"The Naval Aviation Guide has long been essential reading for those earning their wings of gold as well as a convenient reference source for old hands and a useful introduction for those considering a career in naval aviation. Every major facet of naval aviation is treated here, from its origins and development to its organizational relationships and working parts, including Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Reserve aviation." "This fifth edition, revised by longtime naval flight officer and former magazine editor Lt. Cdr. Richard R. Burgess, retains the basic format of the previous edition but updates the text to reflect the changes that have occurred over the past decade."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Top Gun was only part of the story. Fly Navy delves beyond the Hollywood image to reveal the true mettle and genuine story of the elite men and women of naval aviation. For one hundred years, the U.S. Navy's aviators and crews have made the difference on military and peacetime missions around the world. Their unparalleled skill, preparation, and everyday dedication have paid off when it matters most: when lives are on the line. Together, these men and women—officers and enlisted personnel, past and present—have protected freedom, served their country, and forged a legacy of valor like no other. In this landmark book, Alvin Townley takes readers on an adventure around the world and across generations as he goes behind the scenes of naval aviation. From the skies over the Arabian Sea to the jungles of Southeast Asia to carriers patrolling the vast Pacific, he uncovers incredible stories of service members who survived weeks adrift at sea, made midnight rescues in deadly storms, crash-landed behind enemy lines, and found themselves in situations where their exceptional training and focus were the only things standing between life and death. Filled with inspiring personal accounts of courage, camaraderie, and sheer perseverance, Fly Navy pays tribute to the extraordinary individuals who have built naval aviation into the revered force it is today—and will remain tomorrow.

Veteran journalist and author of The Commandos Douglas Waller chronicles his rare and intimate experience with the training program for Navy pilots in this “engrossing saga that will likely become an unofficial recruiting tool for naval aviation” (Publishers Weekly). Waller, who was granted permission to participate in the pilots’ grueling training regime, has written an absorbing behind-the-scenes account of the physical and psychological trials endured by the most specialized group of pilots in military history. From his bird’s-eye view in the passenger’s seat, Waller follows pilot trainees through two years of intense preparation. He offers vivid illustrations from the fray: hair-raising aerial dogfights; stomach-swallowing dive-bombing runs; high-speed tactical maneuvers grazing the desert floor; and numerous nerve-twisting aircraft carrier takeoffs and landings. In addition to his own experiences and those of the group of trainees he joins, his research is based on interviews with hundreds of other students and their instructors. Hurtling through the air at death-defying speeds, these pilots-in-training struggle to maintain their composure while withstanding conditions that are designed to challenge them to the very limits of human endurance. Waller’s deftly drawn portraits of the men and women he encounters in this singular culture of elite pilots are as satisfying as his adventure narrative. The pilots, whose grit, determination, and mental agility operate on an elevated threshold, come into sharp focus behind Waller’s keen lens: their aspirations, awe inspiring. Air Warriors combines an examination of the modern Navy, recovering from past sex scandals, with a portrayal of a privileged cadre of men and women whose ambition and commitment coexist within a tightly knit group. Waller is able to capture images of these pilots training, living, and fighting with an acuity and intelligence that are often absent from Hollywood and television treatments of this diverse and fascinating subculture. Air Warriors takes us inside the cockpit and behind closed doors for the real story of the making of a Navy pilot.

This book was donated as a part of the David H. Hugel Collection, a collection of the Special Collections & Archives, University of Baltimore.

For anyone with the will to become a U.S. naval aviator, the future begins now. Marine fighter pilot and combat veteran Jay Stout shows us just what it takes to be a U.S. naval aviator in the twenty-first century, conducting us through every step of training as these dedicated, everyday heroes prepare for tomorrow’s threats while taking the fight to the enemy today. Throughout, Stout offers behind-the-scenes perspectives on the community of naval aviators, with profiles of the men and women who fly naval aircraft, of celebrated naval aviators, and of important figures in the history of naval aviation.

Oversized and magnificently illustrated, this book by historians and active duty and retired officers will be cherished by aviators and the countless others who have been inspired by the feats of U.S. naval aviation. 500 photos, 300 in color.

A fresh, unique insider’s view of what it’s like to be a woman aviator in today’s US Navy—from pedicures to parachutes, friendship to firefights. Caroline Johnson was an unlikely aviation candidate. A tall blonde debutante from Colorado, she could have just as easily gone into fashion or filmmaking, and yet she went on to become an F/A-18 Super Hornet Weapons System Officer. She was one of the first women to fly a combat mission over Iraq since 2011, and one of the first women to drop bombs on ISIS. Jet Girl tells the remarkable story of the women fighting at the forefront in a military system that allows them to reach the highest peaks, and yet is in many respects still a fraternity. Johnson offers an insider’s view on the fascinating, thrilling, dangerous and, at times, glamorous world of being a naval aviator. This is a coming-of age story about a young college-aged woman who draws strength from a tight knit group of friends, called the Jet Girls, and struggles with all the ordinary problems of life: love, work, catty housewives, father figures, make-up, wardrobe, not to mention being put into harm’s way daily with terrorist groups such as ISIS and world powers such as Russia and Iran. Some of the most memorable parts of the book are about real life in training, in the air and in combat—how do you deal with having to pee in a cockpit the size of a bumper car going 600 miles an hour? Not just a memoir, this book also aims to change the conversation and to inspire and attract the next generation of men and women who are tempted to explore a life of adventure and service.

Operational flight training in fighter aircraft in WW II was a highlight for young Navy pilots. The Naval Air Station, Melbourne, Florida was a specialized fighter training base that saw many of the young men become top gun fighter pilots. This book traces the training Navy cadets went through, the operational training they accomplished, and the history of NAS Melbourne from its grass roots through the war years. Activities and actions that went on at this Navy base are told along with stories about some of the people that ran the base. There are 60 images in the book along with a map of the base and close- up photos of the buildings. It is a history written in a way that takes the reader back in time and lets him "live" through those activities brought on by a war that no one wanted but had to cope with.