The Wrong Stuff: Flying on the Edge of Disaster

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About The Wrong Stuff: Flying On The Edge Of Disaster

Product Description Author John Moore is the "cat with nine lives" of the aviation fraternity. From his early days as a Naval Aviation Cadet he had a knack for flying but seemed to be in the neighborhood of disaster. Through two Korean combat tours, Navy test operations, his years as test pilot for North American Aviation, and the space program he was associated with many near and some real catastrophes. From Booklist An aviation cadet during World War II, Moore finished training too late to see action then but made up for it with two tours of duty flying jets in Korea and a distinguished later career as a naval and civilian test pilot. He is eloquent on the number of things that can and, in the early days of jets, usually did go wrong in the air as well as on the virtues and vices of certain aircraft, the F7U Cutlass and the F8F Bearcat in particular, and he tells the story--one worthy of Monty Python--of experimentation in landing fighters with no landing gear on rubber flight decks and runways. His memoirs are breezy, anecdotal, and unrepentant about fighter pilots' traditional pursuit of wine, women, and song but also relay the story of mastering many suicidally dangerous skills and teaching them to others while remaining a loving husband and father--the story of a most deserving citizen of his country. Roland Green Review First as a Navy combat pilot and later as an experimental test pilot, John Moore experienced adventures that are legendary in the aviation community. He is the flying fraternity's nine-lived cat with a knack for describing his adventures in a way that appeals to aviators, but is not overly technical. His story is salted with good humor and deeply emotional memories. A member of the exclusive band of naval carrier pilots, Moore has flown 104 aircraft types in military operations, testing and civilian aviation. But as he notes in the introduction, The Wrong Stuff is more about the people he met, and those he lost, along the way. The author choose The Wrong Stuff as his title because he "crashed a lot". Actually, he could have called his aviation memoir "The Right Stuff" because he's still here to tell these thrilling tales! The Wrong Stuff is "must" reading for all fans of aviation history and true-life adventure. -- Midwest Book Review