Covert Skies

<p><strong>Low flying moonlit-covert missions over the Mekong </strong>in the tiny Helio Courier airdrops into war-ravaged Vietnam from the C-123 Provider and testing out the idiot's loop from 200 feet at 400 knots in the North American F-100 Super Sabre are just a few of the every-day adventures Ron Sutphin recounts in this memoir spanning nearly three decades. Brig. Gen. Heinie Aderholt USAF (Ret.) called Ron one of the greatest pilots in the history of aviation rating him with Jimmie Doolittle Bob Hoover and Chuck Yeager.</p><p>Sadly Ron was killed in a plane crash before he finished this fascinating story of his truly legendary life. So it's been left to me to make certain his story is told and in keeping with the spirit of my brother's high standards I have not changed much in his book. I edited to be sure and finished a few stories giving the reader some background in the way of research in endnotes and photos necessarily from the WWII era the 50s and 60s. His career was impacted by and in a few instances subtly helped impact several significant touchpoints in our nation's history.</p><p><em>Covert Skies</em> accounts for only a portion of his long career in aviation however. From a kid who just wanted to fly he carved a path for himself focused like a 20mm cannon on that singular goal in the end logging over 35000 hours of flight. Amazingly from combat pilot to test-pilot to commercial aviator responsible for the welfare of many lives this isn't a very long story. It's all too short in fact but every bit worth reading the adventures of this quiet totally fearless aviator. Ron Sutphin is the brother I never knew-until now-and a larger-than-life American hero I've come to love. --CS Norwood</p><p><strong>Pilots veterans Korean War veterans Civil Air Transport (CAT) and Air America® families and friends will find this a fascinating read. If you love adventure flight and history through a pilot's eyes this Large Print edition of Covert Skies belongs in your bookshelf.</strong></p>