The Phantom in Focus: A Navigator's Eye on Britain's Cold War Warrior

A detailed insider portrait of the Phantom jet, revealing the cockpit realities, operational hazards, and adrenaline of Cold War RAF service through unique photographs and veteran insight.

THE PHANTOM is the original multi-role combat jet and one of the world's most iconic aircraft. Life on a Phantom squadron was fast, fun and exhilarating, but without the glamour portrayed in the Hollywood blockbuster Top Gun. This is the inside story, told by a veteran RAF navigator, of what it was actually like to fly in the cockpit of a Phantom at the height of the Cold War, when it stood as NATO's first line of defense with a record of 280 MiG kills. The mighty Phantom has an unrivaled service history. Fast, durable and deadly, it was a test bed for missile technology and held five speed records for an impressive thirteen years. But that is not to say it didn't have its faults - it was known (affectionately) among its crews as the 'Rhino', 'The Spook', 'Double Ugly', the 'Flying Brick' and the 'Lead Sled'. But despite this, its sheer power and lethal payload could never be ignored. With hundreds of spectacular, previously unpublished photographs - several taken from inside the cockpit - and many illuminating anecdotes that capture the truth behind the Hollywood glamour, The Phantom in Focus is a unique, honest and compelling tribute to a legendary aircraft.

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.