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Carrier Pilot

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Carrier Pilot

By: Norman Hanson
Narrated by: Chris MacDonnell
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Summary

In 1942, Norman Hanson learned to fly the Royal Navy's newest fighter: the US-built Chance Vought Corsair. Fast, rugged, and demanding to fly, it was an intimidating machine. But in the hands of its young Fleet Air Arm pilots, it also proved to be a lethal weapon.

Posted to the South Pacific aboard HMS Illustrious, Hanson and his squadron took the fight to the Japanese. Facing a desperate and determined enemy, Kamikaze attacks, and the ever-present dangers of flying off a pitching carrier deck, death was never far away.

Brought to life in vivid, visceral detail, Carrier Pilot is one of the finest aviators' memoirs of the war; an awe-inspiring, thrilling, sometimes terrifying, account of war in the air.

©2016 Norman Hanson (P)2017 Tantor Air Forces Armed Forces Military Aviation War
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A trully remarkable, first person account of volunteer Naval Aviators from the British Commonwealth. Their war appears to have been forgotten by the British Aviation historian establshment where RAF Fighter and Bomber Command activiins are the mainstream. This account describes the bloody Naval Air war that the Royal Navy fought in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. We will remember and honor the Ratings and Officers of the Royal Navy, mostly RN Reserve and RN Volunteer Reserve, who gave it their all, until they were, dead, wrecked or spent.. May their countrymen also remember and honor them.

Royal Navy CarrierNaval Aviation, Indian, Pacific

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Do not get this expecting action packed dogfights and bombing runs - there isn't any. This is a book about adventure and flying at a time before computers and strict rules. it's fun, where the real enemy facing these guys is their ability to master their plane, before it kills them - and so many to my suprise it did. Having thoroughly enjoyed this story, one thing I barely noticed until the final chapters, was the complete lack of action from the enemy, and only 1 flight with any action Vs enemy targets were performed by the author in over 3 years of flying. Said like that, it's almost sounds a criticism, but it's not. His adventures around the world, every continent except Antarctica are very interesting, and varied. It's not just a case of finding women at every stop, like so many military memoirs tell. Here's where the bulk of the story lay. The amount of his friends that were killed in training or later in routine missions, through mistakes, accidents or engine trouble was horrific - at least 10-15 I recall, until a Japanese flak finally got into range to shoot at just 1, who thankfully aided by the wind as he parachuted down, was back aboard his ship for tea. The description of the action at the end of the book is very vague and 3rd person like, and it's unclear to me if his foot injury prevented him from taking part, and he didn't want to admit this, or if his emotions detached somehow, to try and deal with the pressures of war. Either way, my grandad was an aircraft mechanic over there, and like this author, were in a group who were lucky to be away from the front line for 99% of the time, and really enjoyed the war years, with the planes, places and comradely found in the services at that time. This joy and excitement shines through, and it makes a night and day Vs stories from soldiers who fought on the line, or even fighter pilots operating from UK or Germany.

A great adventure from a different era

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I have read many books describing the operational careers of aircrew in Western Europe during WWII but this is the first book I have listened to about the maritime air war in the Far East. The Fleet Air Arm transformed itself from a poorly equipped outdated force in 1939 to a modern well trained and capable force by 1945. To achieve this, it needed men of a high calibre and the citizen pilots of the Commonwealth more than fulfilled this requirement; this book outlines the career of one such pilot. Initially I wasn't keen on the narrator's voice but it grew on me and by the end I believe he was a good choice. As I listened the story took hold of me and I listened to many chapters at one sitting. I liked this book and would recommend to anyone interested in the history of WWII.

Interesting often overlooked aspect of WWII

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An excellent dit on the Fleet Air Arm in WW2. Especially in telling the story of the Royal Navy in Far East including Java, Sumatra and the final push to Japan. Graphic description on Carrier operations

Well narrated tragic yet very humourous at the same time.

A very enlightening book on the Fleet Air Arm

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A fascinating story. Compelling to the end. A must for aviation enthusiasts. Narration was well done.

Legendary tale

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