exciting and funny.
Humor was great and the adventure was riveting. Enjoy the flying stories from a complicated time in our history. I prefer these type of non fiction based stories.
Humor was great and the adventure was riveting. Enjoy the flying stories from a complicated time in our history. I prefer these type of non fiction based stories.
October 18, 2024
Great book.
I was in Panama in the air force from.1958 to 1961 at Arbrook air force base. We had c-54 and c-47s I was an recipi aircraft mechanic. Ended up at grand forks aforce base then Vietnam for a year. Your book was great reading and I laughed a lot.
I was in Panama in the air force from.1958 to 1961 at Arbrook air force base. We had c-54 and c-47s I was an recipi aircraft mechanic. Ended up at grand forks aforce base then Vietnam for a year. Your book was great reading and I laughed a lot.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews