Celebrating a New Book from Our Friend Daniel Jackson Flying Brothers
Every once in a while, a book comes along that shines a light on a chapter of aviation history that deserves far more attention. I’m excited to congratulate our friend Daniel Jackson on the upcoming release of his new book, Flying Brothers.
If you enjoy military aviation, Cold War history, or stories of the remarkable men who built allied air forces in Southeast Asia, this is one you’ll want to preorder.
Rather than retelling the familiar story of Vietnam, Flying Brothers explores the often-overlooked air wars and strategic partnerships that shaped the Cold War across Taiwan, Thailand, and the Philippines.
Daniel takes readers directly into history:
- F-5 Freedom Fighters intercepting rebel “Tora-Toras” over Manila during the 1989 coup attempt.
- F-86 Sabres firing the first AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles against Communist MiG-17s over the Taiwan Strait in 1958.
- AT-6 Texans attacking a mutinous warship on a river through downtown Bangkok in 1951.
For me, this book has an especially personal connection.
After flying combat missions with the Burma Banshees during World War II, my father, Philip Adair, continued serving in Asia during the Cold War. As an American advisor, he helped train the newly formed Republic of China (Taiwan) Air Force, passing along the combat experience he had gained over Burma to a new generation of fighter pilots.
That training proved invaluable.
The Taiwanese pilots he helped prepare would go on to make history during the 1958 Taiwan Strait Crisis, when Republic of China Air Force F-86 Sabres scored the first successful combat victories using the newly introduced AIM-9 Sidewinder missile against Communist MiG-17s. It was a watershed moment in aerial warfare and demonstrated how the lessons learned during World War II continued to shape the Cold War.
This is one of the reasons I’m so excited about Flying Brothers. Daniel Jackson tells the broader story of the American advisors—true “diplomats in flight suits”—who didn’t simply deliver aircraft. They flew with their counterparts, trained pilots and maintainers, shared combat experience, and helped build capable allied air forces throughout Southeast Asia.
Many, like Philip Adair, continued serving, mentoring allied pilots, and helping shape the next generation of airpower during the Cold War.
Congratulations, Dan, on what promises to be an outstanding contribution to aviation history.
If you’re passionate about military aviation, Cold War history, or the untold stories of the men who built America’s alliances in Asia, I encourage you to preorder your copy of Flying Brothers. I know I’ll be reading it the moment it arrives.
Preorder here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1501789007?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title