Fighters over the Falklands: Defending the Islanders’ Way of Life - Hardcover

Gledhill, David

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1781552223 ISBN 13: 9781781552223

Publisher: Fonthill Media, 2015

Synopsis

Fighters Over the Falklands: Defending the Islanders' Way of Life captures daily life using pictures taken during the author's tours of duty in the Falkland Islands. From the first detachments of Phantoms and Rapiers operating from a rapidly upgraded RAF Stanley airfield and RAF Mount Pleasant, see life from the author's perspective as Commander of the Tornado F3 Flight. Frontline fighter crews provided Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) during day to day flying operations working with the Royal Navy, Army and other air force units to defend a remote and sometimes forgotten theater of operations. The book also examines how the islanders interacted with the forces based at Mount Pleasant and contrast high technology military operations with the lives of the original inhabitants, namely the wildlife. Fighters Over the Falklands: Defending the Islanders' Way of Life is unique in that the author flew in the legendary Phantom and Tornado in the frontline and captured beautiful and amazing unpublished photographs that will appeal to historians, military specialists and modelers alike.

About this title

About the Author:

David Gledhill joined the Royal Air Force as a Navigator in 1973. After training, he flew the F4 Phantom on squadrons in the UK and West Germany. He was one of the first aircrew members to fly the F2 and F3 Air Defence Variant of the Tornado on its acceptance into service and served for many years as an instructor on the Operational Conversion Units of both the Phantom and the Tornado. He commanded the Tornado Fighter Flight in the Falkland Islands and has worked extensively with the Armed Forces of most NATO nations. He has published a number of factual books on aviation topics and novels in the Phantom Air Combat series set during the Cold War.

Review:

"David Gledhill writes detailed –what else would you expect from a former navigator?!-, nicely and relaxed.... all information left and right is alternated with interesting personal adventures, historical facts or knowledge of the islands itself... for those who are interested in the RAF operation there and the developments around the islands in the historical context, it is a beautiful book! The book is, by the way, very nicely designed with a pretty cover and good paper. Also not unimportant! David, I hope that in the meantime, back home in the UK, you may now ‘sit on Q’ for more relaxing matters?!" (Aviation Reviews)

About this edition

• Publisher: Fonthill Media
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1781552223
• ISBN 13: 9781781552223
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 224