Dave Baranek knows exactly what it means to “ride into the danger zone.”
In his new book, “Tomcat RIO,” he plants readers in the cockpit of the legendary F-14 Tomcat fighter, blazing along at twice the speed of sound seven miles above the ocean and the carrier that hurled it off its deck.
Readers can ride along as Baranek shares all the stomach-dropping thrills of dogfighting and the pulse-pounding tension of patrolling the skies over Iraq with the ability to launch a 100-mile Phoenix missile at the touch of a button.
An expert in fighter tactics and aircraft carrier operations, Baranek (whose call sign is “Bio”) ascended to the command of an F-14 fighter squadron of more than 300 people, and he shares the challenges and unexpected trials that come with leading a squadron in the dynamic environment of Naval Aviation.
Full of adventures, lessons and inspiration, Tomcat RIO also includes dozens of Bio’s best and most acclaimed photos, including one that was hailed by photographer George Hall as “one of the best Tomcat photos ever taken.”
Dave “Bio” Baranek is also the author of Topgun Days and Before Topgun Days. He enjoyed a 20-year career in the United States Navy, starting with assignments to F-14 Tomcat squadrons and the elite Topgun training program as an instructor, and on to the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the US 7th Fleet. Baranek retired from the Navy in 1999 and is now a defense contractor. He is married and lives in Satellite Beach, Florida.
The book, published by Skyhorse, is available on Amazon for $27.99, Simon & Schuster, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million and others places where books are sold. For more information, including links to the places where you can buy the book, go to TopgunBio.com.