Another book written by Ed Cobleigh about his career in the US Air Force. His style remains the same informative, fascinating and sometimes humorous.
With less emphasize on his air force time in Vietnam ( War for the Hell of it) he guides us through his entire Air Force career from his undergraduate training until the moment he decided to leave for a civilian job. He avoided (mostly) political issues more dominant in his other book about the Vietnam air war and gives more insight in his different jobs such as flying the F-4 Phantom in different squadrons with different tasks and in changing theaters throughout the world. Stories enough to tell! Each chapter is devoted to a certain period in his career. Per example as instructor in the Fighter Weapon School at Nellis AFB, flying the A-4 as Top Gun instructor and also as Aerodrome Officer at Las Vegas a very funny story!
Two chapters were of special interest to me namely his time as instructor in Western Iran to train local pilots in the new delivered Phantoms with an insight in the local culture he was forced to work and his exchange time with the RAF spent in the cold northern part of England flying the Jaguar. He was upgraded as instructor on the Jaguar under total different circumstances and disciplines in sometimes hairy weather in a jet not suited to do its job.
I sure can make a summary of all his thrilling stories told in this book but that will take the thrill away from the potential reader but I can promise you it is worth the effort and it will keeps you on your toes! In short the book is what you can expect from this author good stories about his pilot career with a critical approach, explaining why and how and not forgetting the human and humorous factors behind it all.
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