What do you think?
Rate this book
War Pilot: True Tales of Combat and Adventure
FROM ONE OF THE NATION’S FIRST ROTOR PILOTS, A BLAZING ACCOUNT OF HIS MOST TOP SECRET, DANGEROUS MISSIONS
Richard Kirkland would never have imagined that anything could compare to tangling with Zeros in life-and-death dogfights over the South Pacific—but that was before he traded his fighter-pilot wings for rotors. It was a move he never regretted, and the riveting experiences he chronicles in War Pilot provide ample reason why. From the first primitive Sikorsky and the sophisticated choppers of Vietnam to flying medevac choppers and saving countless soldiers from certain death in Korea, Kirkland’s firsthand accounts of pilots under fire provide a gripping portrait of not just one American hero, but the many courageous others with whom he flew. . . .
Richard Kirkland would never have imagined that anything could compare to tangling with Zeros in life-and-death dogfights over the South Pacific—but that was before he traded his fighter-pilot wings for rotors. It was a move he never regretted, and the riveting experiences he chronicles in War Pilot provide ample reason why. From the first primitive Sikorsky and the sophisticated choppers of Vietnam to flying medevac choppers and saving countless soldiers from certain death in Korea, Kirkland’s firsthand accounts of pilots under fire provide a gripping portrait of not just one American hero, but the many courageous others with whom he flew. . . .
- GenresAviation
376 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1, 2003
12 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 24, 2020
Outstanding book and simply written! I loved this book because Kirkland is down to earth which most (and possibly all) of The Greatest Generation are.
Kirkland regaled us with his combat mission stories during WWII flying a P-38 Lightning mostly, helicoptering atomic scientists on Eniwetok Atoll, on top-secret missions to secure "The Eagle" (President Truman), and helicopter combat rescue missions during the Korean War.
If you are of my Generation (Generation X) and older and ever watched M*A*S*H (Hawkeye, Pierce and Honeycutt of the 4077) then you will enjoy this because Kirkland knew the real Hawkeye of the 8055 M*A*S*H and tells some great stories about the person, the missions, and the surgeons, nurses and corpsmen of that war.
The book finishes with two different pilots recalling their helicopter missions from the Vietnam War.
A truly memorable book that was a pleasure to read and I highly recommend.
Kirkland regaled us with his combat mission stories during WWII flying a P-38 Lightning mostly, helicoptering atomic scientists on Eniwetok Atoll, on top-secret missions to secure "The Eagle" (President Truman), and helicopter combat rescue missions during the Korean War.
If you are of my Generation (Generation X) and older and ever watched M*A*S*H (Hawkeye, Pierce and Honeycutt of the 4077) then you will enjoy this because Kirkland knew the real Hawkeye of the 8055 M*A*S*H and tells some great stories about the person, the missions, and the surgeons, nurses and corpsmen of that war.
The book finishes with two different pilots recalling their helicopter missions from the Vietnam War.
A truly memorable book that was a pleasure to read and I highly recommend.
December 14, 2007
Author flew as Charles Lindberg's wingman while he was touring the Pacific. Later flew helicopters in Korea for the MASH 8055 and knew the real Hawkeye Pierce. Later chapters tell exploits of pilots in Vietnam.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews