People, Places & Planes

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MIRANDA CHASE
Recurring Characters
Miranda Chase Autistic IIC, Investigator-in-Charge, for the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board).
Sam and Olivia Chase Miranda's parents
Tanya "Tante" Daniels Miranda's therapist, turned governess after the death of her parents
Holly Harper Former Australian SASR operator. Specialist in structures and explosives.
Mike Munroe Former con-man and FBI stooge. Specialist in human factors.
Jeremy Trahn All around investigator. A young Miranda without the autism
Vicki "Taz the Taser" Cortez US Air Force colonel. Specialist in operations and military planning.
Andrea "Andi" Wu Former US Army 160th "Night Stalkers" helicopter pilot. Specialist in rotorcraft.
General Drake Nason Former US Army 75th Rangers. Now 4-star general Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
President Roy Cole President of the USA.
General Elizabeth "Lizzy" Grey Former US Air Force combat pilot. Director of the NRO, National Reconnaissance Office. Wife of General Drake Nason.
Clarissa Reese Director of the CIA.
Miranda's Recurring Places
US Map
Spieden Island - home to Buchman's Miranda Chase
Miranda's Personal Aircraft
Mooney M20V Acclaim Ultra

M20V Acclaim Ultra © Mike Burdett (Miranda's father's plane)
Sabrejet F-86


F86 Sabrejet © USAF (gift to Miranda in short story "Honor Flight")
Cessna Citation M2

Cessna Citation M2 © YSSY Guy (Long-term loan from Cessna for testing)
MD902 Explorer

MD-902 Explorer © Fae (purchased for use by Andi Wu)
TWA 800 747 Jet

TWA 747 N993119 during better times © Fae
TWA 800 747 jet - reconstructed

Reconstructed TWA 800 fuselage © NTSB
Drone
Major Characters (by Last Name)
Chang Mui Zuocheng's granddaughter
Chen Mei-Li high-end Chinese sex worker
Terence Graham NTSB Investigator-in-Charge, head of training
General Oswald Harrington commander of Groom Lake, NV
Cal Jefferson drone pilot and Remotes baseball player
Sergeant Oscar Lamont driver for General Nason
General Liú Zuocheng vice chairman of CMC, Central Military Commission
Major Carl Maxwellton drone pilot, Remotes baseball player
General Fitzgerald Patrick director of NRO, National Reconnaissance Office
General Peng Yan Chinese, head of Equipment Development Department
Colonel Helen Thomas Number Two in command, Groom Lake, NV
Major Wang Fan Chinses J-31 pilot
Lt. Colonel Harvey Whitmore drone pilot
Clark Winston Director of CIA
General Zhang Ru Wang Fan's wife's uncle
Places
China map
Aircraft
Gulfstream Sukhoi supersonic model

Model of canceled Sukhoi Gulfstream S-21 supersonic bizjet © Pjedavj (inspiration for the Casper drone)

Chinese J-31 fighter jet

Shenyang J-31© wc

Hercules C-130

C-130 Hercules © USAF

F-35 Lightning II

F-35 Lightning II © USAF

Huey helicopter

TH-1H Huey © USAF

OH-58 Kiowa helicopter

Kiowa OH-58 © Robert Frola (the "small helo")

Book Club Questions
1. Miranda has a new team foisted upon her. Have you ever had a similar experience? How did you make it work? What would you do the same and what do you wish you'd done differently?
2. A common theme in Buchman's work are the circles of trust. How do you think of trust at the family, individual, team, friends, work, country, or societal level?
3. Miranda is a very one-focus gal. If you were an autistic with a single, overarching Special Interest, what would it be? What would it be if time and money weren't an object?
4. The pilots in Drone give their all for one great passion. What is there that you would give anything to have or do? Is there a way to start doing even a little of it now?
5. What about the reading experience most matched your expectations? What matched the least?
6. What about the characters most matched your expectations? When did they surprise you?
7. If you were to cast these characters in a movie, who would play what parts? Use the form below to send your cast to M. L. and he'll send you his.
Thunderbolt
Major Characters (by Last Name)
Lieutenant William 'Billy / Poet' Blake Eglin AFB pilot (A-10)
Colonel Arturo Campos Commander of the 355th Wing at Davis-Monthan AFB
Jenny 'Daemon' Curtiss Rouge hacker for hire
Heidi 'Witchy Lady' Geller Head of CIA Cyber Security department
Sergeant Oscar Lamont Nason's driver
Senator Hunter Ramson Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee
Rose Ramson Wife of Senator Ramson
Harry 'Wizard Boy' Tallman Head of CIA's Cyber Attack Division
Places
Map of Korea
s
Aircraft
A-10 Warthog fighter jet

A-10 Warthog face on (Robert Sullivan)

MH-47 Chinook in flight

MH-47 in flight

MQ-9 Reaper drone

MQ-9 Reaper (USAF Staff Sgt Brian Ferguson)

Captured RQ-170 drone

RQ-170 Drone - captured and displayed in Iran (FARS News)

MiG-29 Fulcrum fighter jet

MiG-29 Fulcrum Bundeswehr-Fotos

Su-57 Felon fighter jet

Sukhoi Su-57 Felon (Anna Zvereva)

F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet

F-15E Strike Eagle (USAF Staff Sgt Sean Carnes)

Syberjet

SyberJet SJ-30 (Bernal Saborio)

Book Club Questions
1. Hacking has become a fixture in our society. Where would you rate it on the spectrum of crimes?
2. Are the final actions of "White Hat" hackers (Heidi and Harry) against a "Black Hat" hacker (Daemon) justified?
3. What is the role of justice vs. vigilantism in our society? Is the latter ever justified?
4. Jeremy feels terrible guilt (Buddhism's "Second Arrow") over something he almost did. Have you ever done anything that caused you to plunge in your own Second Arrow of guilt? If so, what have you found helps you remove that self-inflicted emotional pain?
Condor
Major Characters (by Last Name)
Gregor 'Monster' Federov Senior designer at the Progress Rocket Space Center
Major Elayne Kasprak Russian SVR / Zaslon agent-saboteur
Diayu General Zhang Ru's receptionist
Tim & Tom USAF 24 STS Air Combat Controllers
Vesna Waitress at Tantsy Bobor Club, companion of Grego Federov
Places
US Map
Asia map
Aircraft
An-124 Condor

AN-124 Condor (Greg Goebel)

An-124 loading DSRV

AN-124 Condor loading DSRV (US Navy)

C-5 Galaxy

C-5 Galaxy (Roland Balik)

C-5 Galaxy loading helicopter

C-5 Galaxy loading helo (USAF)

Su-25 Trainer

Su-25UT (Su-28 trainer) (MSgt Dave Casey)

Book Club Questions
1. Our nations spend billions, hundred of billions, on weapons of war (ships, jets, spy satellites, etc). Is it justified? Discuss how this massive escalation cycle might be mitigated.
2. Elayne Kasprak takes drastic actions to protect Russian assets (the helicopter transport plane she destroys). Holly Harper takes equally drastic action to steal the Russian Persona satellite. Are both of them justified? Are either of them justified?
3. Imagine that you are the Wright Brothers, who have just achieved the first airplane flight. Now imagine you are standing in this story's C-5 Galaxy transport jet, whose cargo bay is as long as your entire first flight. How do you think they would react? Awe, horror...
4. What is something in your life that has affected you that way?
5. Holly fights a physical battle. Have you ever been in one? What was most surprising about it?
Ghostrider
Major Characters (by Last Name)
Technical Sergeant Rosa Cruz Ghostrider laser operator
Captain Ronny 'Gutz' Gutierrez Copilot of AC-130J Ghostrider
Master Sergeant Pierre 'Frenchie' Jones Crew of AC-130J Ghostrider
General Jorge Jesus 'JJ' Martinez USAF Pentagon - Aircraft acquisitions
Major Mark 'Tango' Torres AC-130J Ghostrider pilot
Jeffrey Vance Brett's 9-year-old son
Places
US Map
Aircraft
C-130J Ghostrider

AC-130J Ghostrider, note side-pointing weapon barrels (USAF)

C-130J Ghostrider main gun

AC-130U Spooky interior guns (USAF)

Book Club Questions
1. General Martinez and Taz declare a direct and personal war on drug lords. Is this the answer? If it was completely up to you, how would you run the "War on Drugs"? Militarize everything? Legalize everything? Unleash Special Operations in foreign countries?
2. For Taz, all life is a battle to be fought. To Jeremy, it is all about cooperation and collaboration. What is your own place on that spectrum and how does it help/hurt you?
3. Following orders of a superior officer can mean life or death in the military. General Elizabeth Gray chooses to forgive Rosa for actions Rosa knew were illegal but performed at the order of her commanding officer. Was this right?
4. Jeremy draws a very specific moral line at what he will and will not do, even at the risk of his and Mike's life. What choice would you have made? What was a moral-based choice you made in your life and how did that change you?
Raider
Major Characters (by Last Name)
Colonel Josh Abrams Air Force Two commander
General Ersin Firat Turkish commander of hacker team
General Arkin Kavanaugh USAF weapons systems acquisition
General Barry Sizemore USAF weapons systems acquisition
Colonel Stimson Commander of the Night Stalkers 160th SOAR
Major Jon Swift USAF Accident Investigation Board investigator
General Helen Thomas Commander of NTTR
Asli Onur's sister, Metin's love interest
Metin Turkish Hacker
Onur Turkish Hacker, Metin's best friend
Places
Turkey map
Aircraft
C-12 Huron Janet Airlines

USAF Janet Airlines C-12A Huron (Tomas Del Coro)

S-97 Raider helicopter

S-97 Raider (Robert Sullivan)

SB-1 Defiant

SB-1 Defiant (Sgt Dana Clarke)

C-32 (Air Force Two) 

C-32A Air Force Two (Sam Meyer)

F-16 Fighting Falcon

F-16 Fighting Falcon (USAF)

F-18 Strike Eagle

F-18E Strike Eagle (USN)

Book Club Questions
1. Have you ever met someone with PTSD? Discuss what they were like, how they reacted? Were they changed if you knew them before and after?
2. Do you have something that you react to, that you simply can't help? (Ex. When I was a kid, some "friends" sicced the Doberman on my. I love dogs, but I've been afraid of Dobbies ever since.) What are you doing to change that reaction? (I force myself to pet each Dobbie I meet, because it wasn't the dogs fault.)
3. Holly completely mistakes Mike and Andi's relationship in the beginning, with amusing results. Have you ever been in a similar situation and were you able to laugh afterward?
4. Asli gives Metin a simple guide that changes his life, "Would you be willing to tell me what you did if you were allowed to?" Another version of this is: "If was in the newspaper, would you be okay with that?" What guideposts do you use when weighing a questionable action in your mind?
Chinook
Major Characters (by Last Name)
Chang Mui Daughter of General Liu Zuocheng
Mei-Li Chen Former sex slave of General Zhang Ru
General Liú Zuocheng Co-vice-chairman CMC
Captain Debbie Smithey MH-47G Chinook pilot
Staff Sergeant Bob Wang Night Stalkers helicopter mechanic
Wang Daiyu General Zhang Ru's wife
General Zhang Ru Member of CMC
Max Wildfire hotshot sawyer, friend of Taz Cortez
Places
Washington State Map

 Map Taiwan

Aircraft
AC-130J Ghostrider gunship

AC-130J Ghostrider, note side-pointing weapon barrels (USAF)

MH-47 Chinook helicopter

MH-47G Chinook (DoD)

UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter

UH-60L Blackhawk over Iraq (USAF)

Osh Kosh Striker fire truck

Osh Kosh Striker (John Murphy)

J-20 Dragon 

J-20 Mighty Dragon (N509FZ)

Book Club Questions
1. China and the US are in a battle of wills (and hopefully that's all they're still in when you're reading this). How do you think Taiwan specifically  and US-China relations will play out? How do you think they should play out?
2. Have you ever served or even been to a military airshow? If so, tell others about it. What you saw, your impressions, how it altered your view of the military.
3. General Zhang Ru is a heinously entitled and abusive man. If you were creating a justice system from scratch, how would you punish him and those like him?
4. Spoiler: Taz returns from the dead. She is the ultimate survivor but is forced by her resurrection to consider her past deeds. She remains convinced that she only deserved the worst future. What assumptions do you make about your own future? How might you change them?
Havoc
Major Characters (by Last Name)
Director Gavin Chalmers CIA Middle East desk
Captain Quint Dermott Airbus copilot
Captain Dani Evers Airbus pilot
Kurt Grice Head of CIA Special Operations Group
Eli Jackson President of Australian airline
Ernie Maxwell CIA agent in charge of Diego Garcia black site
Paola Ortiz South American coup leader, escape from Diego Garcia black site
Places
Map South Pacific
Map Diego Garcia
Map Syria
Aircraft
Airbus A330 in Quantas livery

Airbus A330-300 in Quantas livery (Masakatsu Ukon, Quantas)

KC-135 refueling 

KC-135 Stratotanker refueling F-16 (USAF)

C-21A Learjet 

C-21A Learjet (USAF)

C-37B Gulfstream

C-37B Gulfstream USCG (Maarten Visser)

C-17 transport jet

MC07-C-17 USAF (Namret)

C-40B

C-40B (Jeff Gilbert)

HC-130J Hercules

HC-130J Hercules (Silva-USCG)

Dassault Falcon 7X

Dassault Falcon 7X (Steven Byles)

Book Club Questions
1. Holly acts before she thinks. Mike thinks before he acts. Jermy feels before he thinks. Taz acts and struggles not to think. Andi feels before she acts. And Miranda...is Miranda. Which one are you? And why? How does it affect your life?
2. What's the most exotic place you've ever been? How did it affect the way you look at where you live?
3. Have you ever stood at the grave of someone you knew, loved, or were related to? How did it change your view of your own life?
4. Everyone Miranda comes in contact with rises to their best self through no conscious effort of her own (well, except Elayne Kasprak). How do you think meeting Miranda would influence you?
White Top
Major Characters (by Last Name)
Rick Danziger Head of President Cole's Secret Service team
Sarah Feldman National Security Adviser
Heidi Geller Head of CIA Cyber Security Division
Major Tamantha Jones Marine One pilot
Colonel Blake McGrady Commander HMX-1
Harry Tallman Head of CIA's Cyber Attack Division
Places
Maryland map
Aircraft
VH-92A Marine One helicopter

VH-92A 'Marine One' (USMC)

Cessna C208 Caravan

Cessna C208 Grand Caravan (Markus Eigenheer)

DHC-6 Twin Otter

De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter Float Plane (Leonard G)

E-4B Nightwatch

E-4B Nightwatch (SSgt Michael Haggerty)

UH-60L Black HAwk

UH-60L Blackhawk over Iraq (USAF)

AH-1Z Zulu gunship

AH-1Z Viper (US Marines)

Book Club Questions
1. In 2010 the US Supreme Court declared that corporations were people. They've gained a lot of rights since, including in 2023 the right to vote in a municipal election in Delaware. Many near-future stories in speculative fiction discuss corporations becoming a law unto themselves. Is that tipping point already here?
2. It has been a long time as of this writing (thankfully) since the US has lost a President or Vice President while in office. Think about the recent administrations. How do you think the country would be different if one or the other was killed?
3. The innocent victims on the ground killed by the White Top crash, had no warning. One moment they were going about their lives and the next they were dead. If you had a moment's warning, what last choice, act, thought would you have?
4. Would there be any regrets? If so, are they something you could find a way to fix now?
5. Which is a worse crime, foreign or domestic terrorism? Or a US drone attack on a foreign actor? Discuss this from all the various points of view.
Start the Chase
Places
US Map
Australia map
Aircraft
Beech Bonanza

Mike's Beech Bonanza (Arpingtone)

Bell 429

Andi's Bell 429WLG (Eric Salard)

Book Club Questions
1. Each of these origin stories focus on a seminal moment in the characters' lives. And how they interpreted those changes to move forward in their lives. Discuss each of them: Miranda, Holly, Mike, Jeremy, Andi, and Taz. Who might have they become if they'd made different choices?
2. Was there a seminal moment that shaped/changed the course of your own life? Using the form below, send in a sentence each about that person and the change they wrought, and M. L. will send you his.
Lightning
Major Characters (by Last Name)
Lieutenant Commander Penny 'Copper' Brightman Acting Captain of USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier
General Liú Zuocheng Co-vice-chairman CMC
Commander Susan 'Sam' Piazza Navy liaison / troubleshooter
Rose Ramson Wife of Senator Ramson
Colonel Wang Daiyu General Zhang Ru's wife
General Zhang Ru Member of CMC
Sadie Commander Susan Piazza's Shih Tzu
Places
here
Alaska Map
South China Sea Map
Aircraft
KC-46 aerial tanker

KC-46 refuels B-2 Bomber (USAF)

F-35C Lightning II

F-35C Lightning IIs (US Navy)

Citation 500 bizjet

Citation 500 I-SP (Davis Osborn)

Thurman Munson's Citation 500

Thruman Muson's Citation 500 after crash (BAAA)

C-20B jet

USAF C-20B Gulfstream (Pedro Aragao)

C-37 US Coast Guard jet

C-37B Gulfstream USCG (Maarten Visser)

C-2 Greyhound

C-2 Greyhound (US Navy)

Boeing 737 in Chinese livery

Boeing 737-800s in Air China livery (Allen Zhao)

CVN-71 USS Roosevelt

CVN-71 USS Theodore Roosevelt (US Navy)

Book Club Questions
1. China has taken over and militarized much of the South China Sea, ignoring the rights of Vietnam, the Philippines, and others in the region. China sees this as justified by manifest destiny, self-protection, and shortening the route for their access to Middle East oil tankers. All despite the condemnation of the rest of the world, including the UN. How do you think this might shape future trade and conflict?
2. Ultra-high-power laser satellites are (probably) still a thing of the future. Someday that technological hurdle will be crossed as well. Once they're operational, how do you think that might change the nature of conflict? More peaceful, like the anomalous side effect of MAD, Mutually Assured Destruction, that made everyone unwilling to use nukes even at the height of the Cold War? Or more dangerous?
3. Lieutenant Commander Penny Brightman must take over an entire aircraft carrier's operation on no notice. Have you ever had to take on a job or project that was way out of your normal comfort zone? What did you learn by stretching to achieve that goal? Did you succeed, do okay, or not so much? How did that change what you did going forward?
4. Miranda is constantly jerked from one task to the next. To an autistic, this is a personal disaster in the making. Have you experimented with longer focus on a single task vs. attempting to multi-task your life? What did you learn? (How did that change if you were the parent of an infant/toddler?)
5. Send M. L. your favorite dog breeds and why. He'll send you back his.
Skibird
Major Characters (by Last Name)
Bridgette 'Bridg' Cane Davis Station manager
Captain Antony Capra Skibird pilot
Lieutenant Colonel Kurchenko Major Novikov's boss
General Liú Zuocheng Co-vice-chairman CMC
General Mikhail Murov Head of Russian FSB
Captain Fyodor Novikov Transport pilot for AARI, married to Aloysha
Viktor Petrov Progress Station Manager
Colonel Nikolas Romanoff Commander Russian AARI for Antarctica
Oleg 'Ollie' Sidirov Vostok station manager
Colonel Artemy Turgenev Fyodor's commander, works for Romanoff
Freddie Vaughan US Marshal
Colonel Wang Daiyu General Liú Zuocheng's assistant
Aloysha Fyodor Novikov's wife
Barty Head of ATSB (Australian Transportation Safety Board)
Places
Antarctica Map
Aircraft
Ilyushin IL-76

Ukrainian AF Ilyushin Il-76 (Ronnie Macdonald)

C-17 on Antarctic Ice

USAF C-17 US Antarctic Program (Jack Green)

Basler BT-65

Basler BT-65 Kenn Borek Air (D V Wiebe)

Kamov Ka-32A helicopter

Kamov KA-32s helicopter (M Radzi Desa)

LC-130H Skibird

LC-130 Skibird (Sr. Ariman Ben German)

Book Club Questions
1. Russia and China are threatening to walk away from the Antarctic Treaty System that says the continent may not be militarized or use for commercial resources (mining)--only science. Many of the world's past (and future) battles have been over resources, oil being the obvious one (but now also, among many others, the elements needed to make solar panels and long-life high-capacity batteries). Nature has concentrated some of these in a very few countries. Many are under the control of corporate raiders, keeping the governments unstable to take advantage. If the world was yours to order, how would you address this? A globalized version of the ATS?
2. Have you ever been somewhere beyond immediate help? Hiking in the deep woods, driving across the Outback, out on a boat far from land, trapped on the Antarctic ice cap in a missile-damaged airplane? In the moments after a car crash or other accident? How did that experience make you feel? Invigorated to be alive? Terrified? Focused?
3. When Holly gets the call from the Australian Transportation Safety Board, the rest of the team assumes they're going along when she asks. It doesn't occur to her that they might be going for her rather than for the crash. Thinking about your friends, how many would simply assume they were included or could help if you really needed it? Have you thanks them for that recently?
4. Antarctica is very high on M. L.'s bucket list. Not a tourist visit, but living there through at least a season, perhaps a year. (It's an unlikely one now but it's still there on the list.) What's the craziest thing on your bucket list? Have you done anything to make it happen? (Send your bucket list to M. L. and he'll send back his.)
Nightwatch
Major Characters (by Last Name)
Technical Sergeant Doyle Cowell Nightwatch onboard analyst
Kurt Grice Head of CIA Special Operations Group
Director Ernie Maxwell CIA Middle East desk
Captain Romaldo Sanchez Captain of submarine
Sergeant Tamisha Ward Nightwatch onboard analyst
Ching Hui Wu Andi Wu's mother, Head of Wu and Wu Law
Places
Northwest Passage Map
Northeast Passage
Aircraft
CASC Rainbow CH-5

CASC Rainbow CH-5 (Infinity 0)

Cessna 172 Skyhawk

Cessna 172 Skyhawk (Alan Wilson)

UH-60 Black Hawk with firefighting bucket

UH-60 Black Hawk with firefighting bucket (US Army)

E-4B Nightwatch

E-4B Nightwatch (SSgt Michael Haggerty)

YouTube Tour inside E-4B Nightwatch

Click image for YouTube tour inside E-4B Nightwatch

Book Club Questions
1. There are currently about 50,000 cargo ships crisscrossing the oceans. Estimates place 5-8,000 commercial planes aloft at all times. What other "systems" can you think of that are all overlapping on our planet? Trucks, power transmission, radio...
2. The melting of the Arctic ice cap has numerous implications, climate and shipping being only two of them. What others can you come up with?
3. Tech Sergeant Doyle sells out secrets for $50,000. Think up different scenarios: puncture someone's tire, send anonymous flowers to someone else's spouse to make them jealous, sell a state secret (if you had one), etc. Write down from least to most you'd have to be paid to do it. Compare the order you chose with others; discuss the different orders.
4. The reach of drones is now global and their capabilities expand every day (dropping individual grenades in the Ukraine War was revealed just the week before this writing). How have they changed the world, how do you think they'll change it in the next 5-10 years? Send in your ideas and M. L. will send you a brief idea of his own.
Osprey
Major Characters (by Last Name)
Lieutenant Sergei Balakin Copilot of AN-74MP transport plane for AARI
Vice Admiral Burkhart Commanding officer of USS Gerald R. Ford strike group
Ian Faulkner Menwith Hill image analyst (IMINT)
Group Captain Raymond Fielding Co-director Menwith Hill
General Garin Daughter is Russian President's mistress
Garina Russian President's mistress
Captain Natalia Ivanovna Pilot of AN-74MP transport plane for AARI
Samuil and Olya Mironova Miranda's parents names in Russia (Samuel and Olivia Chase)
General Mikhail Murov Head of Russian FSB
Commander Josh 'Viking' Osborne RAF helicopter pilot
Major Alexej Pronichev Commander of Gromovo Air Base
Lieutenant Colonel Shirinov General Turgenev's assistant
Major General Artemy Turgenev Artic and Antartic operations, ARRI
Inessa Turgeneva Wife of Artemy Turgenev
Astrid Underwood Menwith Hill Director of Operations
Captain Dave Walsh Pilot CMV-22
Places
Map of North and Baltic Sea
Aircraft
MV-22 Osprey titlrotor

MV-22 Osprey titlrotor (US Navy)

Royal Navy AW101 Merlin

Royal Navy AW101 Merlin (Arpingstone)

AgustaWestland AW109SP Grand New

AgustaWestland AW109SP Grand New (Robert Frola)

Russian Border Guard Antonov An-72P

Russian Border Guard Antonov An-72P at Vladivostok Airport (Fedor Leukhin)

Cheburashka and Gena the Crocodile

Cheburashka and Gena the Crocodile - 25 ruble coin

Antonov An-72 Cheburashka looking like the character

Antonov An-72 Cheburashka looking like the character (Kirill Naumenko)

Embraer Phenom 100

Embraer Phenom 100 (JBabinski380)

Sukhoi Su-57 Felon

Sukhoi Su-57 Felon (Anna Zvereva)

Citation 700

Citation 700 (ZLEA)

Citation 700

Citation 700 security drill - note the emergency exit door - last window ahead of the engine (DanieB52)

USS Mason DDG-87

USS Mason DDG-87 (US Navy)

Book Club Questions
1. Has a friend, relative, or co-worker ever betrayed you? How did that betrayal affect your future trust of others? Or if it didn't, why not? How, if you managed to, did you get past that betrayal?
2. Discuss circles of loyalty: family, friends, community, state, country, global, humankind...
3. The American NSA, UK's GCHQ, and others gather massive amounts of intelligence, including images, phone calls, messaging, etc. They do this to identify terrorist targets and to promote the security of their respective countries. Is this a "necessary evil" or an invasion of privacy?
4. What's your favorite vacation spot? Share and discuss. Maybe trade for next year? Send your answers to M. L. using the form below and he'll send you back his.
Gryphon
Major Characters (by Last Name)
Elene Burduli Pavle Rapava's girlfriend
Klara Dahlberg Swedish accident investigator
Major Ingrid Eklund Swedish Gripen pilot
Commander Kerstin Holmgren Commander of HSwMS Karlstad - Visby-class corvette
CW3 Tad Jobson Ex-Marine helo pilot
Chief Kancheli Head of Georgian Intelligence Service
2*Gen Sandor Kurbanov NATO general
Rolm Lindgren President of LuftSvenska airline
Max Bartender/owner of The Bunker
Valentina "Val" Mills CIA Russia Desk
Pavle Rapava Georgia Intelligence Service analyst
Capt Liisa Salo Finnish F/A-18C pilot
Tamar Chief Kancheli's receptionist
Inessa Turgeneva Wife of Russia FSB general
2*Gen Pierre Vachon NATO general
Places
Europe Map
Georgia detail map
Aircraft
Inverted Saab JAS 39C Gripen

Inverted Saab JAS 39C Gripen (c) Falcon Photography

Unmanned Little Bird (ULB)

Unmanned Little Bird (ULB) - US Marine Corps

Visby-class corvette HSwMS Karlstad

Visby-class corvette HSwMS Karlstad

Book Club Questions
1. Have you ever been in a multi-year relationship that did not include engagement or marriage? Or known someone who has? Discuss the actual or perceived advantages and disadvantages of doing this: emotional, financial, logistical, past history, future fears...
2. What is the most interesting conference you've ever gone to or heard of? If money and time were no object, what conference would you most like to attend? Hint: as part of the research for this book, the author actually attended the ISASI annual conference for professional air-safety investigators. So: cooking, medieval studies, philosophy, knitting, ambulance design...
3. There are so many trust issues in this book. Not only between Mike and Holly, but also Tad, Kurbanov, Max... How do you choose who to trust and not trust?
4. What the most "exotic" recipe that you cook regularly? The author would love to see it (it might end up in some future book!)
Wedgetail

Major Characters (by Last Name)

Tuah bin Musa Captain of Bapa
Grant Felton Flight operations of E-7A Wedgetail
Barty Kirwan Head of ATSB
Rowena McCain Mission commander of E-7A Wedgetail
Benjamin Muntz Head of Special Weapons research Israeli Defense Forces
Nick Nelson Wing commander of E-7A Wedgetail
Adiputera Noor Lieutenant in Singapore Air Force
Julian Osborn Group Captain Royal Australian Air Force
Rachel Yung Police Chief of Royal Malaysian Police Special Branch

Places

Aircraft

E-7A Wedgetail ©Ronnie Macdonald

Dassault Falcon 2000 ©Wost01

Eurocopter AS350 Squirrel ©ComensoliDavide

Reader's Group Questions

  1. What is the most exotic place you've ever traveled? What did you learn from the experience?
  2. Miranda has created her "Spheres" to avoid being overwhelmed. What habits have you created like that? Do they help or hinder? When was the last time you drove a new route to work or the store? Was it just a little unnerving?
  3. An autism therapist said that all of us probably share one or even ten traits with an autistic. She said that there challenge is they've got a hundred or more and they're all turned on all at once. What are some of the things you do that you think might be a shared trait (extra orderliness, particularly deep concentration to exclusion of all else, discomfort in new situations or groups...)? What would it be like if everyone's traits in the group were all going on at once in each of you?
  4. Holly is plagued by the conflict of her origins and their mutation into the need to protect those around her at any cost to herself. Discuss a driving need in your present thinking and try to trace back to its origins.
  5. Andi is constantly misinterpreting signals from Miranda's flat statements and taking them very personally. She's overreactive due to her family and her Army past. What do the other characters consistently misinterpret about each other?

 

 

THE NIGHT STALKERS
Recurring Characters
Pilots
Major Emily Beale DAP Hawk pilot, the first woman of SOAR
Captain Claudia Jean Casperson Little Bird pilot
Major Mark Henderson DAP Hawk pilot, commander of the 5th Battalion D Company
Chief Warrant Lola LaRue CSAR then DAP Hawk pilot
Captain Kara Moretti RPA Avenger (drone) pilot
2nd Lieutenant Patricia "Trisha" O'Malley Redheaded Little Bird pilot and chaos demon
Captain Justin "Cowboy" Roberts Chinook pilot
Captain Archibald "Archie" Stevenson III DAP Hawk pilot
Flight Crew
Sergeant Connie Davis DAP Hawk Crew and Master Mechanic
Sergeant "Crazy" Tim Maloney DAP Hawk Crew and Gunner
Sergeant Keiko "Kee" Smith DAP Hawk Crew and Gunner (Top Sniper)
Master Sergeant "Big" John Wallace Master Mechanic and DAP Hawk crew chief
Warriors
Colonel Michael Gibson Delta Force's #1 soldier
Lieutenant William "Billy" Bruce SEAL warrior, then Delta Force
Other Personnel
Frank Adams Head of President Peter Matthews Secret Service Protection Detail
General Edward Arnson Commander of HMX-1 (Marine One), Mark Henderson's Uncle
Daniel Drake Darlington III Chief of Staff for Peter Matthews, eventually VP for Zachary Taylor
President Peter Matthews President of the US, childhood friend of Emily Beale
General Brett Rogers Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Dilyana "Dilya" Stevenson War orphan rescued by Archie and Kee
Zachary Taylor Vice President of US, eventually President
Recurring Characters: BOOKS 8-11
Pilots
Captain Danielle Delacroix Chinook pilot
Chief Warrant Zoe DeMille RPA Avenger (drone) pilot
2nd Lieutenant Sofia Gracie RPA Avenger (drone) pilot
Lieutenant Rafe "Yank" Grant DAP Hawk pilot
Lieutenant Manfred "M&M" Malcolm DAP Hawk pilot
Major Pete "The Rapier" Napier Chinook pilot and commander of 5th Battalion E Company
Chief Warrant Patty "Boston" O'Donoghue Little Bird pilot
Lieutenant Mick "The Mighty" Quinn Little Bird pilot
Other Personnel
Lieutenant Commander Luke Altman DEVGRU SEAL
Lieutenant Nikita Hayward DEVGRU SEAL
Colonel Cassius McDermott Commander of the 160th Night Stalkers
Sergeant Drake Roman Chinook tail gunner
Places & Book Club Questions
#1 The Night Is Mine Bati Air Base (fictional)
#2 I Own the Dawn Bati Air Base (fictional)
#3 Wait Until Dark Bati Air Base (fictional)
#4 Take Over at Midnight Bati Air Base (fictional)
#5 Light Up the Night Somalia
#6 Bring on the Dusk Azerbaijan
#7 By Break of Day Israel
#8 Target of the Heart Shanghai / Hangzhou, China
#9 Target Lock on Love Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia
#10 Target of Mine Roatán, Honduras
#11 Target of One's Own Senegal & The Dakar Rally (Argentina to Peru)
#A Washington, DC
#B Fort Campbell, KY (at top of B) / 160th Night Stalkers HQ /
Fort Rucker, AL (at bottom of B) Flight Training and base for 5E
#C Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA putative home of the 5D
Dakar Rally from Buchman's "Target of One's Own"

The Dakar Rally Route Map 2012 (Fictionalized for Target of One's Own)

Book Club Questions
These questions range back and forth over The Night Stalkers series as a whole.
1. Emily Beale is the first woman to break the "glass ceiling" to become a pilot for the 160th Night Stalkers. Have you been or known anyone who faced a similar challenge? Was the effort met with success for failure? Try to step back and discuss why.
2. To "get ahead" in a man's world, women must often chose a "role" to play. Read the first four books and consider their roles: 1) Emily Beale - simply be the best, taking on the man one-on-one, 2) Kee Smith - sex as a weapon to get ahead, 3) Connie Davis - taking on the meek "little sister" role even though she's the smartest one in the room, and 4) Lola LaRue - the chaos demon striking out in every direction. Discuss the roles you've taken or seen.
3. Military teams, especially the more elite teams where service isn't for a few tours but rather a career choice, are held together by the "found family" of the team. They become so close, that departure from military service can be either a culture shock or wholly unthinkable. Discuss "found family" in your lives and what is unique about those bonds.
4. Emily Beale, in her own tough way, becomes mother to each successive heroine in the first six books. She goes on to do this in several other series after she leaves the military. Discuss the roles we take among our friends: guide, mentor, student, acolyte, confessor...
5. In the real world, the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (The Night Stalkers) take on two fairly distinct roles. The first is relatively straightforward, delivering elite troops into precise positions at precise times--and getting them back out. The second role is clandestine operations. They were named "black-on-black" missions for the purposes of these novels. It often involves penetrating deep into countries (both enemy and ally) for the advancement of American interests. Discuss this second role and how different people feel about these actions.
6. Dilya is a war orphan rescued in the second novel who continues through much of the series. She exemplifies a far wider crisis that is spanning across all nations. It is driven by famine, war, genocide, and sometimes actively created to use as a weapon against another country. It's can also  be driven by the desire for new opportunities and a better life. Rather than discussing existing border and refugee problems, discuss what you would do if famine, war, genocide... came to your town--tonight, while you were sleeping.
Planes and Other Aircraft
MH-60 DAP Hawk

Do Not Piss Me Off! (now only in black)

Told you not to piss me off!

M-60 Little Bird

Delivering US 75th Rangers

Trisha's "Killer Egg"

MH-47 Chinook

Delivering yet more elite troops

Or SEALs in a boat

 

 

NIGHT STALKERS RELOAD
Returning Characters
Command Personnel
Colonel Emily Beale Night Stalkers commander
Lt. Col. Mark Henderson (ret.)
Michael Gibson former commander of Delta Force
Claudia Casperson Michael's wife and Little Bird pilot
General Cassius McDermott New commander of USASOAC
4* General Edward Arnson Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Archie Stevenson Secretary of Defense
Lt. Col. Trisha O'Malley Night Stalkers assistant commander
Night Stalkers
Rafe "R2" Grant Blackhawk pilot
Julian "3PO" Rickenbauer Blackhawk pilot
Lola Maloney DAP Hawk pilot
Delta Force
Billy Bruce Delta Force liaison, embedded in Night Stalkers
Carla Anderson operator
Kyle Reeves operator
Chad Hawkins operator
Tanya Zimmer operator
Richie Goldman operator
Melissa Moore operator
Guard the East Flank

Characters

Captain Sharelle Vargas DAP Hawk pilot
Captain Troy Ryland DAP Hawk copilot
Jalissa Wright DAP Hawk crew chief
Hans Olsen DAP Hawk crew chief
Michella Perrault Black Hawk pilot
Henderson's Ranch
Chelsea Daniels Horse manager
Julie Larson Best rider and construction
Mac Henderson Ranch owner
Ama Mac's wife
Jodi Jaffe Dog trainer
Stan Corman Dog Trainer
Nathan Gallagher Ranch Chef

Places

Book Club Questions

1. Both Emily Beale and Troy Ryland face a common crisis of family versus career; in their cases one so extreme they can't even occur in the same part of the country. How have you balanced these in your life and what led you to making the decisions that you did? In retrospect, if you're old enough to have retrospect, what do you think of the choices you made?
2. The US is pulling back from being the world's policeman. In the past, we might well have long since put boots on the ground in Ukraine, Israel, and other places. What do you think of this contraction? Better security for us? Or giving rise to a dangerously chaotic world?
3. Have you ever had a calling like our Night Stalkers pilots? Something that you felt driven and perhaps particularly qualified to do? How did that/is that shaping your life and the lives of those around you? If you don't have one, which one do you wish you'd had? Is there a way to pursue that?
4. The military has very strict rules about relationships and not overlapping chains of command. Do you think this policy is good because it prevents an officer from being forced to make hard decisions in dangerous situations? Or should it be dropped so that families are not shredded by different duties often spread far apart?
5. If you could wave a magic wand and make one small change in the world, what would it be and why?

Planes and Other Aircraft

Ka-52 Alligator Ka-27 Helix

 

 

 

 

 

FIREHAWKS
Recurring Characters
Air Crew
Mark Henderson Incident Commander
Emily Beale Firehawk 1 pilot
Carly Thomas Firehawk 1 FBAN (Fire Behavior Analyst)
Steve Mercer Drone pilot
Jeannie Clark MD500 pilot, then Firehawk 2
Cal Jackson Wildfire photographer from Firehawk 2
Vern Taylor Firehawk 3
Gordon Finchley MD500 pilot
Robin Harrow Firehawk 1 pilot
Vanessa Donatella MD500 pilot
Mickey Hamilton Huey Twin 212 pilot
Ground Crew
TJ Former smokejumper, now radio command
Chutes Parachute and supplies specialist
Denise Conroy Head mechanic
Brenna Maxwell Mechanic
Betsy Head of catering
Key Smokejumpers
Johnny "Akbar" Jepps Lead smokie
Two-Tall Tim Harada Akbar's jump partner
Krista Thornson a top smokie
Planes and Other Aircraft
Beech King Air DC-3 jump plane
Firehawk MD500
Huey Twin 212 ScanEagle Drone w/ launch trailer
e
Pure Heat

Places

Book Club Questions

1. Steve Mercer had completely identified himself with what his body could do, rather than what he could do. Have you ever had this happen to you or someone you know? How did you/they get past it?
2. In contrast, Carly's loss is internal (her father and her fiance). She coped by disappearing into her work. What have you/others done?
3. As mentioned in the book, at the time of writing (2012), there were at least 20 known terrorist training camps on US soil. These were only the foreign camps. Today there are probably far more that most of us would as domestic terrorist training centers. Until they act, they are protected by the Bill of Rights. If you could rewrite them, would you? And if so, how?
4. Has anyone in your group experienced or volunteered to help during a natural disaster? What was it like, the good and the bad?
5. Wildland firefighters are passionate about the forest. What was your favorite experience out in nature? What could you do to have another?