Fly Navy: Discovering the Extraordinary People and Enduring Spirit of Naval Aviation

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. (Apr.)