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Feet Wet: Reflections of a Carrier Pilot

by Paul T. Gillcrist

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812328,939 (4)None
Paul Gillcrist was a navy carrier pilot for almost thirty years, from the early days, of flying propeller planes from straight deck carriers, to the days of high-tech, lethal "teen" jets and supercarriers. In his remarkable career - from "nugget", to competent jet aviator, to test pilot, to Vietnam fighter pilot, to air wing commander, to head of "Fightertown, USA," Gillcrist flew the F-8 Crusader, F-4 Phantom, F-14 Tomcat, and a myriad of other tactical aircraft. He took part in the Navys transition to jet aircraft, when accident rates were high and many feared that jets would not be able to operate in the harsh, demanding environment of "blue water ops." Gillcrist saw the introduction of critical innovations - the angled deck, steam catapult, optical landing system - that saved carrier jet aviation from extinction. Few aviators have had such varied and fascinating experiences, and few could write about them with such eloquence. Available now in a new hard cover reprint edition, Feet Wet (aviator talk for reaching the safety of water) is a chronicle of adventure, heroism, courage, and humor, with some of the most exciting passages ever written on flying. From his magical first flight - the sheer exstasy of being airborne, to the heart-pounding excitement of his first night "trap," the terror of ejecting from a test plane spinning out of control, to dodging SAMs and jousting with MiGs over Hanoi - Gillcrist takes the reader into his world and vividly conveys what all pilots live for - the tremendous "high" of all-out flying. As part of his absorbing stories. Gillcrist shares technical information on carrier aviation; the reader sees, step-by-step, how an airplane is launched, and then trapped again on a small deck aboard a moving ship - this, the most dificult feat in aviation. Paul gillcrist retired in 1985 after a 33-year career as a naval aviator. He commanded a fighter squadron, a carrier air wing, a major jet base, and as a flag officer, the Pacific Fleet fighter wing. He flew 167 combat missions in three Vietnam combat deployments, for which he was awarded seventeen combat decorations. Paul Gillcrist is also the author of Tomcat! The Grumman F-14 Story, Crusader! Last of the Gunfighters, and Vultures Row: Thirty Years in Naval Aviation (all three titles are available from Schiffer Publishing Ltd.).… (more)
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Rear Admiral Paul T. Gillchrist (Ret.) published a memoir of his years as an aircraft carrier pilot. Gillchrist, whose career spans most of the years since the end of WW II, has an engaging style. The book contains numerous short vignettes describing memorable events. Ny favorite is the story of his trip with a sidewinder rattlesnake in the cockpit of an F9F-8 Cougar (single engine fighter). He had been asked to ferry a box taped shut with masking tape back to the base. This was a routine request as they were training in the desert and samples of small desert specimens such as horned toads were taken back to serve as examples of wildlife the pilots might encounter if forced to bailout. During a routine flight maneuver as he was on final approach, he knocked the box to the floor which then popped open. To his horror he saw a confused but furious rattlesnake getting ready to strike. He immediately threw the plane into a violent turn to flatten the snake against the wall. After several tries he managed to prop the control stick between his knees, grab the box, throw the plane into another vicious turn which threw the snake across the cockpit into the box, most of it anyway. He managed to stuff the tail into the box and reseal it, only to discover that he was passing over the control tower upside down with the air controllers screaming at him. They were sure he was suffering from an epileptic seizure. Too embarrassed to admit what happened he simply replied he had a small malfunction and landed routinely.

Or, there was the time he and his squadron were forced to practice football on the hangar deck of an aircraft carrier, a singularly unpleasant experience as the deck was made of metal. The team persuaded the coach to let them practice on the flight deck which was constructed of wood and softer, sort of. Twelve long passes later, 12 footballs had been lost over the side, and there was no more practice for the rest of the tour. "The coach was beside himself." Needless to say some of the stories are not at all humorous as he recounts numerous disasters and near misses. His descriptions of landing on a carrier at night are hair-raising and vivid. I do object to his obvious enjoyment at delivering napalm exactly on target. ( )
  ecw0647 | Sep 30, 2013 |
The story of a naval aviator who went from flying F6F Hellcats to F14 Tomcats. Great stories of carrier landings and the responsibilities of a Naval pilot. He suffered vast injuries in several crashes and continued flying.
  kaki5231 | Sep 8, 2012 |
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Wings of War (book 3)
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Paul Gillcrist was a navy carrier pilot for almost thirty years, from the early days, of flying propeller planes from straight deck carriers, to the days of high-tech, lethal "teen" jets and supercarriers. In his remarkable career - from "nugget", to competent jet aviator, to test pilot, to Vietnam fighter pilot, to air wing commander, to head of "Fightertown, USA," Gillcrist flew the F-8 Crusader, F-4 Phantom, F-14 Tomcat, and a myriad of other tactical aircraft. He took part in the Navys transition to jet aircraft, when accident rates were high and many feared that jets would not be able to operate in the harsh, demanding environment of "blue water ops." Gillcrist saw the introduction of critical innovations - the angled deck, steam catapult, optical landing system - that saved carrier jet aviation from extinction. Few aviators have had such varied and fascinating experiences, and few could write about them with such eloquence. Available now in a new hard cover reprint edition, Feet Wet (aviator talk for reaching the safety of water) is a chronicle of adventure, heroism, courage, and humor, with some of the most exciting passages ever written on flying. From his magical first flight - the sheer exstasy of being airborne, to the heart-pounding excitement of his first night "trap," the terror of ejecting from a test plane spinning out of control, to dodging SAMs and jousting with MiGs over Hanoi - Gillcrist takes the reader into his world and vividly conveys what all pilots live for - the tremendous "high" of all-out flying. As part of his absorbing stories. Gillcrist shares technical information on carrier aviation; the reader sees, step-by-step, how an airplane is launched, and then trapped again on a small deck aboard a moving ship - this, the most dificult feat in aviation. Paul gillcrist retired in 1985 after a 33-year career as a naval aviator. He commanded a fighter squadron, a carrier air wing, a major jet base, and as a flag officer, the Pacific Fleet fighter wing. He flew 167 combat missions in three Vietnam combat deployments, for which he was awarded seventeen combat decorations. Paul Gillcrist is also the author of Tomcat! The Grumman F-14 Story, Crusader! Last of the Gunfighters, and Vultures Row: Thirty Years in Naval Aviation (all three titles are available from Schiffer Publishing Ltd.).

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