Basher Five-Two: The True Story of F-16 Fighter Pilot Captain Scott O'Grady - Rilegato

O'Grady, Scott; French, Michael

Rilegato

ISBN 10: 038532300X ISBN 13: 9780385323000

Casa editrice: Bantam Dell Pub Group, 1997

Riassunto

A U.S. Air Force fighter pilot who was shot down over Bosnia describes how he evaded capture and how he was able to survive in enemy territory with little water and no food.

Su questo libro

Estratto. © Riproduzione autorizzata. Diritti riservati.:

A burst of flames and intense heat spread through my cockpit.  I began to pitch and roll wildly.  It felt like a giant hand had reached down, grabbed me with brute force, and shook me in a frenzy.  What was left of my plane was like a straw in the wind, totally out of control.

For all its space-age electronics, its supersonic speed, its defensive-powers, the F-16 is not perfect.  In the blink of an eye, it can be turned from the prince of the skies into a burning scrap heap of wire and twisted metal.  The missile had blindsided me, coming up through a cloud cover below.  It had struck the plane's underbelly, hitting one of the fuel tanks and cutting my F-16 in two.  It took me another moment to understand.  The nose and cockpit had broken away--and I was now in a free fall to earth.

As I spun out of control, I worried about blacking out from the sudden and unexpected G forces.  I watched my console break and twist apart before me.  My mind was outracing my ability to react.  Flames from the exploding gas tank had found a crack between my oxygen mask and visor.  They had also reached the back of my neck.  Part of me was waiting for the cockpit to explode.  Somehow, the heat and the pain and the insanity of the moment focused my thoughts.

Dear God, I prayed, please don't let me die now--don't let me die from this.

I gazed down, through the flames, and saw a fat yellow handle attached to my seat.  The handle pushed up between my legs, bigger than life, staring at me like the miracle I took it to be.  The beautiful words stamped across the top were impossible to miss, even in the fire and smoke: PULL TO EJECT.

I had no idea how much time had passed since the missile had struck.  In reality it had been only seconds.  It felt like an eternity.  I knew I wasn't waiting much longer.  For another microsecond, I worried that my damaged canopy wouldn't open, or if it did, that the seat wouldn't eject.  But I really didn't have time to worry.

My left hand dropped down to the handle, and I pulled with all my might.

Dalla seconda/terza di copertina:

ce pilot Captain Scott O'Grady was shot down in his F-16 over Bosnia while helping to keep the peace. The plane exploded, and Captain O'Grady fell 5 miles to the ground below. In exciting detail, Captain O'Grady tells how he evaded capture and how, with little water and no food, he was able to survive on his own in enemy territory. This is a thrilling look at an American hero--a hero not because the captain survived, but because of the skill, faith, and courage he displayed and the duty he fulfilled as a member of the armed forces.

Su questa edizione

• Editore: Bantam Dell Pub Group
• Data di pubblicazione: 1997
• ISBN 10: 038532300X
• ISBN 13: 9780385323000
• Rilegatura: Copertina rigida
• Numero di pagine: 133