80 Percent Luck, 20 Percent Skill Audiobook By Ralph Alshouse cover art

80 Percent Luck, 20 Percent Skill

My Life as a WWII Navy Ferry Pilot

Preview
LIMITED TIME OFFER

3 months free
Try for $0.00
Offer ends July 31, 2025 at 11:59PM PT.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 3 months. Cancel anytime.

80 Percent Luck, 20 Percent Skill

By: Ralph Alshouse
Narrated by: Tom Lennon
Try for $0.00

$0.00/mo. after 3 months. Offer ends July 31, 2025 at 11:59PM PT. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $14.95

Buy for $14.95

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use, License, and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

"My favorite part was when his wingmen told him he was trailing smoke, that somewhere in his airplane, there was a fire. 'Paul and Russ agreed to do the radio work just when my radio died. The receiver-transmitter is behind the pilot’s seat. I knew where the fire was.' No fluff, no BS, no emotion. And he saved the airplane." –Mark A. Hewitt, bestselling author of the Duncan Hunter Thriller (aviation) series

A post-Depression 11-year-old farm boy sees a Piper Cub for the first time and chases the dream of being a pilot.

When war breaks out, Ralph T. Alshouse does the unthinkable-he leaves the family farm to enlist in the Navy and as one of a handful of high school graduates, was accepted as an Aviation Cadet and eventually won U.S. Navy Wings of Gold.

After flight school, he was assigned to one of the most labor-intensive jobs in the Navy-to test and deliver Navy operational aircraft from the factories in the U.S. and Canada to destinations and ports of embarkation on the East and West coasts. Over a two-year period, Ensign Alshouse delivered 146 aircraft for the war effort and had a military record of 13 forced landings; from landing a Corsair on fire over Pittsburgh to getting hit by lightning in Douglas, Arizona. Two engines failed in flight resulting in two dead stick landings. He flew over 28 types of Naval Aircraft; from the smallest, a Piper Cub ambulance, to the biggest, a B-24; to the fastest, a Corsair.

This is his remarkable story of luck and skill as a Naval Aviator.

©2023 Black Rose Writing (P)2023 Black Rose Writing
Military Military & War Wars & Conflicts World War II Aviation War US Air Force Air Force

Listeners also enjoyed...

The Nazi Hunters Audiobook By Damien Lewis cover art
The Nazi Hunters By: Damien Lewis
FDR, Dewey, and the Election of 1944 Audiobook By David M. Jordan cover art
FDR, Dewey, and the Election of 1944 By: David M. Jordan
Exit Wounds Audiobook By Lanny Hunter cover art
Exit Wounds By: Lanny Hunter
Lightning Sky Audiobook By R. C. George cover art
Lightning Sky By: R. C. George
Never Mind, We'll Do It Ourselves Audiobook By Alec Bierbauer, Col. Mark Cooter USAF (Ret.), Michael Marks cover art
Never Mind, We'll Do It Ourselves By: Alec Bierbauer, and others
Dangerous Lessons and Guardian Angels Audiobook By P. J. Spivack cover art
Dangerous Lessons and Guardian Angels By: P. J. Spivack
Escape from Mariupol Audiobook By Adoriana Marik, Anne K. Howard cover art
Escape from Mariupol By: Adoriana Marik, and others
Agent Garbo Audiobook By Stephan Talty cover art
Agent Garbo By: Stephan Talty
Making Jack Falcone Audiobook By Joaquin "Jack" Garcia, Michael Levin cover art
Making Jack Falcone By: Joaquin "Jack" Garcia, and others
Berlin Diary Audiobook By William L. Shirer cover art
Berlin Diary By: William L. Shirer
Treason Flight Audiobook By T.R. Matson cover art
Treason Flight By: T.R. Matson
War's End Audiobook By Maj. Gen. Charles W. Sweeney, James A. Antonucci - contributor, Marion K. Antonucci - contributor cover art
War's End By: Maj. Gen. Charles W. Sweeney, and others
The Last Zero Fighter Audiobook By Dan King cover art
The Last Zero Fighter By: Dan King
Rattler One-Seven: A Vietnam Helicopter Pilot's War Story Audiobook By Chuck Gross cover art
Rattler One-Seven: A Vietnam Helicopter Pilot's War Story By: Chuck Gross
Damn Lucky Audiobook By Kevin Maurer cover art
Damn Lucky By: Kevin Maurer
Nerves of Steel Audiobook By Captain Tammie Jo Shults cover art
Nerves of Steel By: Captain Tammie Jo Shults
An Officer, Not a Gentleman Audiobook By Mandy Hickson cover art
An Officer, Not a Gentleman By: Mandy Hickson
The Vietnam Air War Audiobook By Colonel Dennis M. "Mike" Ridnouer cover art
The Vietnam Air War By: Colonel Dennis M. "Mike" Ridnouer
Surprised at Being Alive Audiobook By Robert F. Curtis cover art
Surprised at Being Alive By: Robert F. Curtis
Mustang Ace: Memoirs of a P-51 Fighter Pilot Audiobook By Robert J. Goebel cover art
Mustang Ace: Memoirs of a P-51 Fighter Pilot By: Robert J. Goebel
Most relevant  

Listener received this title free

This book was so interesting for me. I had no idea about the path of becoming a Navy pilot.

So interesting

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.