Have Blue Sky has depended on far greater expertise than just my own. The many friends I have consulted, as well as others I have met along the way while writing this novel, have served as both a sharpening-stone, and a reality check on the story I wanted to tell.
To start, let me put a placeholder right here, up front, for the eventual name of an agent, an editor, and a publisher. I look forward to adding them to these acknowledgements once Have Blue Sky successfully emerges on the downwind side of the publishing process.
I am deeply grateful to four of my fellow F-117 pilots who shared their stories with me in great depth and detail. Deserving particular recognition are Rich “T-Pup” Treadway (Bandit 336) for the descriptions of his combat missions in Iraq; Greg “Flounder” Friedman, USN (Bandit 535) for the descriptions of his combat missions in Serbia; Joe “T-Bag” Salata (Bandit 295), for the descriptions of his combat missions in both Iraq and Serbia; and Mark “’Edator” Dougherty (Bandit 168) for his descriptions of flying the F-117 as part of the initial cadre.
I would like to thank Dale Zelko (Bandit 338) for sharing the experience with his fellow Bandits of being shot down and rescued during Operation Allied Force; Steve “Guz” Guzek (Bandit 515) for his descriptions of the initial plans to bomb the crash site of Dale Zelko’s jet in Serbia; Adam “Stiffler” Quale (Bandit 665) for his description of flying in the Dubai air show in 2005; Jack “Ripper” Forsythe (Bandit 460) for his description of the last 4-ship flight to Tonopah in 2008; Ajrn “Munk” Paulson (Bandit 549) for the description of his “Silver Star Night” mission over Belgrade; and Greg “Blower” Sembower (Bandit 351) for his description of flying the last jet out of Tonopah when the F-117s moved to New Mexico in 1992.
I have also woven into the novel the experiences – some large, some small – of several of my fellow Bandits, based on my memories of the experiences we shared. They include Clint Hinote (Bandit 567); Denny Larsen (Bandit 154); John Snider (Bandit 529); Sam Johnson (Bandit 537); Paul Driver (Bandit 570); Bryan Knight (Bandit 437); Randy Eckley (Bandit 458); Greg Feest (Bandit 261); Bill Lake (Bandit 252); Kurt Cichowski (Bandit 452); Joe Corso (Bandit 532); our F-117 Electronic Warfare Officer Jim Carnahan; Mace Carpenter (Bandit 499); Christina Szasz Beck (Bandit 671); Cole Seckman (Bandit 255); Ken Tatum (Bandit 527); Angelo Eiland (Bandit 364); and Don Temple (Bandit 695).
I would like to extend a special thanks, and my deep gratitude, to the “Last Bandit” Dave Goldfein (Bandit 708), for his friendship and his leadership – both as wing commander of the 49th Fighter Wing, and later as the 21st Chief of Staff of the Air Force.
In addition to the Bandits, several other pilots helped enormously with this project.
Bobbi “Flash” Doorenbos (one of the first women to fly the F-16), graciously agreed to share her experiences with me of going through pilot training in 1993 just as the policy changed to allow women to fly fighter jets. The description in the novel of Bobbi arm wrestling Robin Olds on the night she graduated from pilot training is, in fact, 100% true.
In addition to “Flash” Doorenbos, I would like to thank several members of the Chick Fighter Pilots Association who have helped me capture their voices and experiences, including Michelle “Timber” Kilgore, Heather “Lucky” Penney, Jessica “MACH” Boss, Jaina “Jeckel” Donberg, Kristin “Howler” Wehle, and Staci “Rio” Landers. Their voices serve as the foundation for the conversations that occur among the women fighter pilots in Have Blue Sky.
Michelle Ruehl, an Air Force pilot and previous professor of English at the Air Force Academy, provided key feedback in the development and improvement of the early drafts of the novel. I am deeply grateful for her assistance.
Wes Spurlock, a KC-135 pilot, and the former Squadron Commander of the 344th Air Refueling Squadron, provided crucial insight and feedback on in-flight air refueling.
Every aviator loses friends over the course of their flying career. I am glad to have the opportunity in Have Blue Sky to remember several fallen comrades, including Melanie Gillan, Dave Buteau, Tamara Archuleta, Lonnie Ledet, George Boudreaux, Ross Mulhare, and Dan Holt.
“Throw a nickel on the grass…” If you are not sure what that means, ask a fighter pilot friend.
For their assistance helping me understand the workings of a newsroom I would like to thank Robert Pondiscio (formerly with USA Today); Mark Thompson (formerly with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Knight-Ridder Newspapers, and Time Magazine); Bob Cox (formerly with The Bakersfield Californian); Kathy Freeman (formerly with The Bakersfield Californian); Tom Johnson (former Publisher of the Los Angeles Times); George Cotliar (former Managing Editor of the Los Angeles Times); and Cindi Williams (of HCM Strategies).
For their insights into firefighting, I would like to thank Brenda Berkman (former Captain with the FDNY), and Mike Teslar (Cal Fire Firefighter-II retired). I would also like to thank Jess Baker (husband of Kathy Freeman, and former Deputy in the Kern County Sheriff’s Office) who witnessed the crash of the F-117 on the night of July 11, 1986 – and by calling it in, initiating the firefighting response.
I would like to thank Jen Swanson and Bill Frederico for their exceptional support over the past decade, and in particular for helping create and maintain the Have Blue Sky website.
Chef Colleen added flavor to the novel with her descriptions of the meals in the book.
Erin Greb of “Erin Greb Cartography” provided superb support creating the maps, as well as the illustrations of the F-117 aircraft and cockpit, for Have Blue Sky.
Kate Corliss, Sean Church, and Helena Chaves, undergraduates at American University, were essential in helping me polish the writing in the novel. I am deeply grateful for their assistance.
I am indebted to Catherine McKenna for taking me below the surface of the “War in Kosovo” to better understand the underlying currents of history in the Balkans.
Robert Marbut provided me with similar insights regarding the differences between the Taliban and al-Qaeda at the outset of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
Several people have been especially generous with their time and care in helping me craft the characters in Have Blue Sky. Barb Jardee transcribed the interviews I recorded, which subsequently became the rough first drafts of several chapters. Mary Clair Lowrance provided her insights for the discussion about the existence of God. Jaye Sanford shared her memories of 1980s-era TCU football.
Dakota Roberson’s insights into the design and construction of Iranian nuclear reactors was essential in helping me create an accurate description of the target complex in the final climatic scenes of the novel.
Kapil Parakh’s insights about heart failure ensured I got the details right when it came time to describe the fatal heart attack experienced by one of the characters in Have Blue Sky.
I would like to thank the artist Robert W. Moore for painting “The Lone Wolf” on the bomb bay door of F-117 aircraft #816.
I want to thank my favorite reading teacher, Marilyn Moore, for her extensive editing and pithy suggestions to improve both the initial draft, and every subsequent draft, of Have Blue Sky.
Over the past year, as I have prepared to launch Have Blue Sky into the publishing process, a number of friends agreed to read the manuscript and share their thoughts and suggestions, which I have gratefully incorporated.
My faithful readers, and purveyors of the most beautiful medicine – honest feedback – include Bob Roe, first and foremost. In a single one-hour discussion he helped me reorient the original draft of Have Blue Sky from a hodge-podge of memoir, novel, and history, into an actual novel.
Other readers whose feedback has been essential in sharpening the tale include Scott Leslie, Carla Ford, Joel Rush, Braden DeLauder, Kathy Spletstoser, Robert Marbut, Ann Friedman, Barb Jardee, Madeline Gillan, John Wood, Cole Seckman, Cindi Williams, Mort Kondracke, Steve Olson, and Geoff Shepard.
I am profoundly grateful to Rider, Ian, Cassandra, and Anne for having lived so many of the stories told in the novel.
Finally, I would like to thank my wife Stefanie, on whose personality, if not her flying credentials, I have based the character of Eve Riley, the protagonist of Have Blue Sky.