Dead Downwind: Ten Harrowing Days That Changed Aviation History

by Bill Riddle

In 1924 . three years before Charles
Lindbergh makes his historic flight over the Atlantic - post WWI America is convinced she can do anything she puts her mind to. In the midst of the RoaringTwenties however, the boisterous nation's capitol is rocked by political infighting for the control of military aviation. The brash young army general Billy Mitchell is attempting to wrest air power
away from both the army and navy to
create an independent air force under his own command. To counter this move, the brilliant navy Rear Admiral William Moffett has challenged Hawaii-based
Commander John Rodgers with a deathdefying mission; one designed to sway the politicians and the public alike, to the navy's side. If Rodgers accepts, he will command three planes in a seemingly impossible mission; the first non-stop flight from San Francisco to Honolulu. This bold gamble could make or break the navy's bid for control of its own air power and unbeknownst to
Rodgers, Moffett has lined up a second publicity-grabbing stunt involving the world's largest dirigible.
In this gripping historic novel, follow
John Rodgers' spellbinding story to its
riveting conclusion as political intrigue, inter-service rivalries, engineering challenges and personal hurdles all conspire to doom the mission. Then, an anxious public is forced to hold its collective breath when one of the planes
is forced down in the middle of the vast Pacific Ocean and matters are made worse as the navy dirigible experiences serious trouble of her own. The dramatic aftermath will change the course of aviation history.

523 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2008

Reviews

[Richard Etzel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Early days of naval aviation in the USA was fraught with some harrowing experiences of the pilots and crews as the Navy was experimenting with dirigibles and floating sea planes. The book is billed as historical fiction, combining facts with some creative musings of the author. It held me spell bound start to finish because of my interest in flying. 1924-25 had not yet seen a non stop flight from the mainland to Hawaii. Authorities believed that sea planes could be used for more than coastal patrols and could be launched from ships at sea. The flight required innovations in design, engines to lift heavy loads, fabric coverings, extra fuel, outriggers, and the like. Estimated time for travel some 30 plus hours! Disappointments, tragedies, political demands, feuding between Army and Navy over aviation development all add to the drama of this flight. There are many photos of persons involved, planes, ships, first aircraft carriers, and places where events occurred.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poorly written, but really interesting story!

[Briana Grenert · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot more than I thought I would. I normally don't go for historical fiction. I wonder how much was real and how much was fake? I assume that the whole love story was, but what else was creative license? The writing style bothered me, but I could (for the most part) ignore that. The characters also did not feel very...real (which I ironic because they were real).It was very detailed and at first I didn't like that, but I grew to appreciate the attention to detail and started reading the captions under the photographs. I am happy I read it and am excited to meet the author.