Airline pilot Mike Rendell's day started simply enough. He flew his Boeing 737 out of Chicago expecting a relaxing flight west. But then he encountered bad weather. Mechanical malfunctions further complicated his life. Could things get worse? Well yes, if you consider a hijacking a problem.Squawk 7500 is the kind of thriller that screws the tension on tight and every minute feels real because the author, Captain Steve Reeves, has been there and done that. In fact, after reading this book you might not think it belongs in the fiction section of bookstores. If so, Reeves would agree with you.
"The book is a fictionalized recounting of a true adventure so, I'd prefer that it be placed in the "True Adventure" section," he says.
Squawk 7500 is a fiction thriller, but it's based on Reeves' real life experiences as a commercial pilot. His 12,500 hours flying civilian, military, and commercial aircraft allow him to truly give an insider's eye view of what it takes to fly a jumbo jet while juggling a series of crises that most of us would not want to face, but love to read about. Reeves says he has seen many of the same problems in his 21 years of flying commercial airplanes.
"I've had to contend with tornadoes, hurricanes, and tropical storms," Reeves says. "I've had my fair share of drunks on board but this is the first time that I had someone go crazy and hijack the plane."
On the other hand, the fictional pilot Rendell faces a near mid-air collision and copes with an FBI SWAT team boarding his plane while it's taxiing, among other challenges. Through all this, Reeves delivers the rich details of flying in his book. Even if you don't know where to put the thrust levers to get the best rate of climb without burning too much fuel you'll feel the realism. You'll also feel the pilot's real concern for his crew and 137 passengers who are being held hostage by a madman. There's no question that there's a lot of Steve Reeves in the heroic pilot of Squawk 7500."Mike Rendell and the author share about 90% of the same traits. The rest is made up," Reeves says. "Of course, I can't tell you which 10% is fiction!"
The full title of the novel is Squawk 7500 Terrorist Hijacks Pacifica Flight 762, but Reeves says you shouldn't buy this one expecting Al-Qaeda to turn up. This hijacker isn't a terrorist, at least not by the usual definition, but that doesn't make him any less dangerous to a plane full of people.
"Unfortunately, there are people out there that don't mind harming you or anybody else that stands in their way," Reeves points out. "And they will go to whatever lengths are needed to fulfill their agenda."
This thrill ride packs extra tension partially because Capt. Rendell can't deal with the hijacker "one-on-one" - he's locked in the cockpit while the villain is holding his flight attendants and passengers hostage.
To save them, Rendell has to get the airliner on the ground, and quickly. Unfortunately, he's over unfamiliar territory, facing a line of severe weather, wrestling with the controls of a malfunctioning aircraft. The shattering conclusion also includes a startling plot twist that will leave you breathless.
Airborne thrills and nail-biting suspense - that's what you'll find in Squawk 7500 Terrorist Hijacks Pacifica Flight 762.
Contributing editor Austin S. Camacho
has written a series about private detective Hannibal Jones and a
series of adventure novels featuring mercenary Morgan Stark and jewel
thief Felicity O'Brien. To pay the mortgage he answers media queries
for the Defense Department. Camacho lives in Springfield, Virginia
with his lovely wife Denise and Princess the Wonder Cat
