The First Officer's Report - Definitive Edition: The Inside Account of Flight 919 and its Place in the Age of Terror

Imagine you’re the copilot of a Boeing 747. You’ve just learned that the captain is a psychopath and intends to crash the jumbo jet into a major American city. And you’re locked out of the cockpit! That’s the bizarre situation faced by Shawn Rhodes, in The First Officer’s Report. Ironically, all the security measures implemented since 9/11/01 only thwart his desperate efforts to save the 500 people aboard, and the thousands who will die on the ground. If that isn’t bad enough, this quirky hero has been plagued by nightmares and visions, and an obsession with a stunning, mysterious flight attendant. The outcome leads to pressure on Shawn to support a dangerous expansion in the War on Terror. He gets to meet the President. But there’s an uninvited guest—a suicide bomber… The First Officer’s Report is written in Shawn’s highly readable but unique style, in which he seems to converse one-on-one with the reader. (He invites questions, comments, and even advice by e-mail, and he will answer you!) As he works through an ongoing, mind-numbing crisis to save his passengers and crew, he continually references his extensive and practical knowledge of airplanes, piloting, and aviation lore and mishaps. His “editor,” John Street, injects even more fascinating detail, which, though technically accurate, is always explained in understandable terms. But The First Officer’s Report is far more than just a book about flying. It mirrors current world events, and is replete with not only suspense, but subtle humor and romantic intrigue. It’s set among a host of engaging characters from diverse backgrounds, and reflects the personal growth of a man forced by tragedy to completely rethink his own beliefs and values. The result is that whether you’re an occasional traveler, a student pilot, an airline pilot, a flight attendant, or anyone else with any interest at all in flying or current events, you’ll find this novel to be as informative as it is spellbinding.