Fire Flight: A Novel

by John J. Nance

When forest wildfires threaten two American national parks and countless homes, retired fire bomber Clark Maxwell joins his former teammates despite the unreliability of their air tankers, which are breaking apart with fatal consequences, a situation that Maxwell suspects may be linked to a sinister cover up. Reprint.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Aviation, Action, Adventure, Mystery Thriller

576 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 28, 2003

About the author

John J. Nance is an American pilot, aviation safety expert, and author. He served in the USAF during the Vietnam War and also as a Lt. Colonel in Operation Desert Storm.

Reviews

[Scott A. Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars. I have always loved Nance’s books but it’s been A LONG TIME since I’ve read one. Maybe ten years. I have no idea why. This was a Thriller of a Mystery with great characters. The mystery held and it was exciting from the first page. No one writes an Aviation Thriller like John J. Nance. If you haven’t read him, start at the beginning and read them as he published them. You’ll thank me.

[Andrea Kepner · Rating 2 out of 5]

As with Saving Cascadia, Nance should stick to true aviation thrillers. Fire fighting planes just aren't that interesting.

[Jessica Burchett · Rating 5 out of 5]

My father loved Nance's books. I remember reading a few of them when I was younger, but it's been a long minute. I forgot how intense his books were. I laughed out loud. I cried out loud. I got angry with some characters. My heart broke for others. I got suspicious and paranoid of half of them. My palms got sweaty. It was a great book.

Clark is a pilot come out of retirement to help with a forest fire threatening towns and national parks. There's a lot going on that he doesn't know about, and when a plane that he was supposed to be flying goes down, Clark takes it upon himself to launch his own investigation of why. When other planes start having similar issues, he knows something is up.

What a powerful read. There's pilots. There's fire. There's smokejumpers. Incredible book.

[Judy Churchill · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. I am a great fan of John J. Nance, but I couldn’t get into this one. There was no story cohesion and no integrity of story.

[Bev Walkling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breathtaking, nail-biting, action filled suspense

As I read this book, I was fully aware that there are forest fires happening in Western Canada right now and that people have had to flee their homes. Reading this book gave me a much better understanding of what the men and women who fight such fires face. I have a huge respect for them. This novel felt very real, and the fire itself was a major character. If the story of fighting the fire was not enough, there was also tension as elderly planes struggled and failed, and someone must have had a hand in what was going on . It was certainly a compelling tale that set my pulse racing! Another great read by this author, who clearly knows his stuff!

[Jacy Carroll-Bussman · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I started reading this book, I thought that is just wasn't my cup of tea. However, there are certain places where I need a book to read and preferably. a paperback. ( Doctor's offices while waiting for my appointment and such.) The more I read, the more I got involved in it. Having a fireman in my family (although nothing like these firefighters) was a incentive to continue reading. I am so glad I did. These men and women do extraordinary feats in trying to save the forests around us and the towns close to it. They are truly brave men and women and deserve much more accolades than we give them. (as far as I know?) Want to read a truly fascinating story? Give this one a try!!!!

[Dan Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action from the first page to the last. Great story of heroism by the men and women who try to protect our forest from the ravages of fire.
"When forest wildfires threaten two American national parks and countless homes, retired fire bomber Clark Maxwell joins his former teammates despite the unreliability of their air tankers, which are breaking apart with fatal consequences, a situation that Maxwell suspects may be linked to a sinister cover up. "

[Teri Heyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fire Flight is a fast paced thriller that will keep you reading all night. This is the first book I've read by John J. Nance. This caught my eye as my husband was a Dalton Hotshot in southern California when he was 19 and then on a fire crew when he was 20. So I'd already heard a lot about fighting forest fires. Well, this book was so good that I've already started reading another, Phoenix Rising, by this author.

[Ena Mann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hot reading

One can almost feel the heat of the flames and the adrenalin rush of the pilots. A non stop exciting read with a satisfactory ending. The firefighters, smoke jumpers, rescue helicopters and all the action involved in trying to stop the unstoppable flames was action enough
The added mystery of wings dropping off added extra fission!

[D. E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Aviation mystery with grace consequences for the surrounding area where the dangerous event was planned. Twin fires were started and what started as a planned event soon became a life disturbing event. A local air fire brigade attempt to do their best to thwart the catastrophic event. They are forced to use aircraft their last legs to evacuate people. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS

[Shae · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not sure where I got this book, but it showed up on my bookshelf. From the description of the plot, it sounds like a good book, but I'm about 50 pages in and it's just full of descriptions of fire fighting forest fires using planes. The history, the process, the people who do it. This may be interesting to some, but not what I was looking for when I picked up the book.

[John Nelson · Rating 2 out of 5]

So few events in this could be real. If aliens were introduced in the plot it would be more believable. Anyone who believes this probably thinks the movie Always is a documentary. Please don’t think this is even close to what aerial firefighting is like. I only finished the book so i could say i did. The last third was so hard to get through.

[M.J. Edington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another outstanding novel from John Nance

As with every Nance novel, I was riveted through another Great story by a master of his craft. John J. Nance knows his stuff.
Thanks to the author for a glimpse of a life I'll never know, but feel I've learned about through this story and to a small degree, the adventure became part of my life.

[Gordon W Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book about a DC6 water bomber pilot with romance, mystery, and thrilling aviation scenes. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. In my opinion it was more compelling and had an even better story than Pandora's Clock.

[Michael J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a 20 year veteran of the AF, aviator type. This book was amazing. You can tell this book was written by an aviator who had done his research. There were moments I could not put this book down, a rarity. It is in my top five favorite books, great read.

[Kath · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF: Although I have enjoyed several of Mr. Nance's books this one I just couldn't stay with. Story about fire fighting air tankers was of interest but I got lost in the continuous description of the planes. Still enjoy most of his thrillers so will be just move on to the next one of interest.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another John J. Nance thriller.
Okay, maybe not a thriller. Nance is a veteran Air Force pilot and a prolific author.

[Rod · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice read with lots of interesting twists interrupted by gratuitous references to global warming...

[Pat St-Martin]

Absolutely captivating. I'm giving it to a pilot friend who is going to enjoy it more.

[Rev Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three hundred, fifty pages of forest fire! Tangled crimes and crises. Heroic problem solving.

[Terri Eline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands at his best

If you are a Dance fan,or just intrigued by aviation and specifically those who fire fires, this novel is for you. It will not disappoint!

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW

Excellent, exciting, well developed characters, lots of thrilling moments. Kept me reading, cheering, angry and excited. Even burst out laughing.

[Don Schoenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy John Nancy's aviation books. It makes me feel like I am flying the airplanes. This book about aircraft pilots who fight forest fires is incredibly real.

[Edin Kapić · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, solid thriller about firefighting operations in Western US.

[Jim Beirne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Out of the headlines

This book has been very timely. As the terrible fires are raging in the Los Angeles area you can picture it in your mind

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't want to read anymore books by him

[Rob1109 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read ‘Pandora’s Clock’ a couple years back and still remember it well. It was a true thrill ride from beginning to end. I also read ‘The Last Hostage’ and like Pandora’s Clock, John Nance crafted another great book. No, it wasn’t as good as ‘Pandora’s Clock’ but still a great novel.

I just completed ‘Fire Flight.’ Or tried to. I think this was a huge disappointment. It takes a lot for me to start a book and not finish reading it. It REALLY takes a lot for me to read 2/3 of a book and not finish it. I got to page 255 of this 350 page novel and sadly had to give up.

While I am a fan of Mr. Nance—or at least of his 2 other superb novels—I found nothing interesting in this book. Even getting through 250 pages was a real struggle. This is a fiction novel. But yet, the book frequently read more like a boring technical manual.

Mr. Nance’s ‘thing’ is airplanes, as he proved in the other 2 novels I’ve read. He also was a fighter pilot in Viet Nam. I thank him for his service. I, however, never served. I have never piloted a plane. Yet, this novel relied and much lingo, jargon and terminology that was over my head. Words and expressions were used that left me scratching my head.

I found Mr. Nance’s writing style in this book to be over-the-top wordiness. Even the so-called ‘action’ scenes were boring due to his wordy style and overly verbose descriptions. Scenes that should have had my heart beating quicker were boring. This entire novel—or at least for the 250 pages I got through—was a difficult, tedious and draining read.

I found the story itself somewhat boring. True, I’ve never been too interested in pilots who fight fires from the air by dumping fire retardants from the sky. But I was willing to learn, to be pulled in. Mr. Nance didn’t do it.

I’ve always liked characters I could identify with. All of the characters in ‘Fire Flight’ was utterly boring, cardboard and stereotypically one dimensional. There’s Jerry Stein, the penny pinching CEO who puts his people’s lives at stake for the bottom line. Trent is the chief maintenance guy with a short temper who always yells. Sam Littlefox is the tough-as-nails pilot who will NOT be kept out of the cockpit. Judy is the damsel-in—distress, the abused woman who gets knocked around by her husband while struggling to leave him. Larry Black is the typically inept bumbling mayor of a small town. Jimmy Wolfe is the smug arrogant millionaire British Rock God who, as he sleeps with 2 women at a time, doesn’t think the rules apply to him. And of course, our hero, Clark Maxwell. He is so perfect, so smart, so handsome, so wonderful, so intelligent, so principled, so well-respected—it’s annoying. As he tries to fight fires and save both Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons, he’s also trying to deal with saving a woman from an abusive relationship. And when his co-pilot teases him about feelings for this woman, this middle-aged man blushes like a school boy.

I’m rating this 2 stars. I loved the 2 other novels by Mr. Nance and had hoped to enjoy this one. But, to me, it was simply unreadable.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have yet to be disappointed in John J. Nance's ability to find a way to build a thriller around aviation and Fire Flight is not an exception. Once again, the author builds the drama around airplanes and those airplanes are at risk of falling to the ground.

This time, however, Nance manages to add some interesting details about using aircraft to augment ground crews (smnokejumpers) to fight raging forest fires. Nance educates the reader about the various mindsets regarding wildfires and forest conservation as well as the attitude of the pilots and firefighters. Into the midst of this setting, Nance introduces a mystery-- is someone crashing airplanes? If so, why? Is the owner of an aging fleet of tankers simply trying to get off as cheap as he can-- or is he involved in something shadier. Or are the airplanes simply making dives and pullouts that the they were never really designed to withstand?

Not only does Nance manage to write solid thrillers-- he doesn't feel the need to fluff them up with an inordinate amount of obscene or vulgar speech-- oh-- it's there in places-- used in a realistic manner-- but it isn't there just to increase the word count and it isn't used superfluously-- but in an honest, and direct manner.

Nance's ability to build a thriller around flying airplanes is more than just "will this plane crash or land safely?" but the characters are all different in one way or another-- and the comeuppance some of them get is almost comical. The personal problems of the people are there to make them a little bit more than cardboard cutouts peopling the novel. I won't say he is really rich on characterization, but the characters are real and the reader likes those that are likable and despises those that aren't. We get the feeling that Nance may know these characters, though I'm sure that resemblance of people living or dead is entirely co-incidental.. What I mean is that the characters are fairly real. However, the owner of the tanker fleet's main characteristic is that he is cheap and boisterous! His chief mechanic is a mean, jealous, abusive husband, perhaps pushed to the limits of the job creating the extra tension with his wife. The "hero" is simply a pilot, a knight in shining armor who would always do the right thing about secrets, checking things out, and in the way he treats women.

The STAR of this adventure, however, is the fire.. the fast growing and rapidly threatening fire, and the manner in which all of these people come together to deal with even in the face of a terrible crash and other dangers.

Kudos, Mr. Nance, on yet another aeronautical thriller that had me desperate to reach the conclusion. After all, I had to find out if Yellowstone actually burned to the ground or not.

[Nolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the most action-packed suspense-filled books I've read in quite a while. My great fear is that in my exuberance, I'll inadvertently give far too much of this away, and I would far prefer that you read it for yourself. That said, let me try this:

Fire season in the American west is never boring and all too often very nearly apocalyptic. The people who fly the air tankers and other craft in defense of homes and life as they strive to defeat the merciless monster that is fire are a special breed indeed. They need planes that are absolutely in top shape. They need planes that have been checked and rechecked-machines where corners aren't cut in their repair, and that doesn't appear to be what's happening.

Clark Maxwell is a veteran flyer. He left off flying over fires because of his concerns about the aging nature of the fleet and the dangers those aging planes posed for the men and women who flew them. So concerned was he that, while on hiatus, he wrote an article that was widely read among his still-active firefighting colleagues warning the American public about the dangers of the aging fleets and the inherent problems the current contract system created.

But he's been asked to come back and fly one more summer; they're shorthanded, and his experience and level head are exactly what the group needs in order to beat back a menacing fire that looks to be worse than the Yellow Stone debacle of 1988.

But not long after he returns to work, wings inexplicably rip off planes, which, in turn, plummet to the ground, killing everyone on board. One crash is distressing enough, but when other problems arise, Clark knows he has to do something.

There is one scene in here that involves a distressed plane that is so nail-biting real you'll find your guts clenched while it plays out. I won't say how it ends, because you now really want to read this book for yourself, and well you should! It is clearly well researched, vividly written, and with as many twists and turns as . as a plane tossed about in turbulence or something like that.

[Linda Munro · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was not only a page turner, it was also enlightenment for me. The plot centers around pilots who fly into burning forests dousing the area with fire retardant and the fire's with water; it also concerns smoke jumpers, who literaly skydive into burning forests to fight smaller spot fires before they have a chance to spread further. Not being from an area where wildfires are abundant, I held very little knowledge concerning the operations of controlling such fires. After reading the book, I did a bit of research to learn that the author had done a fabulous job of researching and portraying the dangers of the professional wild fire - fighter.

This book is far more thn a novel about fire fighters; it's a suspense novel concerning the old equipment far too often used; and the mysterious equipment failure that cost the lives of age-old friends. Solving the mystery and dealing with the problem before more people die during a raging forest fire keeps the reader on the edge of their seats.