Above Average

Naval Aviation The Hard Way

Revised and updated version! STEPHEN COONTS, NY Times best-selling author of Flight of the Intruder -- “D. D. Smith's personal memoir of his years in naval aviation is more than a ‘I was there’ tale. He captures the myriad of challenges that was Naval Aviation before the Vietnam War. When I arrived in the fleet, D. D. Smith and his compadres were the squadron execs or COs who led us nuggets into the inferno of Vietnam… A huge tip of the hat to D.D. Smith. This book will appeal to every naval aviator or NFO of whatever era. Highly recommended.” But the book is much more. It is a cleverly written and refreshingly honest story of the author’s life and times as he fights his way from rural Minnesota to the blazing skies over North Vietnam. Commander Smith flew 138 combat missions and made more than 800 carrier arrested landings. As the Navy’s first Chief Test Pilot, his tests in the F-14 led to the first EVER flat spin in a Tomcat – and it nearly killed him. No swaggering bravado here; this is a fresh, insightful look at life, luck and guts – in Vietnam and beyond.

Awesome Story

Enjoyed listening to the life story of one of the quiet heroes of this country.

Don’t like AI Narrator

Love this story. This era of pilots are the greatest this Country will ever know. These were the bad a$$es

Excellent life story!!!

Ai reading didn’t handle the abbreviations and acronyms vey well. Just a bit distracting. Very interesting life story!!!

Would have been good if not for the terrible robot narration

It is a testament to the quality of this book that I stuck around to the end despite the absolutely abysmal, 1980 vintage robotic narration. Mispronunciation, awkward timing and horrible intonation made me want to return this 5 minutes in, but I recognized that it was going to be a good story.

Best Book I read this Year!!

Love this super honest and detailed Biography! As a pilot I really enjoyed the way the author makes you feel like you are in the cockpit with him. His humility, integrity, and professionalism make for a welcoming and entertaining tale that made me want to have a beer with him at a local Pub and hear the “Unrated Version”:). Great book for any inspiring Military Aviator. The tactics and lessons of the past are valuable to our future generations that are in my opinion too reliant on technology. As a Minnesotan, I especially enjoy the authors look at early life in rural Minnesota. I plan to make my son read this, he is a Junior at the Air Force Academy.
Thank you Admiral Smith for Service to our country and sharing the story of an awesome career in Naval Aviation.


SheldonAtwood
MAJ, U.S Army, Aviation Retired
B-767 Pilot Omni Air