"Sled Driver" The $300 book you can read for free

[aeromech]

Guys,
If you have any interest in aviation I suggest you download this free .pdf link to the book 'Sled Driver" by Brian Shul. It's an easy read at 142 pages with lots of cool pics that the author shot himself.

http://mirror.xwl.me/Sled%20Driver.pdf


About the author:
Brian Shul (born 1948), is a Vietnam-era USAF attack pilot and a retired major in the United States Air Force (USAF). He flew 212 combat missions and was shot down near the end of the war. He was so badly burned that he was given next to no chance to live. Surviving, he returned to full flight status, flying the SR-71 Blackbird. Major Brian Shul completed a 20 year career in the Air Force. He has written four books on aviation and runs a photo studio in Marysville, California.[1]
Biography

Brian Shul was born in Quantico, Virginia, in 1948. He graduated from Radford High School in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1966 and from East Carolina University in 1970 with a degree in History. That same year he joined the Air Force and attended pilot training at Reese AFB in Texas.

Shul served as a Foreign Air Advisor in the Vietnam War, flying 212 close air support missions in conjunction with Air America. Near the end of all hostilities, his AT-28 aircraft was shot down near the Cambodian border. Unable to eject from the aircraft, Shul was forced to crash land into the jungle. After surviving, he suffered severe burns in the ensuing fireball. Crawling from the burning wreckage, he was finally found and rescued by an Air Force Pararescue team.

He was evacuated to a military hospital in Okinawa where he was expected to die. Barely surviving 2 months of intensive care, in 1974 he was flown to the Institute of Surgical Research at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. During the following year, he underwent 15 major operations. During this time he was told by physicians that he’d never fly again and was lucky to be alive. Months of physical therapy followed, enabling Shul to eventually pass a flight physical and return to active flying duty.

Two days after being released from the hospital, Brian was back flying Air Force fighter jet aircraft. He went on to fly the A-7D, and was then selected to be a part of the first operational A-10 squadron at Myrtle Beach, SC, where he was on the first A-10 air show demonstration team. After a tour as an A-10 Instructor Pilot at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, he went on to instruct at the Air Force’s Fighter Lead-In School as the Chief of Air-to-Ground Academics. As a final assignment in his career, Shul volunteered for and was selected to fly the SR-71. This assignment required an astronaut type physical just to qualify, and Shul passed with no waivers. Shul’s comeback story from lying near dead in the jungle of Southeast Asia, to later flying the world’s fastest, highest flying jet, has been the subject of numerous magazine articles.[citation needed] Shul also made an Air Force safety video titled "Sierra Hotel" (with the title referring to the phonetic alphabet code for the military aviator slang expletive "Shit Hot") where he described his crash ordeal in explicit detail in order to motivate other USAF pilots to be more safety conscious and teaching them how to better survive such incidents.[citation needed]

After 20 years and 5000 hours in fighter jets, Shul retired from the Air Force in 1990 and went on to pursue his writing and photographic interests. In addition to running his own photo studio in northern California, he has authored seven books on flying and flight photography. His first two books (Sled Driver: Flying The World's Fastest Jet[2] and The Untouchables[3]) are about flying the SR-71 Blackbird and give the reader a first-hand account of being in the cockpit of the world’s fastest jet. Shul’s third and fourth books are about America’s air demonstration teams, the Navy Blue Angels, in Blue Angels: A Portrait of Gold,[4] and the Air Force Thunderbirds, in Summer Thunder[5] and contain aerial images which take the reader into the dynamic formations of these world famous teams. In 1997, Shul released his fifth book, Eagle Eyes : Action Photography from the Cutting Edge,[6] which is a collection of his in-flight photos. He has also released special, revised editions of both Sled Driver and The Untouchables.

Shul has spoken at numerous functions nationwide on his experiences.[7] Shul has also been honored as an Outstanding Alumnus from East Carolina University. He owns Gallery One, a photo studio in northern California, and divides his time between writing, photography, public speaking, and backpacking in the high Sierras.[8]

_________________
Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound

[helowrench]

thanks
_________________
Current VWs:
70 bug vert for wifey
73Thing bucket o rust
73 914 1.7
12 Passat 2.5 Highway cruiser

[Malokin Martin]

Why is a recently published book $300?

[aeromech]

I have no idea. Limited edition maybe?

_________________
Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound

[windfish]

[aeromech]

You're welcome
_________________
Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound

[raygreenwood]

Its $300 because it was not a long run in the first place, is out of primary print as of 2001 and is an EXCELLENT book.

The book you are probably seeing is the re-issue of only 3200 books.

I found this note on Amazon from the actual Author:

229 of 238 people found the following review helpful
The Author Speaks
By Brian Shul on January 21, 2002
Format: Hardcover
Dear Sir,
I am the author of Sled Driver, plus several other books that you list. PLEASE make the following corrections. Remove Sheila Kathleen O'Grady's name from the author's line, she was the typist, not an author. Also, there is no such book as The Challenge, also listed under my name. My publisher erroneously gave that to you in hopes it would be done, and it was not. They are now out of business. Finally, Sled Driver went out of print last year-HOWEVER-the big news is that in 2003 I have plans to re-issue the book in a newer, prettier, limited edition version. I hope to work with you in marketing it through your page. There will only be 3200 limited edition copies. I would love to talk to someone there about this upcoming project. This book is so popular and I get email weekly concerning it. Is there a number, or email that I could use to contact someone there who is interested in this information. I know this is not exactly a book review, but I have tried in the past to email you and the above changes I requested were never instituted. Sled Driver is returning and I will have more information about it for you by this summer. Please email me with any numbers I may contact to straighten out these errors and talk about the return of a very popular book. Thank you. Yes, I really am the author, Brian Shul 530-742-1000.

http://www.amazon.com/Sled-Driver-Flying-Worlds-Fastest/dp/0929823087

I have a very good friend who has one of these copies. I believe he got if from the reading list if not the museum bookstore itself....when we visited...the Udvar Hazy aviation Museum ....a must see by the way....in Virginia a few years back.

By the way...that link lists used hardcovers as $189 and new at $533.

By the way...take it from somebody in the printing industry...the cost to make 3200 hardback, high quality books....is astronomical. This guy is not making much money....especially if he printed them on existing equipment back in the early 2000s.

Design, layout , make-ready and plating sheetfed printing for cover, photographs and inserts, and all of the same for a web press run, bindery costs....materials and labor.
Up until recently....a run like that could cost you an easy $500,000. In fact for that same base cost.....if you can afford another 5-7K worth of paper and materials....you can print 10,000 books or more.

Its labor and logistics that cost.

Even with limited to moderate print on demand...same plate based presses with a digital component slaved on to limit it to one press line and less make-ready.....it will still be an easy $250K for a short run book of that size and quality. That would bring book price without profit and shipping, boxing, stocking etc....to about $75-80 per book. Ray

[EverettB]

In terms of hard to find books listed on Amazon, people asking $300 doesn't mean that it's worth $300.

Think about how many people on here whine about the price of something VW.
The same applies to books.

There are people on Amazon / eBay / Samba else that are speculators. They list tons of things for insane prices hoping that someone will pay the price.

With some effort and time you can find it for less.

I'm not saying this applies to this exact book but as a general rule, it is true.
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[aeromech]

If anyone is interested here's a good link for the .pdf

https://www.scribd.com/document/353962496/Sled-Driver-pdf
_________________
Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound

[Zundfolge1432]

I began my career in aviation working for Lockheed, now known as Lockheed Martin maker of the SR-71. Before you ever set foot in the door Lockheed indoctrinated us for several weeks and were especially pround of what that plane could do. The design and manufacturing was shrouded in secrecy at a place called the Skunkworks. The performance capabilities are still classified information.

But look at this there's one on display and I just happened to be there when they pushed it outside. It's usually kept put away in it's own hangar. I took these pics in June of this year.

[aeromech]

That’s cool. I saw one at the Air Force Museum in Ohio and hope to see another in November at Pima Air Museum in Tucson. They also have a B29 from my Dads bomber squadron, the 457th.
_________________
Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound

[Zundfolge1432]

[aeromech]

My aeronautics instructor at San Jose State, Mr. LeClair, helped build it. Any time we wanted to change the subject all we needed to do ask him about the SR71. He would get really excited spend the next 20 minutes just talking about it.
_________________
Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound

[helowrench]

[ToolBox]

Even their start carts are badass...

[cdennisg]

A trip to McMinville, OR a few years back had me standing in awe, staring at the SR71. You could actually walk up under it and touch it! I was, for a short time, speechless. It was an unreal experience for a guy who read all about this plane as a kid.

I may have to find a copy of this book. I know a few folks who may actually have one. Time to ask around.
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