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Turbulence
The passengers of Meridian Flight 6-delayed for hours and mistreated by rude and inept airline personnel-have been pushed to the edge. When Captain Phil Knight makes a forced emergency landing in war-torn Nigeria, abandoning his copilot to certain death, violence erupts inside the airplane as the enraged passengers attempt the first-ever commercial airline mutiny.
But what they don't know could kill The unscheduled loss of radio contact has led NATO and the CIA to believe they have been hijacked by terrorists and must be carrying a deadly chemical weapon into the heart of Western Europe. In the pressurized last moments as Flight 6 approaches, NATO scrambles to uncover the truth of the plane's cargo, while Navy pilots bring the 747 into their gun sights and the lives of innocent passengers hang in the balance.
Expert in-flight details, a compelling cast of characters, and spine-tingling action prove Nance once again to be "the king of the modern-day aviation thriller" ( Publishers Weekly ).
But what they don't know could kill The unscheduled loss of radio contact has led NATO and the CIA to believe they have been hijacked by terrorists and must be carrying a deadly chemical weapon into the heart of Western Europe. In the pressurized last moments as Flight 6 approaches, NATO scrambles to uncover the truth of the plane's cargo, while Navy pilots bring the 747 into their gun sights and the lives of innocent passengers hang in the balance.
Expert in-flight details, a compelling cast of characters, and spine-tingling action prove Nance once again to be "the king of the modern-day aviation thriller" ( Publishers Weekly ).
390 pages, Hardcover
First published April 29, 2002
139 people are currently reading
343 people want to read
About the author
John J. Nance
66 books227 followersJohn J. Nance is an American pilot, aviation safety expert, and author. He served in the USAF during the Vietnam War and also as a Lt. Colonel in Operation Desert Storm.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
January 4, 2020
A well written thriller by this pilot. 8 of 10 stars
July 20, 2024
This book is intense, had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish with a lot of twists and turns. Great thriller!
July 16, 2025
WOW! From the very first page until the last page, I was hooked.
I can only tell you that the title not represent what you think with the photo of a plane on the cover. It represents an attitude. Nance hit I gigantic home with this one. A must read.
I can only tell you that the title not represent what you think with the photo of a plane on the cover. It represents an attitude. Nance hit I gigantic home with this one. A must read.
January 7, 2018
Everything that Nance writes has me wanting to read more. I found this one particularly interesting because of its geography and because American airline companies are particularly renowned for their terrible service on the world stage.
This should appeal to just about anyone that has flown long haul, travelled the world and loves action and adventure. This will especially appeal to you if you’ve ever wanted to see corporate giants put in their place.
High 4 out of 5 stars
This should appeal to just about anyone that has flown long haul, travelled the world and loves action and adventure. This will especially appeal to you if you’ve ever wanted to see corporate giants put in their place.
High 4 out of 5 stars
January 9, 2023
There was so much going on in this story that my head was spinning. I’m not a newcomer to stories by John Nance but as a pilot myself, there were so many ways for things to go wrong I had trouble keeping it all straight. All of that said it was a nail biter!
January 2, 2014
The story had potential but I found myself regularly putting this book down in the middle of a paragraph or even a sentence! for whatever reason, I just wasn't wrapped up in the drama.
November 23, 2025
John J. Nance does it again. “Turbulence” is a white-knuckle masterpiece that never lets you exhale.
Dr. Brian Logan, a gifted heart surgeon, blames Meridian Airlines for the crash that stole his pregnant wife. He’s already suing the company when fate laughs in his face: the only flight to a life-saving temporary post in Cape Town belongs to—of course—Meridian. Airline security flags him the second he checks in. One more angry outburst and they’ll drag him off in cuffs.
He isn’t the only passenger carrying desperation at 37,000 feet. A young couple fights to keep their critically ill little boy alive until they land. The captain rules the cockpit like a dictator, and the senior flight attendant could make a Marine drill sergeant flinch.
Then everything goes sideways.
Without warning, the 747 diverts to Nigeria, swaps a few mysterious “passengers,” and takes off again—minus the co-pilot. Intelligence agencies watch the blip on their screens and see a flying bomb. Radios fail. NATO fighters scramble. The President of the United States faces the worst decision of his life: give the order to shoot down a civilian airliner with 300 souls on board or gamble on a miracle.
Nance (a real-life airline captain and aviation analyst) pours decades of cockpit know-how into every page. You smell the jet fuel, feel the yoke shudder, and understand exactly why certain tiny mistakes can turn catastrophic in seconds. Yet somehow the technical details never slow the story—they rocket it forward.
I put Nance in the same rare air as T.J. Newman: writers who can make you forget to breathe while convincing you every dial, switch, and checklist is dead-on accurate.
If you love aviation thrillers that feel terrifyingly plausible, clear your schedule. This deserves every one of its five well-earned stars and will keep you wide-eyed long after the seat-belt sign dings off.
Dr. Brian Logan, a gifted heart surgeon, blames Meridian Airlines for the crash that stole his pregnant wife. He’s already suing the company when fate laughs in his face: the only flight to a life-saving temporary post in Cape Town belongs to—of course—Meridian. Airline security flags him the second he checks in. One more angry outburst and they’ll drag him off in cuffs.
He isn’t the only passenger carrying desperation at 37,000 feet. A young couple fights to keep their critically ill little boy alive until they land. The captain rules the cockpit like a dictator, and the senior flight attendant could make a Marine drill sergeant flinch.
Then everything goes sideways.
Without warning, the 747 diverts to Nigeria, swaps a few mysterious “passengers,” and takes off again—minus the co-pilot. Intelligence agencies watch the blip on their screens and see a flying bomb. Radios fail. NATO fighters scramble. The President of the United States faces the worst decision of his life: give the order to shoot down a civilian airliner with 300 souls on board or gamble on a miracle.
Nance (a real-life airline captain and aviation analyst) pours decades of cockpit know-how into every page. You smell the jet fuel, feel the yoke shudder, and understand exactly why certain tiny mistakes can turn catastrophic in seconds. Yet somehow the technical details never slow the story—they rocket it forward.
I put Nance in the same rare air as T.J. Newman: writers who can make you forget to breathe while convincing you every dial, switch, and checklist is dead-on accurate.
If you love aviation thrillers that feel terrifyingly plausible, clear your schedule. This deserves every one of its five well-earned stars and will keep you wide-eyed long after the seat-belt sign dings off.
December 23, 2023
I have read a number of John Nance novels since discovering him rather belatedly this year.
This one was both enjoyable and incredibly frustrating and annoying at the same time. The plot is decent and it builds well towards its (fairly predictable) finale. Many loose ends were then tied up in a long epilogue.
What really annoyed me was some of the characterizations. I have flown a lot in my life and around the time this book was set I was flying constantly, in Europe and the US and further afield.
The character of the lead flight attendant was frankly ridiculous. To suggest that such a person could survive in any airline, especially a major carrier, is absurd. This creation was overtly rude and threatening to passengers individually and en masse, cruel and obnoxious to other crew members including the captain and even lied outrageously to passengers over the P/A. Not a credible characterization. Similarly the captain. No airline, especially a major global carrier (as this is purported to be) would promote to a 747 captain someone so incompetent and timid.
There were other issues with the plot that were far fetched. Ok, it’s a novel. But Mr Nance’s USP is that he really knows this industry and writes as an insider.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 22, 2018
This book is centered on the all-too-common issue of air rage, when passengers finally get pushed past the breaking point by airline personnel who treat them like cattle. Of course, this story takes it to the extreme, but it is a fast-paced thriller that kept me turning pages at a frenzied rate. I could not stop reading; this book will have you hooked from page one.
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John Nance knows what he is talking about in this book, being an airline pilot and an aviation expert for Good Morning America. The research he did for the locations and military story are first-rate, and I looking forward to reading more of his works.
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My Rating: 4.25/5 stars
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John Nance knows what he is talking about in this book, being an airline pilot and an aviation expert for Good Morning America. The research he did for the locations and military story are first-rate, and I looking forward to reading more of his works.
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My Rating: 4.25/5 stars
July 17, 2025
Too many characters with too many stories, that took too long to get to the end. Some of the characters in the beginning failed to make another appearance till the end; and by then I’d forgotten what their purpose was to the story.
I only know Mr Nance as an analyst for the air industry on national news. When I saw he had written a fictional story with an airplane full of passengers on an international flight…..well at least he’s writing about what he knows.
Not until after I had finished the book did I see he’s written like 7 fictional best sellers and 3 or 4 non fiction books. I may or may not give him a second chance and read one of his other fictional books.
I only know Mr Nance as an analyst for the air industry on national news. When I saw he had written a fictional story with an airplane full of passengers on an international flight…..well at least he’s writing about what he knows.
Not until after I had finished the book did I see he’s written like 7 fictional best sellers and 3 or 4 non fiction books. I may or may not give him a second chance and read one of his other fictional books.
October 20, 2023
I'm a big fan of John J. Nance and have read many, if not most, of his thrillers. But I just didn't like this book at all. I understood what he was trying to establish but the characters were just so annoying and unlikable that I didn't care what happened to them. I gave up a little less than halfway through the book as these people were really starting to get on my nerves and the premise felt like it was getting to be a bit ridiculous. I was so disappointed as I've enjoyed so many of his other books.
April 8, 2025
This is another great airliner disaster from Nance, but of a different cloth. In "Turbulence", mistreated passengers on a long flight from London to Cape Town express their displeasure and eventually attempt to take over the plane.
This synopsis doesn't even begin to do the plot justice. Nance, as always, creates some believable and memorable characters who drive the story. Throw in a number of literary curveballs and you have a great tale. There's plenty of action and little downtime, so please observe the seatbelt sign, strap in and have a good time reading this little gem.
This synopsis doesn't even begin to do the plot justice. Nance, as always, creates some believable and memorable characters who drive the story. Throw in a number of literary curveballs and you have a great tale. There's plenty of action and little downtime, so please observe the seatbelt sign, strap in and have a good time reading this little gem.
December 21, 2021
I swear, this guy just loves to torture me! This is yet another absolutely wonderful book by John Nance. This time, the major airline - Meridian - is slipping in customer service. They've slipped so badly that even employees are losing heart and loyalty. Air rage is the logical successor and this novel depicts the true airline trip from hell. The hardest part about a Nance book is making it last. They are all true page turners and this one is no exception.
April 15, 2024
OUTSTANDING!
Wow, what a terrific read. It taxied onto the runway of my imagination and started a slow roll on the way to an incredible takeoff.
Once the command "rotate" was given, the story was off to a tense and exciting adventure. Once it reaches cruising altitude, you may find yourself gasping for air as the story builds suspense, drama, and significant peril.
This book is that great!
Wow, what a terrific read. It taxied onto the runway of my imagination and started a slow roll on the way to an incredible takeoff.
Once the command "rotate" was given, the story was off to a tense and exciting adventure. Once it reaches cruising altitude, you may find yourself gasping for air as the story builds suspense, drama, and significant peril.
This book is that great!
May 5, 2018
Another great book....
John J Nance, you have an extraordinary way with words. Your books are awesome. There is a problem for me at putting aside the books for the simple things of life like cooking, cleaning, etc. So I usually finish in a day or two. Thanks for the reading happiness I enjoy with your books. Thanks, Amarillo Turtle
John J Nance, you have an extraordinary way with words. Your books are awesome. There is a problem for me at putting aside the books for the simple things of life like cooking, cleaning, etc. So I usually finish in a day or two. Thanks for the reading happiness I enjoy with your books. Thanks, Amarillo Turtle
June 20, 2019
First book that I have read by this author. Wasn’t the normal genre for me to read. It was better than I anticipated. The story lined jumped around a bit. Will read additional books by this author.
October 13, 2019
Standard thriller but well written and certainly gripping. Some non-standard elements like the rebel leader worked well. A professional novel written by a pro and even if it shows its age it still kept me amused in the bathtub (paperbacks are safer than reading on the Kindle) and on the terrace
December 31, 2019
Terrific
What a ride. Sure makes a person think twice about air travel. Of course it's exaggerated but some of the stories you hear causes some trepidation. Absolutely can't put it down but a nice ending.
What a ride. Sure makes a person think twice about air travel. Of course it's exaggerated but some of the stories you hear causes some trepidation. Absolutely can't put it down but a nice ending.
January 10, 2023
Awesome.
John J. Nance is one of my favorite Authors, and one of the only ones that can keep me connected to what I’m reading. Thank you. Appreciate your style of writing. Wish they were free to Kindle users.
John J. Nance is one of my favorite Authors, and one of the only ones that can keep me connected to what I’m reading. Thank you. Appreciate your style of writing. Wish they were free to Kindle users.
June 27, 2024
I've always enjoyed Nance's books, but I thought the first half spent too much time developing the characters without giving the reader a hint at the plot. The second half of the book was exciting and the ending was well-written.
August 18, 2025
As turbulent as the title
Lots of set-up, but important to make the story fly. An amazing tale, as up and down as the aircraft! The last hundred pages are incredible. Another 5 star novel!
Lots of set-up, but important to make the story fly. An amazing tale, as up and down as the aircraft! The last hundred pages are incredible. Another 5 star novel!
October 2, 2025
Way, way too much stuff about various characters.
I read Airline by Michael Crichton and wanted something similar.
This isn't even close.
Crichton didn't dwell on peoples lives, this does, the affair of this one, the drama at work, the well who cares.
I read Airline by Michael Crichton and wanted something similar.
This isn't even close.
Crichton didn't dwell on peoples lives, this does, the affair of this one, the drama at work, the well who cares.
September 24, 2018
Great book - super suspense! Loved all the twists and turns and anticipation!
December 15, 2018
I absolutely love finding new (to me) authors! Can't wait to read more of John's work.
December 28, 2018
Entertaing. Interesting, not riveting, but kept my interest, even though I figured out the plot early on. I like the way he writes, and I find that is very important to me.
June 2, 2019
Not as good as previous books
January 18, 2020
Interesting take on an aircraft accident investigation with ties to terrorism. Fast read with accurate portrayal of aviation aspects (which seems to be rare). Enjoyed the DC-3 flight.
February 1, 2020
Excellent aviation thriller
John Nance came through per usual with an excellent aviation thriller that was hard to put down. Thanks, John! Nancy
John Nance came through per usual with an excellent aviation thriller that was hard to put down. Thanks, John! Nancy
November 26, 2020
Always unique adventure
A strange story but believable. Scary flight stories. Always makekes me want to read another of his books right away
A strange story but believable. Scary flight stories. Always makekes me want to read another of his books right away
March 27, 2021
Another good thriller from John J Nance.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews