David Palmer, who grew up fascinated by airplanes, looks back at a lifetime flying in this memoir. Beginning with his graduation from the Naval Academy in 1967 to starting his own air charter business at age fifty-five, he celebrates a series of increasingly fulfilling adventures. Whether it's fighting in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War, being a test pilot for General Dynamics, or serving as a member of the navy's Reserve Air Forces, he shares a candid picture of what it is like to be a pilot in war and peace. "This book captures not only an individual's drive to be the best he can be in a very difficult and demanding profession but also adds the flavors of camaraderie and fears experienced in extended combat. It adds in the demanding precision of an experimental test pilot. Carrier-based naval aviation provides a unique 'living on the edge' sense of accomplishment that stays with each of us privileged to have had that opportunity, for the rest of our lives." --Capt. Jim Ruliffson USN (Ret.

), Navy Fighter Weapons School (Top Gun) plank owner (1968-70) and Commanding Officer (1975-76).