A former "New York Times" reporter's year behind the scenes at the scandal-ridden Air Force Academy

Diana Jean Schemo covered the Air Force Academy's sexual assault scandal in 2003, one of a series of academy embarrassments that have included drug use, rape complaints, and charges of evangelical officers pushing Christianity on cadets of all faiths. Today, the institution is in flux--a fascinating time to look at the changes being made and the experience of today's cadets.

Schemo followed a handful of academy cadets through the school year. From the admissions process and punishing weeks of basic training to graduation, she shares the triumphs and tribulations of the cadets and the struggle of the academy's leaders to set their embattled alma mater on a straighter path.Follows cadets in all grades, with insights on day-to-day academy life and trainingWritten by a veteran reporter, two-time foreign correspondent and Pulitzer Prize nominee, with excellent contacts at the academyIncludes 38 black-and-white photographs

Like David Lipsky's successful "Absolutely American: Four Years at West Point," this book offers a fascinating window on the training of our military today. But Schemo's book updates the story: the seniors were the first class to sign up after the attacks of 9/11, and the road to graduation, this time, leads to an America at war.

Air America was the largest of the CIA's secret airlines. Air America was one of the world's most extraordinary ailines. It was run by the CIA, operated secret missions, publicly flew scheduled routes, and, at its peak, Air America had the largest commercial fleet in the world! The airline emerged from China after World War II, had close ties to the famous Flying Tigers, Claire Chennault, other airlines, and foreign governments. But was it really an airline, or just a military cargo division? Air America operated a wide variety of helicopters and other aircraft. They did maintenance for foreign military, other competing airlines, American military, and had the largest facilities in Asia - in fact, the American government denied that they even existed! But they did exist, and a magnificent job was done by them. Revealed here, for the first time, is some of the flight equipment that was used on some of these secret missions. They invented aerial resupply - even before the Berlin Airlift. Finally, they did most of the evacuation from falling Saigon in 1975. Unsung, unheralded, but always brave, courageous, and dedicated, they lived up to, and often died, with Air America's motto of Anything, Anywhere, Anytime - Professionally.

This is the second volume of the classified history of air defence in Great Britain. Written while World War II was still being fought, the account has an analysis of the defensive tactics of Fighter Command, and attempts a day-by-day analysis of the action as it took place.

Between the spring and autumn of 1944, as the Allied forces slowly advanced through Italy, the German Luftwaffe constituted a constant threat to the incursions of the MAAF (Mediterranean Allied Air Forces), and the losses in men and aircraft were very substantial. In the span of a few months, between the autumn of 1944 and the end of hostilities, hundreds of Allied aircraft did not return from their missions on targets in the north of Italy. In most cases, the aviators on board the aircraft were captured or were killed in action. But on many other occasions, the crews managed to evade capture thanks to the collaboration of the civilian population and to the help given by the partisans. Especially in the Tuscan-Emilia-Romagna Apennine Mountains, these groups had setup a very efficient underground organization so that they could even pass through the strong defensive positions of the German Gothic Line and return to liberated territory. This book outlines a variety of lesser known stories and events that had as protagonists American and British aviators and Italian partisans and civilians acting together in various areas of Italy, including Lazio, Tuscany, Emilia Romagna, Lombardy, and Piedmont.

The Soci t Europ enne de Production de l'avion cole de Combat et d'Appui Tactique (SEPECAT) Jaguar and Hawker Siddeley Harrier played critical ground-attack and tactical reconnaissance roles, including in the latter stages of the Cold War. The Jaguar came into service with the RAF in 1974 and flew with eight operational squadrons and an Operational Conversion Unit before finally being retired in 2007. The unique Harrier entered service with the RAF in 1969.It flew operationally with four squadrons, as well as being deployed in Belize and the Falkland Islands and with an Operational Conversion Unit. The second-generation Harrier was prematurely retired in 2011. With over 180 photographs, both black and white and colour, this book, the third in a series on British combat aircraft of the 1970s and '80s, is an essential addition to the libraries of those who flew or worked on these aircraft, aviation historians and enthusiasts, and modellers alike.

Covers German anti-tank/assault aircraft: Bf 109, Fw 190, Ju 87, Ju 88, Hs 129, He 177 and others.

It has been called the most amazing and unbelievable aircraft of the 20th century. One look at the bat-like lines of the USAF's stealthy B-2 Spirit bomber quickly confirms this. But that futuristic shape has lineage back to the 1940s when the Northrop Company designed and built the B-35 and B-49 models - aircraft that closely resembled this 1990s flying wing version. Granted, the B-2 development program has had to endure a rocky road, but it is now here, and even though in smaller numbers than many desired, it will still present a formidable presence in the 21st century.

A tribute to one of the top fighter aces of the World War II, this new full length biography appears here in its first edition. Marseilles' wartime exploits are legendary with the 158 aerial victories, including 17 in one day. He was, and still is, considered by many of the Luftwaffe aces to be the premier fighter pilot of the Luftwaffe-all before the age of twenty-three. Also chronicled is the combat life of JG 27, Marseilles' unit, and the various personalities throughout the North African campaign.

Illustrated with detailed artworks of modern military aircraft and their markings with exhaustive captions and specifications, Technical Guide: Modern Military Aircraft is an extensively researched review of the military aircraft deployed by the world's air forces in recent conflicts in the Balkans, the Caucasus, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and elsewhere. Organised alphabetically by manufacturer, this book includes every type of aircraft in use in the world today, from the F-22 Raptor through the Dassault Mirage 2000 to the MiG-29 and Su-33. The book includes multirole fighters, ground attack aircraft, high-level bombers, reconnaissance aircraft, carrier aircraft, and unmanned drones. The guide is illustrated with profile artworks, three-views, and special cutaway artworks of the more famous aircraft in service, such as the F-15E Strike Eagle, Sukhoi Su-27 and Eurofighter Typhoon. Illustrated with more than 110 artworks, Technical Guide: Modern Military Aircraft is an essential reference guide for modellers and enthusiasts with an interest in modern military aircraft.

A rigorous new analysis of America's legendary 'Big Week' air campaign which enabled the Allies to gain air superiority before D-Day. The USAAF's mighty World War II bomber forces were designed for unescorted, precision daylight bombing, but no-one foresaw the devastation that German radar-directed interceptors would inflict on them. Following the failures of 1943's Schweinfurt-Regensburg raids, and with D-Day looming, the Allies urgently needed to crush the Luftwaffe's ability to oppose the landings. In February 1944, the Allies conceived and fought history's first-ever successful offensive counter air (OCA) campaign, Operation Argument or "Big Week." Attacking German aircraft factories with hundreds of heavy bombers, escorted by the new long-range P-51 Mustang, it aimed both to slash aircraft production and force the Luftwaffe into combat, allowing the new Mustangs to take their toll on the German interceptors. This expertly written, illustration-packed account explains how the Allies finally began to win air superiority over Europe, and how Operation Argument marked the beginning of the Luftwaffe's fall.

This book describes the procurement, operation and technical aspects of the legendary Messerschmitt Me 109 in Swiss service during and after World War II. The aircraft and its procurement during the 1930s and 1940s are described in detail, as are the internal quarrels and errors in planning. The Me 109G "Gustav" is extensively discussed, and a chapter on camouflage paint and markings will be of special interest to modelers. The book also contains nearly 450 mostly unpublished photographs, including color. Georg Hoch was born in 1943 in Zurich, and was an instructor in the Luftwaffe. His specialties included aircraft armament, structure, and war repairs.

Bender's book covers Luftwaffe rank insignia, Waffenfarbe, uniforms, headgear, cuff titles/armbands, special uniforms, Fallschirmjager equipment, accessories, specialty badges, clasps, decorations, standards, flags, pennants, aircraft markings.

One of 'The 30 Best Travel and Adventure Books of All Time', as selected by Gear Patrol, Winner 2015 US Travel and Adventure website. Fighter Pilot was written from the immediate and unfettered personal journal that 23-year-old Flying Officer Paul Richey began on the day he and No. 1 Squadron landed their Hawker Hurricanes on a grass airfield in France. Originally published in September 1941, it was the first such account of air combat against the Luftwaffe in France in the Second World War, and it struck an immediate chord with a British public enthralled by the exploits of its young airmen. It is the story of a highly skilled group of young volunteer fighter pilots who patrolled, flew and fought at up to 30,000 feet in unheated cockpits, without radar and often from makeshift airfields, and who were finally confronted by the overwhelming might of Hitler's Blitzkreig. It tells how this remarkable squadron adapted its tactics, its aircraft and itself to achieve a brilliant record of combat victories - in spite of the most extreme and testing circumstances. All the thrills, adrenalin rushes and the sheer terror of dog-fighting are here: simply, accurately and movingly described by a young airman discovering for himself the deadly nature of the combat in which he is engaged.

The 448th Bomb Group from its inception at Gowen Field, Idaho, in 1943 until the cessation of hostilities in Europe in 1945. An in-depth, personal look into the men who carried the war to the heart of the German Reich. Although the 448th Bomb Group never received the notoriety of some of the more famous Groups of the Eighth Air Force, it was one of the many units that successfully completed its mission every day. Among the unsung heroes of World War II were these normal men who completed their missions, day after day.

The German invasion of the Netherlands was meant to be a lightning-fast surgical strike, aimed at shoring up the right flank of the assault on France and Belgium. With a bold plan based largely on Luftwaffe air power, air-landing troops, and the biggest airborne assault yet seen, a Dutch surrender was expected within 24 hours. But the Netherlands possessed Europe's first fully integrated anti-aircraft network, as well as modern and competitive aircraft. On 10 May, the German attack was only partly successful, and the Dutch fought on for another four days. On the fifth day, with its original strategy having largely failed, the Luftwaffe resorted to terror-bombing Rotterdam to force a surrender. Explaining the technical capabilities and campaign plans of the two sides, and charting how the battles were fought, this fascinating book reassesses this little-known part of World War II. Author Ryan K. Noppen argues that while the Holland campaign was a tactical victory for Germany, the ability of the well-prepared but outnumbered Dutch to inflict heavy losses was a warning of what would come in the Battle of Britain.

How to fly the legendary fighter plane in combat using the manuals and instructions supplied by the RAF during the Second World War. An amazing array of leaflets, books and manuals were issued by the War Office during the Second World War to aid pilots in flying the Supermarine Spitfire, here for the first time they are collated into a single book. An introduction is supplied by expert aviation historian Dilip Sarkar. Other sections include aircraft recognition, how to act as an RAF officer, bailing out etc.returncharacterreturncharacter returncharacterreturncharacter REVIEWS returncharacterreturncharacter "The year this book is published, 2010, is the 70th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain...recaps key aspects of it and the planning and execution of the air war in general as they relate to the Spitfire..."Speedreaders, 10/21/2010

Warfare in the first half of the 20th century was fundamentally and irrovocably altered by the birth and subsequent development of air power. This work assesses the role of air power in changing the face of battle on land and sea. Utilizing late-1990s research, the author demonstrates that the phenomenon of air power was both a cause and a crucial accelerating factor contributing to the theory and practice of total war. For instance, the expansion of warfare to the homefront was a direct result of bombing and indirectly due to the extent of national economic mobilization required to support first rate air power status. In addition, the move away from the principle of total war with the onset of the Cold War and the replacement of air power by ICBMs is thoroughly examined. This work should provide students of international history, war studies, defence and strategic studies with an insight into 20th-century warfare.

The Fw 190D-9 - the 'long-nosed' Dora - represented the cutting edge and pinnacle of wartime Germany's piston-engine aviation development. This new history by leading German aviation specialist Robert Forsyth reveals what it was like to pilot her in combat as Germany desperately battled to remain in the war. Arguably one of the finest piston-engined fighters ever built, the Focke-Wulf Fw 190D-9 raised the bar in terms of aircraft design and operational capability during World War II. Designed by Kurt Tank, the 'long-nosed' Fw 190D9 'Dora' bettered most of the fighters that the Allied and Soviet air forces could field when it first appeared in the skies over the Western and Eastern Fronts in 1944. Indeed, with experienced German pilots at the controls it proved to be an immediate match for even the later-mark Griffon Spitfire and the P-51D/K. Well-armed, with two 13mm machine guns and two 20mm cannon, the D-9 began to equip Luftwaffe units from August 1944. Later on in the war, one of the key missions of the D-9 was to provide top cover for Me 262 jet fighters when they were at their most vulnerable during take-off and landing. Featuring first-hand accounts, photographs, artwork and innovative and colourful 3D ribbon diagrams, this fascinating volume portrays what it was like to fly the superlative Fw 190D-9 in combat, providing a realistic insight in to how German pilots used the superb Focke-Wulf aircraft in combat against American, British and Russian fighters in the Defence of the Reich in 1944-45.

In the light of new archival material the editors take a fresh look at Russian aviation in the twentieth century. Presenting a comprehensive view of Russian aviation, from its genesis in the late czarist period to the present era, the approach is essentially chronological with a major emphasis on the evolution of military aviation. The contributions are diverse, with appropriate attention to civilian and institutional themes.

In 1914, the U.S. Navy established its first air station in Pensacola, Florida. Two years later, the U.S. Army, after training its pilots in the skies of Texas, conducted its first combat flights. In the decades that followed and through World War II, the Gulf South welcomed over two hundred air bases and Naval air stations. By the close of the twentieth century these installations had fostered critical advances in pilot training, producing many of the most acclaimed military personnel to take to the skies. Vincent P. Caire's authoritative and inspiring photographic survey recognizes Gulf South aviation heroes like Brig. Gen. Claire Chennault and honors the role of key southern military air facilities like Eglin and Maxwell Air Force bases. For more than a hundred years, the Gulf South- defined here as Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas- has supported advancement in every branch of military aviation, contributing both technical prowess and fearless pilots to U.S. forces. Through many never-before-published photographs and an informative text, Military Aviation in the Gulf South celebrates these achievements, including the massive expansion of aviation in World War II, establishment of training facilities for officers- including Hollywood stars and the Tuskegee airmen- and commissioning of the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron. Caire's comprehensive history also highlights innovation- such as the designs of Lt. Harold L. Clark for Randolph Air Force Base- and sacrifice, like that of World War I pilot 2nd Lt. Samuel Keesler, the namesake of the Biloxi, Mississippi, base. For generations of servicemen and women, their families, and the local civilian communities that support them, Military Aviation in the Gulf South pays tribute to the enduring impact of the region's aviation programs on America's security and the defense of freedom worldwide.

An expertly written, illustrated new analysis of the Desert Storm air campaign fought against Saddam Hussein's Iraq, which shattered the world's fourth-largest army and sixth-largest air force in just 39 days, and revolutionized the world's ideas about modern air power. Operation Desert Storm took just over six weeks to destroy Saddam Hussein's war machine: a 39-day air campaign followed by a four-day ground assault. It shattered what had been the world's fourth-largest army and sixth-largest air force, and overturned conventional military assumptions about the effectiveness and value of air power. In this book, Richard P. Hallion, one of the world's foremost experts on air warfare, explains why Desert Storm was a revolutionary victory, a war won with no single climatic battle. Instead, victory came thanks largely to a rigorously planned air campaign. It began with an opening night that smashed Iraq's advanced air defense system, and allowed systematic follow-on strikes to savage its military infrastructure and field capabilities. When the Coalition tanks finally rolled into Iraq, it was less an assault than an occupation. The rapid victory in Desert Storm, which surprised many observers, led to widespread military reform as the world saw the new capabilities of precision air power, and it ushered in today's era of high-tech air warfare.

Messerschmitt Bf 109T was supposed to operate from German aircraft carrier "Graf Zeppelin". The plane was equipped with arresting hook and had enlarged wing span up to 11,08 m. It did not have folding wings because "Graf Zeppelin's" elevators were supposed to be enough big to fit planes with fixed wings. Anyway the wings could be detached for transport. There were versions T-1 and T-2 developed. Fighters served in JG 77 and JG 11 units.

The Douglas F3D Skyknight was an early but effective attempt at combining new technologies together in a lethal package capable of shipboard operation. Whereas most fighters relied on speed and maneuverability, the portly, straight-winged F3D relied on three radars, four 20mm cannon, and - most importantly - darkness. Having first flown in March 1948, the Skyknight's first taste of war came in September 1952, when Marine Night Fighter Squadron 513 [VMF(N)-513] deployed to Korea. The most important job assigned to VMF(N)-513 was the escorting of USAF B-29 bombers over northern Korea. Whereas Chinese and North Korean MiG-15s relied on ground-controlled intercept radar for steering guidance into firing positions, the F3D, with its own onboard radars, was autonomously lethal - it could detect, track and target MiGs all on its own. Skyknight crews ended the Korean War with six nocturnal kills in exchange for one combat loss. After the war, 35 Skyknights were converted into electronic warfare (EW) aircraft. As US air operations over North Vietnam intensified in early 1965, the need for a tactical EW jet to provide electronic countermeasures (ECM) protection to accompany strike packages north became apparent. For all of its early effectiveness over North Vietnam, the proliferation of radar-guided guns and missiles began to erode the advantage created by EF-10 escort support, which flew its last combat mission in October 1969. This highly illustrated volume explores the F3D Skynights and their deployment during the Korean and Vietnam wars, using first-hand accounts from aircrew, original photographs and 30 profile artworks to explore their key roles as an escort aircraft and electronic warfare aircraft.