First Officer tells how Jamie, a twelve-year-old boy, is taught by his father to be a pilot. They fly together, Jamie learning in the right-hand seat. Over a two-year period, Jamie learns the cockpit drills, interprets the maps, navigates, and perfects his piloting skills. First Officer will have you in the cockpit with them.
The story of First Officer reminds readers that a private pilot's license, like a motor vehicle license, is granted with conditions. It's not a right, but a privilege. There are rules, most of them in place for the safety of those in the air and on the ground. Failure to heed them may prove disastrous.
Piloting your own plane can be sensational for the way the aircraft's speed can upturn our sense of space, distance, and lifestyles. It can be like a magic carpet ride, but there are dangers, with little room for error.
Becoming a good pilot requires knowledge and teaching, which are adequate when things go according to plan. But when an unexpected and disastrous event occurs, we learn that survival requires more than piloting skills alone. We discover the value of courage and determination.
First Officer is an Australian story, based at Tyabb on Melbourne's beautiful Mornington Peninsula.
About the Author: First Officer is the third book by Peter R Fitton. His first book was Never Been Hit, a wartime biographical novel about Australian fighter pilot, Flying Officer Les Streete. His second book was Richmond Son, his own childhood memoir set during the 1950s in Richmond, Victoria, Australia.