Heart of the Storm
My Adventures as a Helicopter Rescue Pilot and Commander
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4.0 • 1 Rating
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
Advance praise for Heart of the Storm
"Col. Ed Fleming tells a story of true heroism about the constant dangers faced by the pilots and crews who fly the most versatile-and vulnerable-aircraft in the skies today."-John Glenn, former U.S. senator, astronaut, and bestselling author of John Glenn: A Memoir
"To risk your life to save a stranger is the highest mark of a human being. Ed Fleming is such a man, and this book is a great read."-Dr. Jerri Nielsen, author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Ice Bound
"Filled with suspense and emotion, Heart of the Storm reads like a thriller--but it's all true. Ed Fleming has led a dramatic and interesting life, and this book portrays it in living color."-Robert K. Tanenbaum, New York Times bestselling author of Resolved and Absolute Rage
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
During his 30 years in the Air Force and Air National Guard, Fleming made a career of descending from the sky to pluck disaster victims from the jaws of floods, storms, sharks and polar white-outs. His gripping memoir vividly illustrates how tenuous the life of a deus ex machina can be. Fleming recalls the tragic and sometimes gruesome deaths of unlucky colleagues who succumbed to the elements and recounts hair-raising missions that often took place at night, flown through hazardous weather (including the vicious nor'easter Sebastian Junger made famous in The Perfect Storm) in fragile helicopters prone to mechanical breakdown. Avoiding gung-ho special-ops bluster, he probes the human flaws and lapses--incompetent, panicky pilots, abusive officers, penny-pinching bureaucrats who refuse to pay for much-needed equipment--that bedevil even elite outposts of the military. Fleming's sober, straightforward, well-paced style lucidly conveys the lore of helicopter flight and the practical difficulties of rescue missions while letting the heroics speak for themselves. Photos.
