Unfriendly Skies : Saga of Corruption [Paperback]

Rodney Stich (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1990 | ISBN-10: 0932438024 | ISBN-13: 978-0932438027 | Edition: 3

Unfriendly Skies, written by a former federal aviation safety agent, Rodney Stich, details the behind-the-scene misconduct that enabled a series of preventable airline crashes and disasters to occur during the past 50 years. The deep-seated misconduct detailed in the book shows the misocnduct that caused the conditions to exist that enabled terrorists to hijack four airliners on 9/11.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"He charges a cover-up of such proportions even the mass media don't want to touch the story, and I must say, makes a good case." "In this shocking book, Rodney Stich presents impressive evidence to show that a virtual 'government mafia' does indeed exist." -- Bookviews

"The Unfriendly Skies is a shocking report ... the facts he cites are devastating, indicating dereliction of duty and responsibility by airlines and the federal authority supposedly checking on them." -- Seattle Times Magazine

"Unfriendly Skies is a record of scandal, disaster, and heartbreak that demands an accounting from the highest levels of the industry and government." -- Amercia Library Association

About the Author

The author, Rodney Stich, had been active in aviation since before December 7, 1941. He was a Naval Aviation--receiving his navy wings at the same time George Bush, Sr. received his wings. Stich was a flight instructor in PBY Catalina flying boats and a Patrol Plane Commander (PPC) in Liberators and Privateers. After World War II he was an international airline pilot flying everything from DC-3 to Boeing Stratocruisers and Constellations, and is rate in several airline jets. He was a key safety agent in the federal governmnent at a time when airline crashes were occurring every few months. Seeking to expose and correct the crash-causing problems, he acted as an independent prosecutor, he filed federal actions, and finally resorted to writing books to inform the public of these serious problems.

Product Details

• Paperback: 656 pages
• Publisher: Diabio Western Press; 3 edition (July 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0932438024
• ISBN-13: 978-0932438027
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #942,030 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From the FAA to Court Corruption, January 8, 2003

By 

Mark (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unfriendly Skies : Saga of Corruption (Paperback)

This book is about federal corruption in airplane crashes and what happened to the author, when he tried to expose it. The author endured the loss of his considerable life savings, and the better part of a year in federal prison.

The book is long, entailed by it being a personal account, but is more readable and dramatic than an essay format.

What's interesting about the book is not so much its account of airliner crashes, or the incompetence that made them possible, or even the corruption within the Federal Aviation Administration. What will astound you is the book's detailed and documented account of the almost incredible corruption of the Justice Department that the author experienced first hand, the complete negation of the Bill of Rights.

While reading the book, it crossed my mind that the author was paranoid or a crank. But no, the writing has the ring of truth. You can always tell a crank. They are inarticulate, they have no evidence, they have or have had no careers. But here we have a man who had a distinguished career in aviation, and was an able businessman -- a man of repute. He has credentials, court records, and documents. Another reason to believe his account is that he would be sued for libel if even one tenth of his accusations weren't true.

When the book first arrived in the mail I thought: Hmm, pretty fat book, is it worth reading? So I leafed through it and saw the chapter with the intriguing title: "Prison!" Well, it looks like I'd bought a book by an ex-con. I read that chapter first, then went back and read the book from the beginning. Here are the most important chapters, you can read the others for supporting material: About the author (reverse of front cover), Introduction, Chapter 4 FAA Kangaroo Court, 6 Checks and Balances, 7 The Imposters, 20 Radio and Television Appearances, 21 to 27 (corruption in the federal judiciary), 29 Fighting Back, 30 Grim Outlook.

Some criticisms: The author appears to be an old-fashioned liberal. For example, he is for government regulation of the airline industry, even after what he discovered. He occasionally strays from his subject matter, dipping briefly into train safety and nuclear plant safety. He should have limited his writing to airline safety and then, with what he uncovered there as a springboard, corruption in the federal judiciary. The book has more than the usual number of typographical errors.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A REALLY GREAT BOOK, March 29, 2006

By 

brian power-waters - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Unfriendly Skies : Saga of Corruption (Paperback)

A reviewer, I am a retired airline captain, March 29, 2006,

A THOUGHT PREVOKING BOOK

Rodney Stitch knows what he is talking about.At times you will ponder ,can this be true? Believe me it is The government put Rodney in prison because he dared to reveal FAA s dirty little secrets. Good job

Also recommended: 93 SECONDS TO DISASTER

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rodney Stich- a true hero who was treated like a pariah, October 24, 2011

By 

Ace Abbott - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unfriendly Skies : Saga of Corruption (Paperback)

I have seen this book for years listed on Amazon and just recently purchased it. It is a scathing expose of many of our government agencies and takes to a higher meaning the satirical comment, "I'm from the government and I am here to help you," as one of the three biggest lies. The stonewalling that he encountered was, unfortunately, not overcome, despite his yeoman efforts to enhance commercial aviation safety. His perserverence is nearly off the scale and there should be airports named after him.
Perhaps the biggest tragedy is that during my 36 year career as a professional pilot I never once heard anyone mention his name or his book. It should have been discussed at every layover and any gathering of aviators. Was the book squelched? Probably. Anyone who reads the book will be awed at the courage and resilence of Rodney Stich.
My book, The Rogue Aviator:in the Back Alleys of Aviation, has an element of aviation expose in it but it is "kindergarten-level" compared to The Unfriendly Skies. As a retired pilot I still need an occassional adrenalin-zap fix and this book has kept me on the edge of my seat; an absolute must read for layman as well as pilots.
Allen Morris/aka Ace Abbott (The Rogue Aviator)