Viper Pilot: A Memoir of Air Combat [Hardcover]

Dan Hampton (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 2, 2012

Action-packed and breathtakingly authentic, Viper Pilot is the electrifying memoir of one of the most decorated F-16 pilots in American history: U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Dan Hampton, who served for twenty years, flying missions in the Iraq War, the Kosovo conflict, and the first Gulf War.

Both a rare look into the elite world of fighter pilots and a thrilling first-person account of contemporary air combat, Viper Pilot soars—a true story of courage, skill, and commitment that will thrill U.S. Special Forces buffs, aviation and military history aficionados, and fans of the novels of Tom Clancy and Dale Brown.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A rare riveting memoir of a highly decorated fighter pilot that’s packed with grit, swagger, and great humor. Do not miss this one!” (W.E.B. GRIFFIN & WILLIAM E. BUTTERWORTH IV )

“Hampton’s one of the most decorated pilots in Air Force history. ... We may never see his like again.” (New York Post )

“Offers a gripping cockpit view of modern air combat ... Hampton is a vivid writer and an unabashed warrior. ... An outstanding work.” (Booklist (starred review) )

“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!” (ALEX KERSHAW, bestselling author of The Liberator and The Few )

“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!” (DALE BROWN, former USAF Captain and New York Times bestselling author of A Time for Patriots )

“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.” (BRIGADIER GENERAL DAVID L. MOODY (Retired USAF) )

“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.” (COLONEL JACKSEL BROUGHTON (USAF, Ret.), recipient of the Air Force Cross for extraordinary heroism and author of Rupert Red Two: A Fighter Pilot's Life )

“Dramatic. ... Viper Pilot delivers 300 pages of aviation fireworks.” (Kirkus Reviews )

From the Back Cover

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

Sure to rank as one of the greatest aviation memoirs ever written, Viper Pilot is an Air Force legend's thrilling eyewitness account of modern air warfare

From 1986 to 2006, Lt. Col. Dan Hampton was a leading member of the Wild Weasels, the elite Air Force fighter squadrons whose mission is recognized as the most dangerous job in modern air combat. Weasels are the first planes sent into a war zone, flying deep behind enemy lines purposely seeking to draw fire from surface-to-air missiles and artillery. They must skillfully evade being shot down—and then return to destroy the threats, thereby making the skies safe for everyone else to follow. Today these vital missions are more hazardous than direct air-to-air engagement with enemy aircraft. Hampton's record number of strikes on high-value targets make him the most lethal F-16 Wild Weasel pilot in American history. This is his remarkable story.

Taught to fly at an early age by his father, Hampton logged twenty years and 608 combat hours in the world's most iconic fighter jet: the F-16 "Fighting Falcon," or "Viper" as its pilots call it. Hampton spearheaded the 2003 invasion of Iraq, leading the first flight of fighters over the border en route to strike Baghdad. In the war that followed, he engaged in a series of brilliantly executed missions that earned him three Distinguished Flying Crosses with Valor; he notably saved a U.S. Marine unit from certain death by taking out the surrounding enemy forces near Nasiriyah. Two years 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. Hampton also flew critical missions in the first Gulf War, served on the Air Combat Command staff during the Kosovo War, and was injured in the 1996 Khobar Towers terrorist attack.

With manned missions rapidly giving way to remote-controlled UAV drones, Viper Pilot may be the last memoir by a true hero of the skies. Gripping and irreverently humorous, it is an unforgettable look into the closed world of fighter pilots and modern air combat.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow; First Edition edition (October 2, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062130358
• ISBN-13: 978-0062130358
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.3 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (153 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #37,701 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #44 in Books > History > Military > Aviation
  • #48 in Books > History > Military > Iraq War
  • #50 in Books > History > Middle East > Iraq

More About the Author

The New York Times bestselling author of Viper Pilot, U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Dan Hampton flew 151 combat missions during his twenty years in the USAF (1986-2006). 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 elite USAF Fighter Weapons School, USN Top Gun School, and USAF Special Operations School. Hampton was named his squadron's Instructor Pilot of the Year six times and pioneered air combat tactics that are now standard. A graduate of Texas A&M University, he has published articles in the Journal of Electronic Defense, Air Force Magazine, and Airpower Magazine, as well as several classified tactical works for the USAF Fighter Weapons Review.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 49 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Finest Book on this Subject I Have Ever Read October 2, 2012

By USMC7579

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

In my lifetime I have read just every fighter pilot memoir that I could get my hands on; probably hundreds of them. I absolutely love this subject. This is the most interesting, most informative, best written, most hilarious memoir of them all...by a long shot. I found myself laughing out loud at his outlook on things and his way of describing them. It's my new standard for how good a book in this genre can be. It's so good, I felt compelled to write this short review before I completely finished the book.

Thank you Mr. Hampton. I thank you for your service, I thank you for writing such a truly enjoyable read and I thank you for taking the time to share your experiences with us.

Books like this are why I love to read.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Semper Fi

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Viper Pilots Ranks Among the Best October 5, 2012

By Daddy Rabbit

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

As a young Air Force lieutenant, I read Jack Broughton's "Thud Ridge." After my career was over, I read "Bury Us Upside Down: The Misty Pilots and the Secret Battle for the Ho Chi Minh Trail" by Rick Newman and Don Shepperd. After completing the latter, I asked, "What could be better?" On October 4, 2012, I found my answer. These two classic works of non-fiction about aerial combat have been nicely complemented and, dare I say, surpassed, by Dan Hampton's "Viper Pilot: Memoir of Air Combat." In every respect, Lt. Col. Hampton captures the bullet-sweating fear and exhilaration of air combat in the modern age against enemies conventional and uncoventional. Simply put, I ordered my two hardback copies as soon as I found out I could.

Dan Hampton is the "real deal." He's irreverent. He's cocky (and I personally never had any use for a USAF pilot who didn't think he was the best thing to ever come down road). He's hilarious. Most of all, he is possessed of a deadpan, gunslinger mentality and a sense of purpose focused on doing the things he promised his country he would do in its defense...without hesitation and with lethal determination. I have known "2Dogs" for well over two decades. He is everything I trained him to be as a USAF student pilot and he became everything I knew he could be as a fighter pilot.

For those who have worn the wings of a U.S. Air Force pilot, or the wings of any other military aviator, Dan Hampton's tale will take you back to places in your memory that are familiar, regardless of aircraft flown, and will be a part of you, forever. For those who have never had the privilege of aviation service, Lt. Col. Hampton's vivid and graphic recollections of war against a new type of enemy will make you marvel at the lengths to which America's current generation of sky-warriors will go to protect their countrymen from the horrors of modern terrorists and those who harbor and aid them.

Dan Hampton's marvelous work comes with my highest recommendation. "Viper Pilot" is destined to become an aviation classic!

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Read October 5, 2012

By James Williams

Format:Kindle Edition

I found the book to be a good read, was interesting to see the fighter pilot side of things having been a ground crew member (Crew Chief) on F-4's and FB-111's. Seems that the author has pissed off some people along the way after reading some of these reviews. Tells me that he must be doing something right, in an age where political correctness runs everything including the military. The reviews should be on the book, if you people want to review the person then find some place else to do it. The book was good and interesting, I am telling several friends to read it.