Nighthawk One

Recollections of a Helicopter Pilot's Tour of Duty in Northern Ireland during the Troubles

Peter Shaw

• Publisher: Helion and Company
• Year: 2023
• ISBN:
  9781804515082
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Military & Maritime History
• Index: History

Flying light helicopters in Northern Ireland during the Troubles was a dangerous and demanding task. Terrorists were determined to prosecute a campaign against military aircraft operating in South Armagh and beyond, whilst roadside bombs made the security forces dependent on helicopters for surveillance and troop movements. The Westland Gazelle is one of the longest serving and most successful reconnaissance and observation helicopters. Drawing on his experience as a Gazelle pilot during a real time four-month tour of duty, the author describes what it was actually like to fly as a squadron pilot in the fight against terrorism. This book takes you on an aerial odyssey of the province during 1990 when the conflict was at its height. This narrative non-fiction account is unique because previous authors on the subject have not been pilots. The author describes the daily experience of being on the front line operating with different organizations in the security forces and how aerial support contributed toward keeping the peace. With plenty of technical flying content placed in historical context, the book will appeal to both aviation enthusiasts and military historians.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Prologue
• List of Abbreviations
• Introduction
• 1 South Armagh: Bandit Country
• 2 Spinning Up
• 3 Croslieve
• 4 RAF Aldergrove
• 5 Shackleton Shadows
• 6 Bad Guys Rule
• 7 Night Stalkers
• 8 Deadly Down
• 9 All Along the Watchtowers
• 10 Cullyhanna
• 11 City Lights
• 12 The Wild West
• 13 Ops Normal
• Epilogue,March 2022
• Appendix:Early Day Motion
• Bibliography
• Plates