Infamy
A Pilot's Story of World War II and Beyond
by
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I was once asked if we practiced bailouts. My response was that we never practiced anything we had to do perfectly the first time. Well that was my attitude at transition in learning to fly the B-24. It was a serious business and I learned it was to be treated with great respect. But this was just a start. We had a long way to go before being tested in combat. The B-24 used for transition had been stripped of armor to make them lighter and thus easier to handle. This proved to be wise. As we moved on to further training for combat, it was not too difficult to adjust to the handling characteristics of the heavier B-24s with armor and eventually with heavy payloads. I found it easier with the lighter aircraft to raise up the nose at around 80 knots, after which it would lift off by itself when ready. I was taught to hold that attitude for a while to gain altitude and then drop the nose and pick up added speed. My instructor said that with the new technology wing design it would be safer that way.
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About the Book
A riveting story of one person’s passage from college kid to accomplished World War II pilot. Jack Stettner takes us along on his enthralling journey from enlistment in reaction to the infamous attack on Pearl Harbor through primary, basic, advanced and combat pilot training, to flying his first combat missions. Along the way we meet several interesting characters (people and aircraft), share his excitement upon earning his wings, and relive his harrowing experience of bailing out over China. His intimate description of the various stages of pilot training adeptly proves that learning to fly is only part of the requirement to survive 44 combat missions and 400 combat hours in the skies over Japanese-occupied China.
About the Author
JACK Z. STETTNER flew 44 combat missions in WWII as a B-24 pilot with the 373rd Bomb Squadron based in China. A recipient of numerous decorations and medals, Stettner became a featured speaker on the war bond tour. After the war, he started Veterans Airlines, flying relief missions into Europe and Russian occupied territories. He previously published two other books, Memories of the Jing Bao & Beyond and Memories of the Mind, and currently