Viper Pilot

The Autobiography of One of America's Most Decorated Combat Pilots

By: Dan Hampton

Narrated by: John Pruden

Length: 9 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

151 combat missions

21 hard kills on surface-to-air-missile sites

Four Distinguished Flying Crosses with Valor

One Purple Heart

Sure to rank as one of the greatest aviation memoirs ever written, Viper Pilot is an Air Force legend's thrilling eyewitness account of modern air warfare.

From 1986 to 2006, Lt. Col. Dan Hampton was a leading member of the Wild Weasels, the elite Air Force fighter squadrons whose mission is recognized as the most dangerous job in modern air combat. Weasels are the first planes sent into a war zone, flying deep behind enemy lines purposely seeking to draw fire from surface-to-air missiles and artillery. They must skillfully evade being shot down - and then return to destroy the threats, thereby making the skies safe for everyone else to follow. Today these vital missions are more hazardous than direct air-to-air engagement with enemy aircraft. Hampton's record number of strikes on high-value targets make him the most lethal F-16 Wild Weasel pilot in American history. This is his remarkable story.

Taught to fly at an early age by his father, Hampton logged twenty years and 608 combat hours in the world's most iconic fighter jet: the F-16 "Fighting Falcon", or "Viper" as its pilots call it. Hampton spearheaded the 2003 invasion of Iraq, leading the first flight of fighters over the border en route to strike Baghdad. In the war that followed, he engaged in a series of brilliantly executed missions that earned him three Distinguished Flying Crosses with Valor; he notably saved a U.S. Marine unit from certain death by taking out the surrounding enemy forces near Nasiriyah. Two years earlier, on 9/11, Hampton's father was inside the Pentagon when it was attacked; with his dad's fate unknown, Hampton was scrambled into American skies and given the unprecedented orders to shoot down any unidentified aircraft. Hampton also flew critical missions in the first Gulf War, served on the Air Combat Command staff during the Kosovo War, and was injured in the 1996 Khobar Towers terrorist attack.

With manned missions rapidly giving way to remote-controlled UAV drones, Viper Pilot may be the last memoir by a true hero of the skies. Gripping and irreverently humorous, it is an unforgettable look into the closed world of fighter pilots and modern air combat.

©2012 Ascalon, LLC (P)2012 HarperCollinsPublishers

Riveting -edge of your seat story

I almost didn't pick this one because there were some mixed reviews. I'm sure glad I did as this was one of the better first-person accounts I've read. The author writes with such incredible detail that you feel as though you are in the cockpit next to him.

IMO this book serves a a lesson to today's generals as well. First- we succeeded in the gulf wars because we had trained to fight a super power (Russia). Also, in an era where many rear echelon generals are in charge of the military, and claiming that robot plains will replace fighter pilots and ground troops - we must never forget that wars will always be won through a combination of combat pilots AND infantry working towards a common objective.

The book was informative and entertaining and I'm certainly glad I selected it.

Good, Modern view from the air.

If you could sum up Viper Pilot in three words, what would they be?

I love the old WWII aircraft stories. Viper brings those stories into present time. I enjoyed the story and learning the differences between then and now. Some things are still the same, but not much.

great reader

good book with a great narrator. I would recommend for anyone interested in combat aviation.

Very understandable, exciting and human.

This book is unlike any book on wars I’ve read. It’s not so much about the battles themselves but about the role the Vipers played in the gulf wars. It gave me a new understanding of the courage, training and technical weaponry these pilots used to defeat a formidable foe. Great relatively quick read.

Amazing book

Will definitely listen again.
If you have an interest in the life of an F-16 pilot, this book is a must.

Great aerial combat descriptions

Would you consider the audio edition of Viper Pilot to be better than the print version?

Dont know as I have only had the audio version

What did you like best about this story?

The reality of the scenes describing how combat pilots fly an F16

What does John Pruden bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Expression is always good. I think he does a good job.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Viper!

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed the book. I have listened to it twice already.

I learned a lot about the Wild Weasels.

The reason I listened to this book was my Father-in-Law. He is gone now a causality of cancer but he was one of those F105 pilots (a Thud) that was one of the original “Wild Weasels” and I wanted to know what the more current “Wild Weasels” do. It was fun to listen to this and get a hint of what us Air Force brats grew up listening to. Thanks for the memories this book brought up.

Good luck setting it down

Great book by an even better pilot. With a really good narrator. If u Ever wondered what the Tip of the spear was for our air war, here it is!

Amazing story of an amazing pilot.

I loved every second of this book.
The reader made the story truly come alive.

Excellent description of a fighter pilot career

Very detailed, description of what it takes to be a fighter pilot. Funny as well. Hope it inspires new generations of fighter pilots. We still need them. Agree automation will never be the same as the human element in the air when lives are at risk. Thank you for your service and sacrifices to our country.