Gunship Pilot: An Attack Helicopter Warrior Remembers Vietnam

Gunship Pilot is an exhilarating action packed book from the first page right through to the epilogue (barring a chapter in the middle when Mr Hartley was between tours).It is the real life story of Bob Hartley, a Cobra gunship pilot in Vietnam who served two tours and covers not only some of the more interesting missions that he flew (and there are lots covered in the book) but also what life was like in Vietnam. Day to day living, errors, misjudgments, fun times, people and more.Mr Hartley has an amazing talent for basically putting you in the front seat of the Cobra whilst he pilots behind you. It really is as if you are there. Written in a very conversational tone with the chapters being fairly short and frequent. This I like as you can pick up the book, read for 10 minutes and get a chapter finished, put the book down and go do something else until you have another 10 minutes to take in another chapter. The big problem however being that once you start reading Gunship Pilot, you won't actually want to put it down.An excellent book about an extraordinary man in extraordinary times. Highly recommended.

Finished it the next days. A real "piece of work," it is just about like a tour or two in Vietnam. It is full of action, has lots of detail so the reader can "see it," has "dart" rockets that result in body counts in the hundreds. It has reality and detail and the routine and flavor of military life (dealing with paperwork and just waiting, and clerks, and "We don't have any of those here" to give readers a great vicarious run. This is a winner. Its almost 400 pages gave me much more than my money's worth. Really impressive. One of the few really outstanding VN-experience books.

I served in the US Army First Cav 2/5 Infantry and was stationed in III Corp. from Feb. 1970 to May 1971. Two months of that time my company was engaged in the Cambodian incursion (Fish Hook area) during May and June 1970. We were supported by the 1/9th Aviation Brigade out of Camp Gorvad at Phuoc Vinh. I had the utmost respect for the support we received from the Army Aviation Units. Their willingness to come to our support and aid in extremely dangerous circumstances was invaluable. I thank the Author Mr. Hartley for writing this story. It gave me a lot of insight into the team work involved for their sucess. Lastly I thank them for saving my life so I could come home on a freedom bird.

In my humble, non-pilot opinion the flat out "best" account of helicopter warfare in Vietnam is "Low Level Hell" by Hugh Mills. But, now there is another account which takes its place alongside it, and it's this book, "Gun Ship Pilot" by Robert F. Hartley. Mill's book is a record of the first of his two tours. In "Gunship Pilot", Hartley is assigned to Mill's unit in the time frame of Mill's second tour, so in in this sense there is some info here regarding Mill's second tour if that would be of interest. IMHOthese two books should be thought of as companion pieces, if you buy or have read one, the other should be your next selection. Highly recommended.

I was a military aviator during the late 60's and early 70's. Reflecting on my experiences, I think that Hartley very well was able to express what we all felt: frustration having to get targets approved, seniors who cared more about their careers than their pilots, great satisfaction when put ordinance on target (and saved a young American life or two)... but, most of all, he well defined the camaraderie of squadron mates... and he got it just right! Semper Fi, CWO-5 Hartley.

To a point this helicopter book was an interesting story; however...... as veteran helicopter in Vietnam (1968 & 1969) I found it somewhat fanciful! Every action involved a number of different forces and units, the Slicks (troop carrying ships) at the lowest altitude, Gunships, providing cover at the next level higher, and lastly the C&C helicopter at the highest altitude. In addition there could be Air Force Spotters and Jet Fighters on station nearby. We flew Combat Assaults (troop insertions) nearly every day and only on occasion did we fly resupply (Hash and Trash) missions. Consequently, the Guns infrequently flew cover for other units. As 1st Platoon Leader (Slicks) and later as the Company Operations Officer it was my responsibility to coordinate each combat assault with either US or ARVN Commanders. Each unit provided cover for each other as needed!Mr. Hartley states in the beginning that his book is a story and NOT of Historical Value. Of that he is correct and yet he writes of his escapades as if it were! I enjoyed his story and found humor in the quantity and content of his exploits

This was an easy to read, low key tale from a guy who put himself on the line, even when he, like so many others, wasn't sure why this country was fighting the Vietnam war. Despite his downplaying his heroism, it comes through and one has to admire his determination to see the job through. He also provides an interesting perspective on the "Vietnamization" of the conflict.

This is an excellent book about the life of a helicopter pilot in Viet Nam. Filled with action, it describes in great detail the missions and equipment used to support them. It covers the very first use of Cobras in the war, along with things they tried out as they learned what worked and what didn't as they adapted use of this incredible aircraft to jungle warfare. I found it to be well written and descriptive, like watching a great Viet Nam movie.

Mr Hartley is one of those veterans who writes with passion, sensitivity and humility. As he clearly states at the beginning of the book, it is compiled from his memory, rather than notes made at the time and, in many respects, is a better read for that.Regrettably, the large number of typos prevent this edition from being what would otherwise be a 5 star recommendation. If you can ignore or just gloss over those typos, the book is a fascinating account from a gifted pilot.For those interested in Vietnam particularly, or combat flying in general, a worthy addition to your library. I hope the author and his wife still enjoy retirement together, goodness knows they deserve it.

This is a very unassuming account of carrying out what must have been arduous and technically difficult operations in a hard country under circumstances that made author doubt the sense of what he was doing there. Very much on a par with Chickenhawk. The author has a genuine style that makes even the least military of us believe we are in the cockpit with him.

Imagine sitting with your grandad by the fire with him telling you war stories, but every now and again, there is a rocket attack or a horrible missile accident. Better than Chicken Hawk (transport) and a little better than Low Level Hell (scout helicopter - recommended) this is exactly what I wanted, but has raised the bar significantly. Some editing problems and a strange font size, but wholeheartedly recommended.

This had several 5 star reviews, so I thought I'd give it a try.Having read a few other military aviation memoirs, this is without doubt very well written. While he does over-use a couple of catch phrases, I guess we all do that in life - and this certainly seems to relate how life was for them.Where technicalities become pertinent, these are explained clearly, yet concisely - and as you read, your knowledge increases, so he doesn't need to repeat himself later in the book, just take the developments forward. There are also just the right amount of 'daily life' insights and personal views.Definitely recommended.Nicely sectioned up for ease of 'pick up and put down' reading (when your own life necessitates action), but you'll soon find it difficult to put down!Only downside of Kindle version is the images came out as postage stamps (compared to some other books), but I was keen to keep reading, so this didn't worry me too much.

Never forget these were mainly boys and many didn't want to be there. Yes they were invaders, but blame their government they are the ones who should be held responsible for crimes against humanity for what they did to the people and the country. If you don't believe me, check out agent orange and how even today it still leads to injury and death.