Description:
In 1977, the top-secret prototype of the F-117 stealth fighter--code-named "Have Blue"--took to the skies over Area 51 for the very first time. The legacy of the stealth fighter ever since has been one of mystery, intrigue, and cutting-edge technology.
Have Blue Sky tells the story through the eyes of four individuals whose interactions with the legendary aircraft will alter the course of their lives.
Follow Gina Gibraltar, a young and ambitious reporter who finds herself assigned to cover a mysterious plane crash in the foothills outside Bakersfield, California. Her experience investigating the secret plane sets her on a path that will lead from the press room of the Los Angeles Times to the desert airfields of Saudi Arabia.
Follow Steve DeCarlo as he navigates the complexities of piloting the stealth fighter through both friendly and hostile skies. Steve and Gina's paths first cross when the two square off in a heated interview. But, at the start of 1991, as the UN mandate for Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait approaches, the two discover their antagonism transforming into something entirely different.
Follow Joe Swan, who meets an exchange student from Yugoslavia in college. They marry and have kids. Years later, as a fighter pilot, he will be called upon to drop bombs on the city where his wife grew up.
Follow Eve Riley, a young girl who dreams of becoming a fighter pilot like her father, even though he sneers at her ambition, saying, "Girls have no business being fighter pilots." But when the Pentagon changes the rules in 1993, Eve will become one of the very first women to fly fighters.
Expect turbulence.
Fast-paced, thrilling, and full of history, Have Blue Sky will have readers experiencing the story of the F-117 Nighthawk firsthand through the interweaving narratives of this action-packed and thought-provoking novel.
Brief description:
DAVID MOORE graduated from Duke University and served for more than twenty-five years as a US Air Force officer and fighter pilot. He's flown both the A-10 "Warthog" and the F-117 "Nighthawk" stealth fighter, deploying around the world to more than fifteen countries, including flying combat missions in Serbia during Operation Allied Force. David's career has taken him from fighter cockpits to the Pentagon and the White House.
Following his military career, David worked in the defense industry and later as the executive director of the White House Fellows alumni association.
David is married to Dr. Stefanie Sanford and has three grown children and two grandsons. Have Blue Sky is David's debut novel.
Review Quotes:
"They called it the 'Black Jet, ' and for nine years, it remained unacknowledged. While the world remained in the dark, a small brotherhood of pilots perfected the art of invisible warfare. 'Never' Moore brings the legendary stealth fighter community to life, declassifying the adrenaline, the danger, and the raw reality of combat missions over Baghdad, Belgrade, and beyond. This isn't just history--it's the story of the pilots who lived it. Fight's on!"
--GENERAL DAVID L. GOLDFEIN, USAF (Ret.) 21st Chief of Staff of the US Air Force - Bandit 708
"The ultimate insider's novel: Air Force technologies, unforgettable characters, suspense and action, a story that rings with authenticity. An amazing blend of air power history and great storytelling! David Moore has written what should become a 'can't-put-it-down' classic for all those who believe in our men and women in uniform, a strong national defense, and the allure of advanced technologies! I loved it. One of the best air power novels ever written. I rank it up there with Once an Eagle and Twelve O'Clock High. But Have Blue Sky is more authentic."
--GENERAL WES CLARK, USA (Ret.) Supreme Allied Commander of NATO during Operation Allied Force
"As a female fighter pilot, I identified with Eve, and I loved her resolve, courage, and strength. A fantastic peek behind the curtain of the top secret Black Jet world. This is a must-read for every military aviation fan!"
--COLONEL ANDREA "GUNNA" THEMELY, USAF (Ret.) F-15C pilot
"Have Blue Sky captures the thrill of flight along with the dangers of war in the skies. This book is a must-read for all lovers of aviation, military history, and stories of courage under fire. Reading it made me wish I had become a fighter pilot."
--TOM JOHNSON, former CEO of CNN and former publisher of the Los Angeles Times
"David Moore has written a moving, thrilling, epic love story, with the Ali McGraw role played by the stealth fighter. Have Blue Sky is also a thrill ride as good as the obvious point of comparison, Top Gun, except you'll feel smarter when this ride is over."
--BOB ROE, former Editor-in-Chief of Newsweek
"If you love a high school student, get them Have Blue Sky, a book young men and young women will love, a master class in pursuing your dreams with daring, precision, and passion. Few have piloted our elite stealth fighters--how lucky we are that one of those few is such a gifted writer."
--DAVID COLEMAN, CEO of The College Board
"If you liked Project Hail Mary, you'll love Have Blue Sky. It, too, has an (ultimately) heartwarming story of people coming together to launch a mission, trouble-shoot that mission, and come together to successfully achieve that mission. Add insider aviation insights, family dynamics, winging it in dangerous situations, and you've got a can't-put-it-down page-turner: read it and reap."
--SAM HORN, CEO of The Intrigue Agency and bestselling author
"David Moore's captivating book and riveting tales of these courageous aviators is a must-read for all who wish to better understand what it is like to fly in combat, frequently in the fog of war. The riveting exploits of LT Craig 'Flounder' Fitzroy, USN, and other pilots, delivered with the finest attention to military details by the author, reminds us all how dangerous these missions can be and how bravely these young men and women who serve our nation and the cause of freedom respond in kind."
--CARLOS DEL TORO, 78th Secretary of the United States Navy and Marine Corps
"Read this work of fiction and learn the truths of being a fighter pilot in the age of stealth. With David Moore's Have Blue Sky, you can be there: in the air, at the funerals, inside the families, with the squadrons, as one of the boys, and as decidedly not one of the boys. Be in the mind of the grittiest pilot as Captain Eve Riley flies the most harrowing solo combat mission imaginable...and find your own knuckles turning white."
--ADMIRAL STUART MUNSCH, US Navy (Ret.), former Commander of US Naval Forces Europe and US Naval Forces Africa
"Behind the classified curtain of the Black Jet program lies a world few have ever seen. In Have Blue Sky, retired Air Force Colonel David Moore provides an unfiltered, insider's view of the elite pilots who flew the F-117 stealth fighter. While he mesmerizes with precise descriptions of revolutionary technology, Moore's true strength lies in his intimate portraits of the people behind the oxygen mask. Through profound empathy and masterful storytelling, he bridges the gap between the cockpit and the reader, inviting us into the lives of those entrusted with the nation's most lethal 'silver bullet.' Strap in--it's a great ride."
--LIEUTENANT GENERAL S. CLINTON HINOTE, USAF (Ret.) - Bandit 567
"For years, the F-117 was America's most dangerous secret--invisible, lethal, and flown only by a small brotherhood of pilots in the dark of night. Have Blue Sky is the novel that finally reveals what that world felt like from the inside, including what happens when a woman shows up who is just as determined, just as driven, and even more capable than the men. Robin Olds said a fighter pilot is cocky, aggressive, and driven by a spark--a desire to be the best rather than just the operator of a machine. The men and women who flew the F-117 had all three qualities, which come incredibly to life in this book."
--BRIGADIER GENERAL BOBBI "FLASH" DOORENBOS, USAF (Ret.), F-16 pilot and former Wing Commander of the 188th Wing, Arkansas Air National Guard
"A page-turner and a first-rate primer, Have Blue Sky opened a whole new thrilling--and incredibly REAL--world to me. Based on his experiences flying the earliest stealth fighter jets, David Moore has written an exciting and timely novel about bravery, sacrifice, love, and aviator prowess that can match anything yet seen on a movie screen."
--ANN FRIEDMAN, Founder of Planet Word
"'Never' Moore nailed it! Have Blue Sky is an intriguing story about the most mysterious fighter aircraft ever. I guarantee you will learn things you never knew about the F-117 stealth fighter. It makes me want to fly the Black Jet again."
--LIEUTENANT GENERAL DENNIS LARSEN, USAF (Ret.) - Bandit 154
"Have Blue Sky will resonate with every reader, especially those fortunate few who were associated with the F-117 and the Senior Trend stealth fighter program during the first decade of the plane's existence. The novel's uncanny accuracy captures the essence of our historic special access required program set in a story full of fascinating characters and storylines...all based on real events, people, and history. Finally, we can celebrate now what we couldn't talk about then."
--COLONEL MARK E. DOUGHERTY, USAF (Ret.) - Bandit 168
"Only a select few fighter pilots have earned the callsign 'Bandit'--those who disappeared into the desert as completely as their airplanes vanished from radar. David 'Never' Moore pulls you straight into the black world and straps you into the darkened cockpit of aviation's most secretive weapon: Lockheed's F-117A Nighthawk. The characters are fictional, but the culture is unmistakably real. As a fellow Bandit who's walked the flightline and flown the Black Jet, David's writing transports me back with vivid precision to the F-117's early days--a time when everything except lunch was highly classified. From the Black Jet's first nerve-racking launch to its emotional, era-ending fini flight, Moore's portrayal of the aircraft and its pilots' operational arc is dead-on. Having survived jet fighter combat and Pentagon knife fights, he reveals an underlying truth: the worst dangers rarely appear on the targeting display. Here, quiet decisions--made in routine flight briefings or the White House Situation Room--carry consequences far deadlier than mission planners could anticipate."
--COLONEL RICK GLITZ, USAF (Ret.) - Bandit 210
"David 'Never' Moore has crafted a wonderful and exciting narrative which weaves in the illustrious history of the F-117A stealth fighter. His storyline is a perfect mix of fact and fiction. For the military enthusiast, and especially for a fellow Bandit like myself, the events jump off the page and come back to life!"
--LIEUTENANT COLONEL JOSEPH "TBAG" SALATA, USAF (Ret.), Commander of the 9th Fighter Squadron during Operation Allied Force - Bandit 295
"Great insights from an insider. From combat to daily and weekly life--exactly on target, including the comments from nearly every pilot on first seeing the airplane--'That thing flies?'--and before their first combat mission ('I hope this stealth shit works.'). This book contains the best descriptions of command during combat and peacetime operations, fighter pilot mentality, and combat mindset that I've ever read."
--COLONEL GREG "GT" GONYEA, USAF (Ret.), Ghost Rider 1, 416 Tactical Fighter Squadron Commander during Operation Desert Storm - Bandit 329
"This book truly took me back to my experience flying the F-117. The riveting storyline captivated me, and I found myself unable to stop reading! The correlation to present-day makes it especially meaningful. It not only transports you into the cockpit of the stealth fighter during combat, it also gives some insight into the challenges women face as a member of a predominantly male fighter community."
--CDR GREG "FLOUNDER" FRIEDMAN, USNR (Ret.) Boeing 777 captain - Bandit 535
"On our weekly trips to Tonopah Test Range, I'd read Dale Brown or Tom Clancy. They never captured the excitement of the F-117 program like David 'Never' Moore has. He weaves together fact and fiction to create a page-turning historical novel. Bravo!"
--YANCY MAILES, Official Air Force Historian of the F-117 Nighthawk
"The Top Gun for the stealth generation, Have Blue Sky strips away the mythology to reveal what it really took to fly the F-117. This aviation saga captures both the technical precision and human drama of fighting in the shadows for over twenty-five years. David 'Never' Moore writes with the authority of someone who flew in this world, delivering a story that's part family saga, part military thriller, and entirely authentic."
--JESSICA "MACH" BOSS
"As an aviation enthusiast and pilot, I found the exploration of the birth of stealth technology in this novel to be fascinating. It captures a rich history that I believe even Kelly Johnson, the visionary founder of Lockheed's Skunk Works, would give David Moore's Have Blue Sky a thumbs-up, cleared for takeoff!"
--MAJOR GENERAL ROD LEWIS, PhD, USAF (Ret.)
"Like their plane, Have Blue Sky calls to aviators. David perfectly captures how a pilot's aircraft has a spirit and is an influential character that forever changes their lives."
--LIEUTENANT COLONEL CATHRYN "CJ" YERAGE, C-17 pilot
"Equal parts high-stakes thriller and compelling human drama, Have Blue Sky brings the F-117 Nighthawk to life as a force that tests and transforms everyone in its path. Brilliant writing and sharply drawn characters make the secretive world of stealth aircraft tangible--inside the cockpit and out."
--TED JOHNSON, contributing columnist, The Washington Post
"David Moore (call sign 'Never') creates and captures a story stronger than fiction. No stranger to Blue Skies, he takes us there and beyond."
--MAJOR GENERAL JOHN "VIKING" BORLING, USAF (Ret.)
"Strap yourself into David Moore's Have Blue cockpit and get ready for some white knuckles. Salted throughout with keen insights into military technology and life, it's also not stealthy--unlike the F-117 at the center of this tale--when it comes to high-G maneuvers affecting the heart, either."
--MARK THOMPSON, reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Knight-Ridder newspapers, and TIME magazine from 1979 to 2016
"Colonel 'Never' Moore, USAF (Ret), writes a fascinating account of F-117 historical fiction and US Air Force squadron life, while interlacing real combat experiences, fighter pilot war-time romance, humor and drama, and command leadership trials and tribulations. Have Blue Sky is a must-read for all aviation enthusiasts."
--JR "WOODY" WOOD, Navy F-14 fighter pilot, TOPGUN graduate, 33rd FTS squadron commander, and TW-1 air wing commander
"Most war novels tell you what happened. Have Blue Sky makes you feel what it cost. David Moore flew the most secret airplane in American history, and he has written the novel only he could deliver: a Serbian-born wife who curses her husband out in two languages when she recognizes the bridge he just bombed, a commander who tears up a confession to honor a debt owed to a dead man, a pilot flying alone over Iran on a harrowing top secret mission. You've never read anything like it because, until now, no one has told the story behind the stealth."
--COLONEL MICHELLE RUEHL, PhD, USAF (Ret.) reconnaissance pilot, 191 combat missions over Afghanistan