On Final Approach

A government investigator looks into the cover-up of a deadly plane crash in this aviation thriller from the New York Times–bestselling author of Lockout. In the control tower at Kansas City International Airport, all the radar displays are red. But for the experienced pilots of North America Airlines, the thunderstorms aren’t the problem: NAA has been cutting costs to stave off bankruptcy, and will do anything to keep their planes in the air. Unfortunately, no matter what they do, one is on its way down. After the aircraft collides with another plane on the Kansas City runway, in one of the worst aviation disasters of the decade, National Transportation Safety Board investigator Joe Wallingford arrives on the scene. As he studies the wreckage and pieces together the events that led to the tragedy, he realizes there’s far more at play than pilot error or equipment malfunction. Wallingford will have to risk his career—and perhaps even his life—to solve the puzzle of the crash.

"During World War II a select number of female pilots were selected to serve as WASPs, Women Air Service Pilots. They were not embraced by their male counterparts and struggled for acceptance daily. After the war, four WASPs meet to reminisce about their challenges and successes. The conversation soon shifts to a redacted report about a fellow pilot who was killed while trying to land her aircraft. What really happened? Someone knows the truth. Censored on final approach journeys into a time and place often left out of the history books"--Page 4 of cover

A TIME Best Book of the Summer • A lusty young woman seeks out experience on a remote Alaskan homestead in this erotic and darkly humorous novel "Rukeyser weaves a dreamlike spell—'Twin Peaks’ by way of ‘Northern Exposure.’" —LA Times "Fantastic.” —The New York Times Mira is a loner, a drop out, an obsessive fascinated by the concept of sleaze. She wants two things: to move to Alaska and find the tattooed fisherman that’s the object of her desire. Her single-mindedness takes her to the remote Kodiak Archipelago, where she finds work at a homestead-turned-tourist-lodge offering a carousel of meticulously scripted Alaskan experiences. But the lodge is failing and, as life on Lavender Island becomes increasingly claustrophobic and strange, Mira’s plans for her future become more elaborate and perverse. Part meditation on unhinged longing, part biting commentary on eco-tourism and the mythology of the American West, and part yearning portrayal of people at the end of their tether, The Seaplane on Final Approach is wholly original, “a perfect blend of deep, dark humor, sadness, and (of course), adolescent horniness (Literary Hub).”

The 1979 pot plane crash-as it's come to be known in Charleston, West Virginia-was one of those "you had to be there" moments. Walter Cronkite opened the nightly news with, "You may not call this pot luck." Locals still refer to the crash to this day. Author Jerome Lill organized the botched smuggling attempt, bought the DC6 cargo plane, flew it to Colombia, and filled it with 26,000 pounds of pot. Everything went fine until the plane went over the edge of the runway at the Charleston airport. The crash and subsequent trial make up only a very small part of this riveting book. Jerome's life in those days was continually awash in international drug smuggling, wild partying, and a lot of profanity (also included in this book). The essence of the story, though, is Jerome's long journey from the darkest corners of alcoholism to recovery, lifted by his faith in God and seemingly unlimited second chances. His accounts of surviving the plane crash and countless other exploits are mind-blowing. As Jerome likes to say about his recovery, "If I can do it, anybody can." There's always a chance for redemption-a timeless message for us all. This is a story you will not be able to forget. Jerome Lill's story is authentic and unforgettable. He is simply an inspiration for us all.

Final Approach is a soulful book about an unlikely pilot. It captures a 20-year span in Dean Westover's life. Those were years spent flying various aircraft throughout the United States. Final Approach recounts dozens of memorable flights spanning two decades. Dean is a master storyteller, bringing each flight to life with humor and wit, while weaving in a few "life lessons" along the way. A must read for pilots and passengers alike.

The first airline pilot ever arrested and sent to prison for flying under the influence, and fired by his airline and stripped of his FAA licenses, recounts his rise, fall, and rise in the airline industry.

An excellent resource for instrument-rated pilots who want to learn how to maximize their skills in an "Instrument Flight Rules" (IFR) environment, this revised handbook contains up-to-date information, the latest changes to procedures, and even more insights and guidance on how to operate safely within the National Airspace System. In-depth sections cover all phases of flight from takeoff to landing, including detailed coverage of instrument charts; takeoff, en route, approach, and landing procedures; human factors; land and hold short operations; and runway incursions. Intended primarily as a technical reference for professional pilots, the added glossary, index, full-color photos, and illustrations make this a valuable training aid for flight instructors, instrument pilots, and students

Human error is implicated in nearly all aviation accidents, yet most investigation and prevention programs are not designed around any theoretical framework of human error. Appropriate for all levels of expertise, the book provides the knowledge and tools required to conduct a human error analysis of accidents, regardless of operational setting (i.e. military, commercial, or general aviation). The book contains a complete description of the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS), which incorporates James Reason's model of latent and active failures as a foundation. Widely disseminated among military and civilian organizations, HFACS encompasses all aspects of human error, including the conditions of operators and elements of supervisory and organizational failure. It attracts a very broad readership. Specifically, the book serves as the main textbook for a course in aviation accident investigation taught by one of the authors at the University of Illinois. This book will also be used in courses designed for military safety officers and flight surgeons in the U.S. Navy, Army and the Canadian Defense Force, who currently utilize the HFACS system during aviation accident investigations. Additionally, the book has been incorporated into the popular workshop on accident analysis and prevention provided by the authors at several professional conferences world-wide. The book is also targeted for students attending Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University which has satellite campuses throughout the world and offers a course in human factors accident investigation for many of its majors. In addition, the book will be incorporated into courses offered by Transportation Safety International and the Southern California Safety Institute. Finally, this book serves as an excellent reference guide for many safety professionals and investigators already in the field.