Viper Pilot: A Memoir of Air Combat

Viper Pilot: A Memoir of Air Combat

by Dan Hampton
Viper Pilot: A Memoir of Air Combat

Viper Pilot: A Memoir of Air Combat

by Dan Hampton

Paperback

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Overview

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • "ONE OF THE BEST AIR-COMBAT MEMOIRS OF ALL TIME"* BY "ONE OF THE MOST DECORATED PILOTS IN AIR FORCE HISTORY"†

151 combat missions
21 hard kills on surface -to -air missile sites
4 Distinguished Flying Crosses with Valor
1 Purple Heart

First into a war zone, flying behind enemy lines to purposely draw fire, the wild weasels are elite fighter squadrons with the most dangerous job in the Air Force

One of the greatest aviation memoirs ever written, Viper Pilot is an Air Force legend's thrilling eyewitness account of modern air warfare. For twenty years, Lieutenant Colonel Dan Hampton was a leading member of the Wild Weasels, logging 608 combat hours in the world's most iconic fighter jet: the F-16 "Fighting Falcon," or "Viper." He spearheaded the 2003 invasion of Iraq, leading the first flight of fighters over the border en route to strike Baghdad. 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. Viper Pilot is an unforgettable look into the closed world of fighter pilots and modern air combat.

* TheDrive.com

† New York Post


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780062130341
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: 05/14/2013
Pages: 345
Sales rank: 238,878
Product dimensions: 5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Dan Hampton flew 151 combat missions during his twenty years (1986–2006) in the United States Air Force. For his service in the Iraq War, Kosovo conflict, and first Gulf War, Col. Hampton received four Distinguished Flying Crosses with Valor, a Purple Heart, eight Air Medals with Valor, five Meritorious Service medals, and numerous other citations. He is a graduate of the USAF Fighter Weapons School, USN Top Gun School (TOGS), and USAF Special Operations School. A frequent guest analyst on CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC discussing foreign affairs, military, aviation, and intelligence issues, he has published in Aviation History, the Journal of Electronic Defense, Air Force Magazine, Vietnam magazine, and Airpower magazine, and written several classified tactical works for the USAF Weapons Review. He is the author of the national bestsellers Viper Pilot and Lords of the Sky, as well as a novel, The Mercenary.

Table of Contents

Author's Note xiii

Prologue: Angel of Death 1

1 YGBSM 14

2 Cold War and Hot Times 30

3 The Elephant 66

4 Fly Like an Egyptian 99

5 Patchwearer 126

6 Intermission 141

7 Shock and Awe 168

8 Sandstorm 185

9 The Valley of the Shadow 216

10 SAMbush 231

11 ELI 33 259

12 Endgame 278

Epilogue 303

Acknowledgments 309

Glossary 311

F-16CJ Schematic 316

Map of Iraq 317

Index 319

What People are Saying About This

W.E.B. Griffin & William E. Butterworth IV

“A rare riveting memoir of a highly decorated fighter pilot that’s packed with grit, swagger, and great humor. Do not miss this one!”

Alex Kershaw

Viper Pilot is an awesome adrenaline rush. If you love action packed modern day war stories then strap yourself in and get ready for a gut-wrenching, g-force defying thrill ride!”

David L. Moody

Viper Pilot is an instant aviation classic. Dan Hampton’s thrilling portrayals of combat missions kept me glued to the story, and he has captured the essence of Wild Weasel fighter operations as no one has before.”

Dale Brown

Viper Pilot is fantastic. Lt. Col. Dan Hampton offers a personal, irreverent, no-holds-barred look into the life of an Air Force fighter pilot. A great read!”

Jacksel Broughton

“Dan Hampton’s Viper Pilot truly impressed me—if you’re a combat vet, it’s sweaty palms again; if not, strap in and get ready. Filled with lots of action, here’s a real and up-close look at modern fighter combat, told straight from the cockpit.”

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