A Cold War Fighter Pilot in Peacetime and War

摘要

Peacetime flying careers in the RAF don't get much more dramatic than that of Sqn Ldr Derek Sharp. Fortunately, he's put his experiences into print. Joining the RAF in 1964, the author briefly covers his flight training on the Provost and Gnat, providing one of the best insights of UK flying training during the 1960s and 1970s that I've read. Sharp is honest about his abilities and on more than one occasion admits he just 'scraped' a pass mark to progress to the next stage of training. After failing selection for single-seat fast jets, he served his early years on the Canberra bomber, a type he disliked at first, before its performance and its demanding mission won him over.