The Buffalo Pilot: A Ford Stevens Military-Aviation Thriller (Book 3) Read online

  PRAISE FOR THE NOVELS OF LAWRENCE A. COLBY

  #1 AMAZON BESTSELLING AUTHOR

  THE DEVIL DRAGON PILOT: Book 1

  “...impressive command of subject, Colby keeps the reader turning pages...old-fashioned cliffhanging drama.”

  —Reserve Officers Association

  “...nicely done character development, superb technical and compelling national security detail...old-fashioned cliffhanging drama.”

  —Reserve Officers Association

  “Best Fiction History Books...Ranked #2”

  —Comparaboo

  “I read 3-4 books/week, and this is THE BEST of the last year. It’s the book I wish I had written.”

  —Amazon reviewer John Fillhart

  “Great combination of accurate aircraft systems detail, action packed and good human nature story. Fast paced but great description of scenes.”

  —Amazon reviewer Lawrence V. Larsen

  “I am a hard nose veteran and a 30-year police officer. I teared at the climax of this book. I don’t do that with books.”

  —New Orleans Police Department’s John Schlutert

  “Finished in three nights. Always love books about flying. Will look for more books by Lawrence A. Colby.”

  —George E. Livingston

  On Power Reads List: “...of local authors worth checking out.”

  —Hilton Head Monthly Magazine

  “I couldn’t put this book down and I can’t wait for the next one!”

  —Brian T. Smith, Sailor, Marine, Disabled-Combat Veteran

  “A fast-reading and clinching military thriller that would earn a place alongside any Clancy novel.”

  —Reserve Officers Association

  “You like Clancy, you’ll love this book! I LOVED the technical accuracy of this book…you’ll feel a wide range of emotions as you read. You won’t regret picking up this book.”

  —Wade E. Barker, Commercial Airline Pilot

  “Great plot – fun topic. Lots of good and true data on the aircraft and CONOPS for missions. Great character development and good detail on each person’s background – really get to know the characters.”

  —John C. Menzel

  The Devil Dragon Pilot is also available on Amazon Audible and Apple iTunes audio

  THE BLACK SCORPION PILOT: Book 2

  “Uber impressive. The hacking stuff was very cool…this book is going to catch fire.”

  —William Walters, Corporate Pilot

  “Awesome! Love the story! The character development is solid.”

  —Frank Bell, USMC Veteran

  “Absolutely phenomenal story. I can’t believe how you tied this together. Very well done.”

  —Patrick McDougall, RAF Pilot

  “Brilliant. Could not go to sleep tonight.”

  “Fast paced and enthralling. Did not disappoint.”

  “It is after midnight...I seek more!”

  “Outstanding novel. Excellent.”

  The Black Scorpion Pilot is also available on Amazon Audible

  THE BUFFALO PILOT: Book 3

  “Colby writes with the authority of someone who has “been there... done that.”

  —WSJ Bestselling Thriller Author Jeffrey Wilson, #1 Bestselling Thriller writer, co-author of the Tier One Series

  The Buffalo Pilot is also available on Amazon Audible

  ALSO BY LAWRENCE A. COLBY

  The Devil Dragon Pilot: Book 1

  The Black Scorpion Pilot: Book 2

  Mach278 LLC Publishing

  Dulles, Virginia, USA

  THE BUFFALO PILOT: A FORD STEVENS MILITARY-AVIATION THRILLER (Book 3)

  Copyright © 2020 by Lawrence A. Colby.

  All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. Any specific reference to real persons was used with their permission. References in this novel to activities concerning World War II and Cold War era events and aircraft are based on historical record. For further information, contact the Smithsonian Institution or National Archives.

  http://www.ColbyAviationThrillers.com

  Book and Cover design by Book Covers Art

  Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data The Buffalo Pilot: A Ford Stevens Military-Aviation Thriller (Book 3) / by Lawrence A. Colby

  ISBN-13: 9798611187715 (paperback)

  1. Stevens, Ford (Fictitious Character) —Military Thriller – fiction 2. Aviation- fiction 3. Armed Services—United States—Fiction 4. Military –United States I. Colby, Lawrence A. II. The Buffalo Pilot. III. A Ford Stevens Military-Aviation Thriller (Book 3)

  First Edition: 2020

  For the Niagara C-130 combat crews I had the honor to fly and serve with. Thank you for your selfless and dedicated service.

  * * *

  Publisher’s Note

  All members, former members, and employees of the Department of Defense (DoD) are required to submit their writings for prepublication review. The Publication Review is the process to determine that information proposed for public release contains no protected information, is consistent with established Department of Defense policies, and conforms to standards as determined by the Department leadership.

  Author Lawrence A. Colby, whose career for DoD entailed real-world operations, abided by the Policy. His manuscripts have been reviewed by Defense officials in Washington, D.C. and returned to him after an in-depth review, sometimes taking as long as 17 months to approve. All edits that DoD determined were necessary are complete. The book is aligned with DoD for fiction publication and all comments related to national security matters have been changed without protest from the author. The views expressed are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government.

  This book has been approved by formal process at the Department of Defense Publication Review.

  We thank you for your understanding and look forward to your enjoyment of this book.

  “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

  —Ralph Waldo Emerson

  List of Main Characters

  Bruce Anderson

  Member, U.S. House of Representatives, 28th District, Buffalo, New York

  Grace Fitzgerald

  Office of Congressman Bruce Anderson, 28th District, Buffalo, New York

  Holly Hayden

  Office of Congressman Bruce Anderson, 28th District, Buffalo, New York

  Wu Lee

  Pilot, Captain, former People’s Liberation Air Force, China

  Richard Lansing

  Niagara KC-135 Maintenance Officer and Senior Legislative Director for Congressman Bruce Anderson

  Emily Livingston

  Former Economist, International Monetary Fund; UK citizen

  Ray Parker

  Member, Niagara Red Kings, western New York

  Charlie Stevens

  First Lieutenant, U.S. Ai
r Force Reserve, KC-135 Pilot

  Ford Stevens

  Major, U.S. Air Force Reserve, Commander-328th Air Refueling Squadron

  Gordon “Grape” Turner

  Captain, U.S. Air Force Reserve, Mishap Investigation Team

  Werner “Zeke” Ziehmann

  Colonel, U.S. Air Force, Chief, Mishap Investigation Team

  Chapter 1

  Twenty Years Ago

  Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan

  Ford Stevens stood in the hangar with his mouth gaping open, his insides vibrating as the jets scorched overhead through the humid, morning air.

  “WHHHOOSHHHHH,” was heard, more like felt deep inside his body, as local Kadena Air Base fighter jets screamed by, entering the airspace. It seemed like high-performance jet aircraft were landing on the hangar’s roof, ready to burst through the ceiling. Super-low in altitude, maybe treetop height, the raw sound waves made their body parts hum. It was electrifying to young Ford and little brother Charlie, who were visiting the squadron that morning.

  “You don’t have a clue, do you?” The brother-versus-brother badgering often started with 10-year-old Ford pressing Charlie, harassing him every chance he got.

  Ford controlled the video games back at home. Ford controlled the TV remote. Ford seemed to be more athletic, smarter, getting more attention. Ford was already showing the classic attributes of a first-born kid, being controlling, wanting to excel at all things he did, and making even the smallest of events a competition.

  “Keep your mouth shut,” Ford told Charlie on a regular basis. Sometimes “you little shit” was thrown in there, too.

  Ford almost always led the expeditions through the backyard in fantasizing about hunting for elk, hiking the backcountry looking for brown bears, or searching the mountainside for snakes. Their father moved the family around often for his career, and they had the opportunity of a lifetime to explore different countries. Sometimes they ran and climbed in the sand dunes of North Carolina or the foothills of the German Alps or toured the streets of the Philippines. Their dad even promised whitewater rafting in China one day.

  Felt overhead again and just as fast, one more “WHHHOOSHHHHH,” was heard through the hangar ceiling. The group chatted about it being a wingman, guessing it was the number two in the aircraft formation. This is the coolest thing ever, thought Ford.

  Last year while in the Philippines, Charlie used to chase Ford up to the Mt. Pinatubo Crater Lake, always pointing and laughing at the guidance on the entrance sign posted at the beginning of the trail. Hand-carved into the wooden trailhead sign were instructions stating that if you were “Young Age,” it would take 12 minutes to hike up to the lake. They frequently made it up in a competitive seven minutes, running, pushing, and laughing the entire way. Even tackling. Shoving. Tripping. It was a strong sibling rivalry and cultural education that the Stevens boys were lucky to have. With messy, unkempt hair and dirt under their fingernails, they could mortify any mother and make any father proud.

  The boys were visiting guests at the fighter squadron, receiving an official U.S. Air Force VIP tour. Their VIP treatment included wearing authentic flight suits and flight helmets, making the kids feel like they were part of the actual Air Force team. Their father Chad was getting a backseat F-15 Eagle orientation flight today, and the boys were there to watch him take the ride of his life. Pumped up and animated, it was something out of the movies for the three of them.

  To Ford, it was all a race as he hustled to put his flight suit on the fastest. He had to beat Charlie. Back at middle school, he was aggressive to get in line first, eat lunch first, and complete his homework first. He made sure his flight suit collar was just right and zipped up at just the proper length. Ford wanted to be just like the pilots he saw.

  Already announced this morning from Ford was, “You’re a little punk,” “you suck,” and “you’re dumb.” Ford knew Charlie wanted to be like him, and taunted him anyway because he could.

  Fledgling Charlie fumbled around with his oversized flight suit, even though it was the smallest the Squadron’s Flight Equipment Department had on the shelf. His legs and sleeves extended way beyond his limbs, and it was obvious even their smallest adult size was too big. The olive-green flight suit flapped around as he walked, the excess Nomex material dragging behind. He pulled both his arms through as far as he could so he could zip the suit up to his neck but was having snags.

  Ford noticed Charlie taking his dirty hand, moving his blonde hair to the side, and ogling the striking white flight helmet sitting near them on the bench. It was like a magic magnet, and both of them couldn’t take their eyeballs off the thing.

  Grinning ear to ear, Charlie darted his eyes around while Ford stared at him. Eyes wide open with eagerness, Charlie grabbed the helmet with one hand and attempted to stuff his head inside.

  Ford never took his eyes off him, shook his head with some routine disproval, and walked over to lend some brotherly love. What a dipstick. How’d he get that before me? “You use two hands to put your flight helmet on, dummy,” Ford told him.

  “I can do this on my own. I can do it on my own, Ford!” Charlie snapped back. As usual, Charlie’s temperature was rising, barking out what he thought was a witty reply. “Ford, you’re stupid.”

  Ford listened closely as his father got briefed on the details of his backseat ride. The boys had talked previously that wherever they went with their dad, he seemed to have connections and knew plenty of people. Because of his connections, the two brothers were able to explore the fighter squadron Ready Room, fly the simulators, see some air-to-air missiles, and climb all over an aircraft cockpit. It was going to be a special treat to watch Dad do some high-speed touch and go maneuvers outside.

  Two more “WHHHOOSHHH” sounds were heard within seconds of each other as fast-burners went over the runways once more. The roars sounded exhilarating to all of them.

  Ford stood as patiently as he could while his dad adjusted his G-suit. Arrangements were made for Ford and Charlie to remain in in the hangar and watch, assigned to their escort pilot, callsign “Frog.” The expected roar of the jet aircraft starting their twin engines outside on the flight line made both Ford and Charlie get more animated by the minute. Like any young men, they treasured playing with dirt, seeing wild animals, exploring the woods, and now, hearing and feeling outlandish airplanes start their engines.

  “Dad, Charlie has no idea how to wear his flight gear,” Ford told him, huffing.

  Chad was putting his kneeboard in his helmet bag and glanced down at Ford with a smirk and tilt of his head.

  “Daddy, what’s a ‘dumb ass’? Ford just called me that.”

  “Take it easy, Ford, understand?” Chad said, nodding at Ford. “One day, the only thing you’ll have is each other. Charlie, we’ll get it, don’t worry about what he said to you,” Chad told him, shooting a stern look at Ford. “Come, Charlie. Let me help you out.”

  “EEERRRRRRROARRRR…WHOOSHHHH.” This growl was different than the previous ones, and it made a heck of an impression. A deafening grumble, much deeper and stronger and longer. The imposing machine, whatever it was, just sped outside.

  Chad raised his eyebrows at the unique sound. “Different, eh, boys? I bet that was a Habu bird coming back. An SR-71 Blackbird.” Chad shook his head. “You never forget that sound. I happen to know the backseater. How about we look at that jet afterwards? It’s one of the last flights ever of the jet before they retire her.”

  It seemed like a good idea, but the boys had no idea what an SR-71 jet was. “What’s an S-R seventy…Blackbird?” asked Charlie, but he didn’t get a response.

  Charlie stood, his flight suit dragging along the floor. “We’ll roll your arms and legs up. Like this,” Chad said, fixing each limb of the suit so his son wouldn’t trip.

  An airman wearing a green woodland camouflage uniform walked over and gave them ea
ch a colorful squadron patch for their flight suits, complete with Velcro backing that enabled the patches to be worn instantaneously. The boys looked the pilot part now despite their boyish heights, both struggling to keep their flight helmets level on their innocent heads.

  Ford also liked the way he felt in the squadron, a sense of belonging. Teamwork. All these guys were working to help him. No one ever did that at my school. And I like the way the cockpit looked, all those cool gauges and buttons. Shooting bad guys!

  “Dad, I want to fly one day. When I grow up, I want to be a pilot,” young Ford announced, impressed by what he saw around him. He wasn’t that sure about it but blurted out his idea anyway.

  “They’re never gonna let you fly, Ford. You can’t even get a B in science,” Charlie said.

  That one hurt Ford, but he knew he deserved it.

  Ford immediately turned to stare Charlie down and leaned over behind Chad to smack him in the head with his hand. Charlie moved suddenly to avoid the hit, and his own flight helmet fell below his eyes. Embarrassed, he quickly put his hand up to adjust the helmet so he could see.

  “You wait until you get home and Dad isn’t around. I’ll be a pilot if I want to,” Ford replied defensively.

  Charlie looked down at the tiles as his father put his arm around his shoulder and gave him a little hug. “Hey, cut the crap, boys.” Chad squinted his eyes a little bit at Ford, then watched the flight line.

  Down the cement tarmac a few hundred yards away was an F-4 Phantom II at the beginning of the runway and holding. Both Charlie and Ford listened and watched the jet, then looked up at their dad, almost seeking his endorsement.

  Chad finished straightening both of their flight suits one last time, ensuring they fit well enough while he was out flying. He gave them each a bear hug while taking a knee.

  “Boys, if you want to fly, you need to write down your goals. The guys I’m with today are the real deal. This is the NFL of aviation. The best of the best. You can see all this high-end equipment,” Chad told them, waving his arm around the flight line. “These jets are super expensive, and the Air Force spends a lot of money to train the pilots to fly them. But if you guys concentrate on your schoolwork and write out your goals, you can do it. You’ll be able to fly one day.” Chad inserted two yellow earplugs to protect his eardrums from the roar of the aircraft, while he was confident the kid’s ears would be protected at this distance.