Signal Charley Flaps, Wheels, Hook Down

Book excerpt: Signal Charley will captivate flight-fanciers, adventure readers and US Navy buffs alike. Ride along with the author through Midshipman cruises, pilot training, day and night aircraft carrier qualifications, the transition from straight-deck to angled-deck carriers, operations in the Pacific, squadron operations, and in-flight emergencies. Experience first-hand accounts of Super Typhoon Karen on Guam (1962), temporary additional duties in Moscow (1967), and landing on an oceanic ice floe north of Alaska.Share the author's experiences as a pilot and meteorologist during the evolutionary change from manual to numerical analysis and forecasting, and the initial introduction of satellite (TIROS) data to improve both methods. Savor, from start to finish, thoroughly-researched details, accompanying period photographs, meticulous accuracy, and the author's insightful and engaging perspective.