The Rogue Aviator: In the Back Alleys of Aviation

The Rogue Aviator: In the Back Alleys of Aviation is a memoir of the tumultuous aviation career of a fun-loving, free-spirited, adventuresome pilot. A secondary theme involves unique and improbable aviation anecdotes that will leave the reader slack-jawed in amazement. An additional theme sheds light on the darker side of commercial aviation: fatigue in the cockpit. The narrative relates numerous incidents and includes discussions of the current front-and-center safety issue regarding pilot fatigue. The myth of underworked and overpaid pilots will be debunked.

Author Ace Abbott takes the reader along to many rarely explored avenues of aviation as he visits 44 countries during his 36-year career as a pilot. The variety of venues includes the Far East, the Middle East, Europe, Canada, the Caribbean, and hundreds of flights to Central and South America. Ace's passengers consisted of the likes of iconic celebrities such as golfer Jack Nicklaus, astronaut John Glenn, daredevil Evil Knievel, along with entertainers Jimmy Buffett, Helen Reddy, and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. Many of the aviation adventures described in this book will leave the reader in amazement and disbelief. Smuggling Bob Marley out of Kingston, Jamaica, and Ace's introduction to the Rastafarian culture are amongst the many challenging scenarios in the Ace Abbott saga.

The Rogue Aviator reveals numerous, rarely visited venues "in the back alleys of aviation." Ventures such as "The Bataan Death March" across a subzero tarmac in ankle-deep snow during a Midwest blizzard at Chicago's O'Hare Airport or threatening harassment by the Bogotá police will be offset by weekends in a Caribbean resort or playing golf at Old St. Andrews in Scotland. The depiction of life in the "non-sked" world of startup airlines and "fly-by-night" freight airlines will describe the historic aviation site known as "corrosion corner" at MIA and the Emery Airfreight hub at Dayton, Ohio. The reader will get a peek at the glamorous lifestyle of a professional pilot but will more often be exposed to the dark-side nuances of the life of a professional pilot.

This insider's perspective of a professional pilot's exposure to the "back alleys" of commercial aviation will reveal a roller-coaster-like ride that is both entertaining and informative. Ace's unstable career resulted in numerous oscillations between the aviation penthouse and the aviation outhouse. Spiced with humor, The Rogue Aviator is complemented with occasional sketches of pathos and poignancy. Captain Abbott's story also contains a smattering of decadence and debauchery.

Finally, The Rogue Aviator takes an insider's look at commercial aviation and the FAA. With today's focus on aviation safety and the role of the FAA to insure our safety in the air, the author addresses his thoughts on these vital areas. This is the Third Edition.

About the Author:

Ace Abbott was born and raised in upstate New York. He entered the U.S. Air Force in 1965 and became an F-4 Phantom pilot based in the Far East. He began his civilian career as a Learjet corporate and charter pilot, spending his last 22 years as a Boeing 727 captain. He retired in 2002 after visiting 44 countries with 14 different airlines.