During WWII, the U.S. Navy, desperate for pilots, permitted young men to apply for the V-5 pilot program right out of high school. Thirty thousand applicants a year signed up. Upon completion of the year-long, physically and mentally challenging program, the survivors received their commissions and Navy pilots' wings.
Flights of Angels tells the story of Billy Benson, a young man from a small southern town, as he completes pre-flight training in Athens, Georgia, primary flight training at Millington, Tennessee, just north of Memphis, intermediate in Pensacola, Florida, and advanced squadron at Barin Field, in Foley, Alabama.
On the day he receives his wings "Under the oaks" in Pensacola, Billy marries Suzanne Walker, a Navy nurse he met during intermediate training.
He attends primary flight instructors' school in New Orleans and receives orders to teach primary flight in Millington. It is an assignment he does not relish, however, since he wants to get into the war as a fighter pilot.
Shortly after his twin sons are born, Billy receives special orders to accompany a crew on a secret mission in President Roosevelt's airplane. The plane's mission is to fly Madame Chiang-Kai shek from Washington, D.C., to Kunming, China, over the Himalayan Mountains.
The plot of Flights of Angels takes an unexpected turn at this point, reflecting the realities and dangers servicemen and women confront during wartime.

Don't miss out on any of the excitement of Flights of Angels. For more excerpts see: Stearman Airplane, The Stearman, NAS Pensacola, and WWII Planes.

Praise for Flights of Angels

"[Flights of Angels] brings …wonderful memories rushing back to me. It's a wonderful read for anybody who looked into the skies and yearned to fly."
Ed McMahon, Television personality - Former V-5 pilot

"While reading Flights of Angels, I was ready to grab my helmet and goggles and jump into the nearest cockpit. I could almost hear and feel the power of hundreds of roaring 550 h.p. radial engines as I relived the greatest adventure of my life.
"Flights of Angels is rich and satisfying and would be a gift beyond compare for former cadets and pilots who have been there and done that."
George Harris, former V-5 pilot and advanced flight instructor

"What a wonderful read!"

"I couldn't put it down."

"I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed the book. Thank you for a fabulous story."

"I loved your book. Your extensive research into aircraft design and flight training shines through and is very engaging."
Alison M.