Nine Lives"Nine Lives is an account of becoming a rescue pilot from learning to fly to the thrills and terrors of dangerous and complicated night rescues. As the story unfolds, David Courtney introduces the reader to the people who work with rescue crews, and how the entire system works." "Courtney recounts his experiences, good and bad, in a way that is open and honest about fear, danger, disappointment, elation and happiness. Contrasting the extraordinary with the everyday, Courtney delves into day-to-day family life, showing how it can empower each of us to confront the dramatic."--BOOK JACKET. |
Contents
Preface | 7 |
The Army Calls | 21 |
Baldonnel 34 | 34 |
In the Dragonfly | 63 |
Pilatus Mountain 1938 | 85 |
Destination Hover | 102 |
The Queen Returns | 117 |
Pigeons to Mother | 130 |
Hovering in Space | 211 |
Doolin Deeds | 231 |
Yin And Yang | 250 |
The Shadow of Mordor | 271 |
Howling Ridge | 291 |
A Patch of Sky | 309 |
Tiger Balm | 325 |
Account Settled | 346 |
Common terms and phrases
air corps aircraft Alouette Alyson Aran Islands arrived Baldonnel beside Blacksod blades Blasket called captain Castletownbere casualty cliff climbed close cloud co-pilot coast guard copter crew cup of tea currachs dark Dauphin Dave deck Delta Hotel Dónal Donegal Doolin drifting Dublin Eamonn Eithne engine feet fishing vessel flew flying forward fuel Galway Galway Bay gardaí hand head height heli helicopter hover immersion suits intercom Ireland Irish Irish coast guard islands John Kerry knew land lifeboat light lighthouse listened looked met office miles Mount Brandon mountain moving navigation night ocean Paddy pattern pilot position radar radio ready refuel rescue RNLI Roaringwater Bay rock rotor rugby Shannon ship ship's Sikorsky S-61 smiling started stopped Stornoway stretcher swell taoiseach took transdown trawler Tullamore turned waited walked watched waves weather winch operator winchcrew winchman wind