Blase, J: Behind the Cockpit Door

Behind the Cockpit Door: The True Adventures of an Airline Pilot by James P. Blase is a collection of airline stories from the life of an airline pilot who flew during the last quarter of the Twentieth Century, flying freight, passengers, and military contracts on large, turbojet airliners on domestic and international routes. Unlike most airline pilots, James had more than his share of flying adventures. He's had humorous run-ins with celebrities as well as with other crew members. He's had three near-death experiences in an airliner. He's been shot at in an L-1011 while flying during the Desert Storm conflict. He's been unintentionally flipped unpside down in a B-707. And he witnessed the fatal crash of a DC-8 at the Toledo airport on one snowy, winter night. He describes all these events with the clarity, humor, and compassion that comes with age. Some of these stories are humorous, some of them are dramatic, and, unfortunately, a couple of them are quite tragic.