AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2021 - 47

Vivid, captivating,
and true
Tiger in the Sea
LINDNER
IR-SEA ORDEAL
OLD WAR
story of commercial aviation.
in Murray and his crew was
nding book! "
h bought
working together with a findintriguing
narratives of other
ng heroes now more than ever! "
International Air & Space Hall
lphabet and Mayo Clinic
ute to the resilience of the human
23 endured is unforgettable, their
ler A Reliable Wife and
feat, what John Murray did in
trauma ripples out and impacts
er In an Instant; cofounder of
azing job of capturing the most
ching at sea. Using the diverse
he weaves a rich tapestry that
er. "
or of
etermination. "
essor/director, Center for
September 1962: On a moonless night over the raging
Atlantic Ocean, a thousand miles from land, the engines
of Flying Tiger flight 923 to Germany burst into flames,
one by one.
W HE N
TIGER
in the
sea
THE DITCHING OF
FLYING TIGER 923
AND THE DESPERATE
STRUGGLE FOR
SURVIVAL
$26.95 US
ERIC LINDNER
Pilot John Murray didn't have long before the plane
crashed headlong into the 20-foot waves at 120 mph.
$26.95 US
F L Y I NG
As the four flight attendants donned life vests, collected
sharp objects, and explained how to brace for the ferocious
impact, 68 passengers clung to their seats: elementary
schoolchildren from Hawaii, a teenage newlywed from
Germany, a disabled Normandy vet from Cape Cod, an
immigrant from Mexico, and 30 recent graduates of the
82nd Airborne's Jump School. They all expected to die.
Murray radioed out " Mayday " as he attempted to fly down
through gale-force winds into the rough water, hoping the
plane didn't break apart when it hit the sea.
Only a handful of ships could pick up the distress call so
far from land. The closest was a Swiss freighter 13 hours
away. Dozens of other ships and planes from nine countries
abruptly changed course or scrambled from Canada,
Iceland, Ireland, Scotland, and Cornwall, all racing to the
rescue-but they would take hours, or days, to arrive.
From the cockpit, the blackness of the Atlantic grew
ever closer. Could Murray do what no pilot had ever
done- " land " a commercial airliner at night in a violent
sea without everyone dying? And if he did, would rescuers
find any survivors before they drowned or died from
hypothermia in the icy water?
The fate of Flying Tiger 923 riveted the world. Bulletins
interrupted radio and TV programs. Headlines shouted
off newspapers from London to LA. Frantic family
members overwhelmed telephone switchboards. President
Kennedy took a break from the brewing crises in Cuba
and Mississippi to ask for hourly updates.
Tiger in the Sea is a gripping tale of triumph, tragedy,
unparalleled airmanship, and incredibly brave people from
all walks of life. The author has pieced together the story-
long hidden because of murky Cold War politics-through
exhaustive research and reconstructed a true and inspiring
tribute to the virtues of outside-the-box-thinking,
teamwork, and hope.
T I G E R Flight 923
lost three engines,
the Lockheed Super
Constellation was
hundreds of miles
from shore, over the
frigid and churning
North Atlantic. It
was September 1962, and the Cold War
was reaching a boiling point. An international
rescue effort had to be launched
to save the 76 souls on board who were
now missing at sea. Through thorough
research, survivor interviews, and official
records, author Eric Lindner tells
the story of a captain's decision making
and leadership that saved dozens until
unlikely rescuers could pick them out of
the 30-foot seas. Page-turner alert!
-Paul Harrop
PRICE: $26.95
CONTACT: tigerinthesea.com
100 years later
A Pair of Wings
L OOP,
S P I N ,
A ND
barnstorm across
the United States
in the 1920s with
Bessie Coleman, the
first female African
American and Native
American to earn a
pilot certificate, in
a historical fiction
novel, A Pair of Wings: The Life of Pioneer
Aviatrix Bessie Coleman, released June 15,
the 100th anniversary of her earning her
certificate. Author Carole Hopson, a first
officer for United Airlines, will launch Jet
Black Foundation in November to raise $7
million to help fund part of the training for
100 women. -Alyssa J. Cobb
PRICE: $24.95
CONTACT: carolehopson.com
AOPA PILOT / September 2021
47
I T ' S G O T I M E .
Engines are roaring, the skies are clearing and we are firing
up for the most epic event in NBAA history. The 2021 NBAA
Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE), taking
place from October 12 to 14 in Las Vegas, is guaranteed to
be a transformational event that provides you an unmatched
opportunity to get connected and power your business forward.
Visit the website to learn more and register today.
R E G I S T E R NOW | n b a a . o r g / 2 0 2 1
facebook.com/NBAAfans
instagram.com/nbaaphotos
twitter.com/nbaa
TIGER IN THE SEA
http://www.tigerinthesea.com http://nbaa.org/2021 http://www.facebook.com/NBAAfans http://www.instagram.com/nbaaphotos http://www.carolehopson.com http://www.twitter.com/nbaa
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2021
