Fighter Pilot

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Fighter Pilot Page 52

by Christina Olds


  United States Air Force Academy (USAFA). See Air Force Academy

  United States Air Force Europe (USAFE)

  Unit Effectiveness Inspections (UEIs)

  Urk, (The Netherlands)

  USS Argentina troop ship

  USS Independence

  USSTAF (U.S. Strategic Air Forces)

  Utah beach, Normandy, France 53

  U-Tapao Air Force Base, Thailand

  V-1 and V-2 rockets

  Vampire jets

  Vandenberg, Hoyt

  Van Loan, Jack

  Van Nuys, California

  V-E Day

  Victorville, California

  victory rolls

  Vietcong

  Vietnam

  demilitarized zone (DMZ)

  See also North Vietnam; South Vietnam

  Vietnam conflict

  cost of, in lives

  engagement rules

  official reason for being in it

  pernicious effect on American morale

  persuade-not-destroy doctrine for fighting

  pilot rotation in

  pointless waste of

  refusal to win

  Robin’s desire to be part of

  “Win It!” (Robin’s refrain)

  Vietnam People’s Air Force (VPAF)

  Villacoublay Airdrome, (near Paris), France

  Viney, George

  VIPs, dealing with

  Virginia Military Institute

  V-J Day

  vodka

  Volanthan (RAF enlisted man)

  volunteering for combat

  Waldrop, Dave

  Walker, Captain

  Wallace, Wally

  Waller, Charlie

  war, limited

  Warsaw Concerto

  Warwick, Mr.

  Washington, D.C.

  residing in

  social occasions in

  Washington, George

  WASPs

  Wattisham Kennel Club

  Wattisham RAF Station, England

  Wayne, John

  Wayne, Steve

  Weasels

  weather conditions for flying

  clear, no contrails

  stormy, cold, aircraft grounded

  turbulent, aircraft lost

  Webster, Benny

  Wellington Bottle Club (in London)

  Wells, Norm

  West Point

  academics

  attitude of graduates of, rankling to some

  football at

  frantic routine at

  Gloom Period at

  honor system at

  military training at

  Robin returns to, to coach football, and leaves

  Wetterhahn, Ralph

  Wheelus Air Base, Libya

  Proficiency Center

  White, Bob

  White, Ernie “Dirty”

  White House, Robin’s visit to

  White House press corps

  Wichman, Eloise (Robin’s mother)

  Wiesbaden Air Base, Germany

  Williams, Bob

  Williams Field, Mesa, Arizona

  William Stone

  Wilson, General (13th AF)

  Wilson, Joe

  wingmen

  wings

  bad-mouthing between

  communication problem among

  operational, replacing groups

  Wings, (film) 83

  “Win It!” (Robin’s refrain)

  Wold, Glen

  Wolfe, Tom

  Wolfpack (Zemke’s)

  Woodbridge RAF base, England

  Woodward, “Woody”

  Workman, Lee

  World War I

  World War II

  American entry into

  end of

  fighter tactics

  final days of, in Europe

  start of

  Worley, Robert

  Wright-Patterson AFB (near Dayton), Ohio

  Wycombe Abbey boarding school

  Yalu River, Korea

  yaw, adverse

  Yen Bai Air Base (VPAF), Vietnam

  Yen Vien railroad, Vietnam

  Zemke, Hubert “Hub”

  downing of and taken POW

  Zuider Zee, (The Netherlands)

  Advance Praise for

  Fighter Pilot

  “Reading Robin Olds’s mesmerizing memoir is like sitting on his shoulder and physically experiencing his decades of flying, fighting, and defending America’s freedoms and values. You will laugh, yell ‘Oorah!’ and maybe even shed a tear. If you ever wanted to fly a P-51 Mustang in combat over Germany or shoot down a MiG over North Vietnam flying your F-4 Phantom jet, reading this is the closest you can get without actually doing it. The man was bigger than life and reading his memoir will confirm all the amazing stories about this legendary fighter pilot. Olds’s remarkable life experiences jump from the pages—in a book that is nearly impossible to put down.”

  —David Hartman, aviation writer and original host of Good Morning America

  “I just finished reading the draft. What a remarkable book—I was absolutely riveted! The fascinating details, the way it captured the true maverick spirit of General Olds … his blunt honesty and absolute integrity, his triumphs and tragedies … made for one terrific read! What an amazing man—and one of America’s greatest warriors and leaders. I was incredibly honored to have known him and to have featured him in my TV series. This is a must-read for anyone who wants to get into the mind of a true fighter pilot and a brilliant leader. A truly remarkable book … I highly recommend it!”

  —Cynthia Harrison, Creator/Executive Producer of Dogfights for the History Channel

  “This book is a must-read for all fighter pilots, history buffs, and patriots. The stories will fascinate the aviation veteran but will be just as interesting to the ‘everyman.’ General Olds was a legend, a leader, a hero, a role model, and a genuine Sierra Hotel character.”

  —T. Allan McArtor, chairman of Airbus Americas and former FAA Administrator and fighter pilot

  “If you like flying, or just talking or reading about flying, you’ll love this great book, and at it’s conclusion you will wish it could go on and on. Fighter Pilot presents a not-at-all-standard American hero, a wild and wooly, rock ’em and sock ’em, All-American football jock at West Point who went on to become a top fighter ace. He was our finest and no one should be surprised that he courted and won the hand of a stunning Hollywood movie star. What a great read.”

  —Tom “Bear” Wilson, author of Termite Hill and Black Serpent

  “My only personal contact with General Olds was as a new cadet at the Air Force Academy shortly before his assignment changed. I recall that we regarded him as a legend but didn’t understand why … I do now. As a young F-4 fighter pilot, I knew that I wanted to be a Robin Olds–type fighter pilot, but I didn’t know what that was … I do now. Having held a number of leadership positions, I’ve wanted to lead like Colonel Olds led a combat wing but didn’t know how … I do now. The book is much more than a legend’s memoirs; it’s a lesson on how to be a man’s man … in the best sense!”

  —Terence “Tom” Henricks, former NASA astronaut and president of Aviation Week

  FIGHTER PILOT. Copyright © 2010 by Robin Olds with Christina Olds and Ed Rasimus. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.

  www.stmartins.com

  First Edition: May 2010

  eISBN 9781429929097

  First eBook edition: February 2014

 

 

 
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