The Kink

Jim Finley arrives at McCook Field already bruised by disappointment, handed another worn-out aircraft while the dazzling young Kink Forell mocks him and the field hums with the future of aviation. Once a celebrated test pilot, Finley is now reduced to obsolete machines like the battered Larkin, a relic whose failure sends him into a terrifying fight to keep a crippled bomber aloft and away from disaster. His hard landing, and the grim medical exam that follows, confirm his worst fear: age and fading eyesight may have ended his flying career. But Finley's struggle is more than personal decline. In a world of experimental bombers, emergency landings, and showy aerial feats, he and Forell clash over what real airmanship means. A trip to Nashville brings the rivalry into public view, where Forell dazzles crowds and Finley surprises them with a quiet, heartfelt speech about flying. When engine trouble forces an emergency landing in a tiny mountain field, the two men face one final trial: a dangerous takeoff that strips away bravado and proves that true courage lies in precision, nerve, and action. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.