Fire Flight [Large Print] [Paperback]

John J. Nance (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2005

A New York Times bestseller

From New York Times bestselling author and "master of the airborne thriller" John J. Nance comes Fire Flight, a ripped-from-the-headlines adventure about the extraordinary pilots who risk their lives flying substandard airplanes in a little-known and lopsided war against our nation's wildfires.

A pair of ferocious forest fires rage out of control, threatening to destroy two American national parks - Yellowstone and Grand Teton - and incinerate thousands of homes and park buildings. As the desperate battle to squelch the global warming-induced fires before they "blow up" reaches fever pitch, a mysterious string of violent airborne accidents among the air-tanker fleet produces a mounting body count. Veteran pilot Clark Maxwell becomes convinced that a sinister cover-up is behind the rash of horrific air disasters. Were the planes' inspection papers forged?

About the author:

• Nance is the author of sixteen major books, five of them nonfiction.
• Two of his works, Pandora's Clock and Medusa's Child, aired as highly successful two-part television miniseries.
• John J. Nance lives in Tacoma, Washington.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Nance's latest aviation thriller (Pandora's Clock; Turbulence) departs a bit from his successful formula of race-against-the-clock plotting and in-flight suspense. Instead, it plunges into the world of smoke jumping, with many intricate and intimate sequences featuring airborne firefighters at work. It's a good trade-off. There is still plenty of suspense and high-stakes action, but the story is more character-driven and lighter on professional jargon, anchored by a romantic triangle and a whodunit. At the center of both is veteran pilot Clark Maxwell, called back into battle from the private sector by his slightly sleazy former boss Jerry Stein when multiple forest fires stretch the resources of the Forest Service and threaten local populations. Clark's re-up with the service lands him in the orbit of feisty fellow smoke jumper Karen Jones, his longtime "fantasy pinup girl." Their mutual chemistry is undeniable, but nonstop firefighting-and, more important, Karen's hot-tempered husband, Trent-stand in the way of romance. Troubles in the air begin when a last-minute switch puts hotshot pilot Jeff Maze aboard the Douglas DC-6 originally earmarked for Clark. The wings break off the plane in flight, killing Jeff and his co-pilot instantly. Jeff's distraught girlfriend, Misty, holds some of the keys to the puzzle, which Clark determines to piece together. He suspects merely negligence, but when the same airborne fate nearly befalls pilot buddy Sam Littlefox, Clark concludes that it's sabotage. But by whom, and for what purpose? With its lively cast and rich plot, this is Nance's best book in years.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Jerry Stein is under a lot of pressure. The wealthy owner of an aging fleet of military planes retooled to fight forest fires, he feels his fortune slipping from his grasp as the government lobbies to move "fire bombing" duties from the forest department to the military. The political heat only worsens when in-air accidents start to occur with some frequency. In the meantime, fires rage throughout the West, destroying hundreds of acres of national parks and endangering bordering towns. That's why Stein is relieved when recently retired star pilot Clark Maxwell agrees to unretire temporarily in order to help out during what has become a particularly brutal fire season. Maxwell knows Stein's excellent mechanics wouldn't let an aircraft lift off if it wasn't prepared to withstand the intense heat of the fire beneath it or the extreme weight of the chemicals within it. Could something else be behind the planes' in-air failures? Maxwell's instincts are right on, and what he uncovers involves some high-profile political operatives. Nance has carved out his own subgenre, the aviation thriller, and here he successfully melds a timely topic, forest fires, with his specialty, pulse-pounding airborne excitement. There's a built-in audience for this one. Mary Frances Wilkens
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 741 pages
• Publisher: Large Print Press; 1 edition (January 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594130647
• ISBN-13: 978-1594130649
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,114,145 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

John J. Nance, aviation analyst for ABC News and a familiar face on Good Morning America, is the author of several bestselling novels including Fire Flight, Skyhook, Turbulence, and Orbit. Two of his novels, Pandora's Clock and Medusa's Child, have been made into highly successful television miniseries. A lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, Nance is a decorated pilot veteran of Vietnam and Operations Desert Storm/Desert Shield. He lives in Washington State.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely the Best Thriller this Season!, December 2, 2003

By 

Jim Peterson (Boise, Idaho) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fire Flight: A Novel (Nance, John J) (Hardcover)

I've been in the business of wildland firefighting and airtankering for more than three decades, and I'm darn proud of the image of my brethren that John Nance paints in this grand novel. Clark Maxwell and Bill Deason, if not psuedonyms for real airtanker pilots, represent the best among us, and the flight sequences are steller. So, for that matter, is the character development, and the depth of Clark's attitudes and opinions and struggles, especially where Karen Jones is concerned. I've known at least three Karen Jones in the smokejumper circles, and Nance's descriptions are dead on. I'm aware there are some rancid comments from one of my mad-about-everything fellow pilots posted here, but disregard his nonsense. This is great fiction against the background of the real deal, and you can take that from one who's been there. Recommend this to evryone you can. If they listen to this man, we just might get some things fixed in Washington!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars TOP FLIGHT AUTHOR READING, February 26, 2004

By 

Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fire Flight (Audio Cassette)

It's often a treat and a privilege to hear an audio book read by the author. Such is the case with "Fire Flight" read by popular John J. Nance. He brings an understanding and nuance to the tale that even the best vocal performer may not achieve.

Fiery infernos are spreading rapidly, very quickly out of control and threatening to engulf two national parks. Flames will also level countless homes and buildings in the park. Fighting the fires is an antiquated fleet of aircraft called air tankers. These planes should have been replaced long ago to say nothing of risking their pilots lives as they attempt to contain the raging blazes.

Clark Maxwell, an experienced pilot had no intention of joining this battle until he receives a call from Jerry Stein, a friend and owner of a fleet of air tankers. Soon after Maxwell becomes a part of the fire fighters mysterious air disasters begin to occur. It's not long before he has good reason to believe that an evil force is behind these crashes.

Winds are fanning the flames and people are panicking. As Maxwell probes further his investigation causes him to question officials he would never have believed might be involved in such a horrific conflagration.

Those who like their thrillers laced with action will find much to like in "Fire Flight".

- Gail Cooke

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Nail Biting Thriller Combined with a Superb Mystery, October 27, 2003

By 

Vesta Irene (the Pacific Northwest) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fire Flight: A Novel (Nance, John J) (Hardcover)

Clark Maxwell came out of retirement to help fight the fires that are raging in the west because his ex-boss, somewhat sleazy, kind of cheap, Jerry Stein said he needed him. Clark and his new co-pilot are flying a DC6B watertanker when the tanker in front goes down with his friend Jeff Maze aboard. One of the wings came off in midair. Clark believes that the planes have had all of their required maintenance checks, because Stein is his friend and a pilot himself. He wouldn't send his crew out in planes that weren't fit.

But Clark can't help himself and he checks out a plane on the ground and sees that the maintenance had not been performed. He calls the FBI, but Stein's security chief overhears the call and calls the feds back, pretending he's Maxwell, and he says he was concerned over nothing, then he impersonates an FBI agent to find out just what it is Clark knows and Clark is about to fall into the trap.

Nance is a master when it comes to the airplane thriller and he's out done himself this time. His portrayal of wild fires, the destruction they cause, the lives they destroy will have ice shooting up your spine while you read about disaster after disaster as Clark and his comrades combat one of the worst fires in history in their aging planes that appear to be held together with only spit and chewing gum.

Reviewed by Vesta Irene