Born to Fly: The Untold Story of the Downed American Reconnaissance Plane (Hardcover)

by Shane Osborn (Author), Malcolm McConnell (Author) "I stood on the hardstand, staring up at the big gray-and-white airplane..." (more)
Key Phrases: number one prop, flight station, taxi ramp, Senior Mellos, General Sealock, Pat Honeck (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
?A fascinating story of endurance, courage, and patriotism. . . . A good choice for anyone considering a career in the military and for fans of true-adventure survival stories.??School Library Journal

?With high standards, a positive attitude, and a strong work ethic, Osborn is an inspiring role model who aimed high and overcame adversity through self?discipline and respect. . . . [His] humble, matter-of-fact narrative will appeal to young men and women interested in aviation, the military, and current events. . . . The technical and military explanations and the detailed description of the midair crisis . . . will help social studies, physics, and math teachers discuss relationships among knowledge, judgment, and character.??VOYA -- Review --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
“A fascinating story of endurance, courage, and patriotism. . . . A good choice for anyone considering a career in the military and for fans of true-adventure survival stories.”—School Library Journal

“With high standards, a positive attitude, and a strong work ethic, Osborn is an inspiring role model who aimed high and overcame adversity through self–discipline and respect. . . . [His] humble, matter-of-fact narrative will appeal to young men and women interested in aviation, the military, and current events. . . . The technical and military explanations and the detailed description of the midair crisis . . . will help social studies, physics, and math teachers discuss relationships among knowledge, judgment, and character.”—VOYA --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Broadway; 1st edition (November 13, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0767911113
• ISBN-13: 978-0767911115
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #819,756 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Born To Fly, the Official Version, February 22, 2002

By	Wayman Dunlap (Vista, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Born To Fly
By Shane Osborn
With Malcolm McConnell

Lt. Shane Osborn was the mission commander and pilot of the U.S. Navy EP-3E AIRES II reconnaissance aircraft when it was rammed by a Chinese F-8 Finback II fighter over the South China Sea on April 1, 2001 during a routine recon mission.
As the world knows, Osborn heroically managed to pull his severely damaged four-engine turboprop out of a near vertical, inverted dive and somehow keep it flying long enough to land on the F-8's home base at Lingshui Air Base on Hainan Island. It was there that he and his crew of 23 were imprisoned by the Chinese for 11 days before the U.S. issued a statement that it regretted the loss of the F-8 pilot and the emergency landing on Chinese soil.
This 262-page book, an "as told to" military writer Malcolm McConnell, is a quick read but one gets the impression it was sanitized by the U.S. Navy, if not higher ups. That's to be expected, of course, as the aircraft was on a sensitive electronic intelligence mission and the airplane was packed with cryptologic technicians and others on "special missions."
Osborn, as far as we know, is still in the Navy so you won't find any criticisms of fellow crewmen, superiors or political higher ups. Everyone performed magnificently, everyone was brave and the politicians are all magnificent individuals.
Nevertheless, it was worth reading, even though Osborn tends to be a little too kind to himself in telling his life story preceding the collision. There's quite a bit of detail about his early years and how successfully he endured the toughness of his Navy training.
He makes a special point to let you know that he could have flown jets if only the Navy had some openings (in the Navy's hierarchal system, land-based four engine transport pilots are only a step above helicopter drivers in aviation status).
The real meat of the book, the events leading up to the collision and the resultant terrifying attempt to save the aircraft, are what makes it worth the price of admission. Osborn also has an amazing memory as he was able to recount the day to day experiences of himself and the crew once they were under house arrest by the Chinese.
What's not mentioned is much of how the other crew members got along, especially those crypto techs who must have been shaking in their boots because of their highly sensitive knowledge of classified information, who suddenly found themselves at the mercy of the Chinese.
No, this is Shane Osborn's story alone, although he does credit a special few of his crewmen with exemplary behavior (he did make note that one female crewmember seemed to freeze up at a particularly bad time; take that for what it's worth).
Osborn was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions that day (other crewmen received Air Medals) and no one can deny that he deserved it. McConnell deserves proper credit for how well he interpreted Osborn's memories to give the reader a taste of what it was like in the cockpit of that beleaguered aircraft.
The Chinese mind games - in which they repeatedly tried to get the crew to admit they "rammed" the fighter - while exhausting, were to be expected. What's surprising is that there was no violence and only some mild threats ever made against them.
In fact, after the decision was made to allow them to go home, Osborn said he was congratulated by the Chinese base commander for his loyalty to his crew. The Chinese interrogators and guards even requested pictures of themselves with the crew.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Honor, Character and Courage, November 24, 2001

By	Robert Northcutt (San Diego, California) - See all my reviews

Lt. Osborn describes his experience when his navy reconnaissance plane is struck by a Chinese fighter aircraft forcing Osborn to land his crippled plane in China. For eleven days the world watched as the Chinese asked the U.S. for an apology. This is the story from Lt. Osborn's view as he describes those eleven days in Chinese "captivity" with his crew of 23 officers and airmen. It's a fascinating story of the making of a naval aviator who is ultimately awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his courage and leadership during the ordeal. This is a story about the people who usually don't get a lot of publicity which makes you realize there is more to naval aviation than fighter pilots and aircraft carriers. In the end it's a timely story of standing up to adversity with honor, character and courage. Highly recommended.

13 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A New Classic!, November 21, 2001

By A Customer

Born to Fly is destined to become a new aviation classic, in the same league as "The High and the Mighty" and "Island in the Sky." Lt. Shane Osborn is a true American hero, an inspiration to us all in these difficult times. Through his incredible flying skill and sheer gut-courage, Osborn saved his crew and his country's honor after a Chinese fighter collided with his EP-3 recon plane. We can all be proud of these fine young Americans. Read this book.