Fly Navy
Discovering the Extraordinary People and Enduring Spirit of Naval Aviation
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4.4 • 7 Ratings
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
Top Gun was only part of the story. Fly Navy delves beyond the Hollywood image to reveal the true mettle and genuine story of the elite men and women of naval aviation.
For one hundred years, the U.S. Navy's aviators and crews have made the difference on military and peacetime missions around the world. Their unparalleled skill, preparation, and everyday dedication have paid off when it matters most: when lives are on the line. Together, these men and women—officers and enlisted personnel, past and present—have protected freedom, served their country, and forged a legacy of valor like no other.
In this landmark book, Alvin Townley takes readers on an adventure around the world and across generations as he goes behind the scenes of naval aviation. From the skies over the Arabian Sea to the jungles of Southeast Asia to carriers patrolling the vast Pacific, he uncovers incredible stories of service members who survived weeks adrift at sea, made midnight rescues in deadly storms, crash-landed behind enemy lines, and found themselves in situations where their exceptional training and focus were the only things standing between life and death.
Filled with inspiring personal accounts of courage, camaraderie, and sheer perseverance, Fly Navy pays tribute to the extraordinary individuals who have built naval aviation into the revered force it is today—and will remain tomorrow.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this exhilarating and enlightening survey of naval aviation, Townley (Legacy of Honor) covers everything from training in Pensacola, to the Blue Angels squadron, to the real-life fighter weapons school known as TOPGUN (the inspiration for the movie). Along the way, he introduces readers to flight deck crews, fighter pilots, and navy wives, opening with the story of exhibition pilot Eugene Ely, the first to fly from a ship in 1910. An especially memorable character is Joe Satrapa, a legendary pilot who, having lost his right thumb in an explosion, asks doctors to sew his toe onto his hand in order to fly. Compelling survival stories include: a description of Lt. Nicole "Bad Dog!" Johnson's night landing on a carrier after an instrument failure; the 34-day ordeal of three men adrift on a raft in the Pacific during WWII; and a chapter detailing a helicopter ocean rescue mission during a snowstorm. Through these stories, Townley ably captures the camaraderie and vigor of naval aviation. Illustrations.
