The Lightning Boys

Download or read book The Lightning Boys written by Richard Pike and published by Grub Street Publishers. This book was released on 2011-09-20 with total page 311 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A good read both to aviators in general and to the Lightning fraternity in particular” (Royal Air Force Historical Society). According to a recent international study, the Lightning is the fifth most popular military aircraft of all time. With over twenty individual stories from former Lightning pilots, this book relates the highs and lows, the dramas and the demands of those who operated this iconic aircraft until its sharp end. Tales include the recollections of an aerobatic display pilot, an implausible yet true account of telepathic communication, and an extraordinary episode in which a Lightning pilot on an exchange program with the French Air Force became embroiled in a mid-air collision. An unverified, but likely genuine, world record is also revealed in one of the chapters. In addition to the original photographs that accompany the text, the renowned aviation artist Chris Stone, a former Lightning pilot himself, has provided a unique sketch as well as copies of some of his paintings, offering a look at this amazing aircraft that will appeal to the general reader as well as the enthusiast.