Fighter Pilot's Heaven: Flight Testing the Early Jets
“Fighter Pilot’s Heavenis a you-are-there account of the life every pilot, or aspiring pilot, would love to experience.”—Aviation History“Lopez presents the dramatic inside story of the American military transition into the jet age, as told by a flyer whose life depended on its success. With colorful anecdotes about fellow pilots as well as precise technical information, Lopez interweaves his story with the history of the jet plane. . . [and] peppers his memoir with lively accounts of many pilots and colleagues, revealing how airmen coped with both exhilirating successes and sometimes tragic failure.”—Stars and Stripes“Packed with facts, people, and anecdotes, the book takes the reader aloft in planes with unknown, sometimes deadly characteristics. . . . Excerpts from an actual flight test report provide rare insights and give glimpses of the numerous, often subtle, design factors that are weighed against each other in developing a machine that must defeat its adversaries at high altitudes, high speeds, and crushing G-forces. . . . Lopez’s tales are truly astounding.”—Military“This absolutely delightful book is a must read for anyone with even a remote interest in the adventure of flying in the 1940s.”—Flight