Get Free Shipping on orders over $89
Helicopter Boys : True Tales from Operators of Military and Civilian Rotorcraft - Richard Pike

Helicopter Boys

True Tales from Operators of Military and Civilian Rotorcraft

By: Richard Pike

Hardcover | 1 August 2018

At a Glance

Hardcover


RRP $54.99

$46.75

15%OFF

or 4 interest-free payments of $11.69 with

 or 

Ships in 5 to 7 business days

Helicopter Boys is the latest addition to Grub Street's Boys series from acclaimed author Richard Pike, exploring the role of helicopters in military and civilian situations. With over fourteen contributors, Helicopter Boys contains stories of the diverse nature of helicopter operations.

From the dramatic war scenes during the Indo/Pakistani war which saw one pilot's actions earn him a VrC gallantry award to the experience of Chinook pilots on board the Atlantic Conveyor during the Falklands War. Then there are the civilian tales from rescue missions in the Outer Hebrides to being a pilot across the world in places such as Australia and Nigeria. There is also a focus on the Piper Alpha disaster in 1988 which saw the loss of 167 lives.

The book ends with Pike’s experiences in Kosovo, helping to distribute emergency humanitarian aid on behalf of the United Nations World Food Programme shortly after the war ended in 1999. Each story is told with great detail conveying the action and excitement that helicopter pilots experienced with each operation. The scope, flair and pace of the writing in this book will appeal to the general reader as well as to the enthusiast.

About the Author

Richard Pike became a flight cadet in 1961, at the RAF College, Cranwell where, on graduation, he was awarded the Dickson Trophy and Michael Hill memorial prize for flying. In the early stages of his forty-year flying career he flew the English Electric Lightning before converting to the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom. On leaving the Royal Air Force he became a civilian helicopter pilot. His duties took him to a wide variety of destinations at home and overseas including the Falkland Islands not long after the end of the Falklands War. His last assignment was in Kosovo helping to distribute emergency humanitarian aid on behalf of the United Nations World Food Programme. He and his wife live in Aberdeenshire.
Industry Reviews
"... the book will appeal to helicopter pilots or other enthusiasts who will appreciate the details about the mechanics and flying maneuvers described."-- "Air Power History"

More in Military History

SAS The Great Train Raid : The Most Daring SAS Mission of WWII - Damien Lewis
Stay Alive : Berlin, 1939-1945 - Ian Buruma

RRP $55.00

$42.75

22%
OFF
Rebirth : A Love Story From the Depths of War - Antoun Issa

RRP $34.99

$22.99

34%
OFF
Bloody Skies : XV Fighter Command Against All Odds - Thomas McKelvey Cleaver
The Happiest Man on Earth - Eddie Jaku

RRP $32.99

$26.99

18%
OFF
Failures of Command : The death of Private Robert Poate - Hugh Poate
Battle of the Arctic : The Maritime Epic of World War Two - Hugh Sebag Montefiore
Start With Why : How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action - Simon Sinek
Okinawa 1945 : The Royal Navy's biggest carrier campaign - Angus Konstam
Man's Search For Meaning - Viktor E Frankl

RRP $16.99

$14.75

13%
OFF
Challenging Anzac : Stories that don't fit the legend - Mia Martin Hobbs
The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine - Ilan Pappe

RRP $26.99

$22.99

15%
OFF
Stalin's Wine Cellar - John Baker

RRP $26.99

$21.99

19%
OFF
The Art of War - Sun Tzu

RRP $13.99

$12.75