Luck is my Shadow: The Story of a Fighter and Bomber Pilot During the Cold War

Description

As a very young boy in the Second World War the seeds were sown to fly in the blue sky. Terry made up his young mind with great determination to reach for that sky in a 'Spitfire'. He joined the RAF as a pilot but twists of fate caused him to become a nuclear bomber pilot. It was RAF policy not to change from that complicated role to another and yet he pushed for change; became an instructor and as a display pilot he made his final move to the single seat air defence Lightning. He instructed on the Lightning and commanded two squadrons. Terry's original dream came true and he reached the pinnacle of his ambition but it was complicated in a way that he had not envisaged. There were dangerous incidents, the loss of friends, the 31 moves of his family and the politics associated with senior rank. At the outset he had not understood the demands of a Cold War or the need for him to sail the major oceans of the world with a sea-going admiral and become his intelligence officer. The eventual compensation was a promotion and a two year tour on a tropical island with his family.

Terry Adcock was grammar school educated but joined the RAF early and did not go to university. He did, however, complete his education at RAF and Joint Services Staff Colleges and later spent a year at the London Business School. After 30 years in the RAF he joined Bae Dynamics as Head of Operational Assessment and lastly, managed two large projects for NATS. Terry sailed for the RAF and became a senior national windsurfing champion at the age of 54. He has been married twice, both wives having suffered with Parkinson's. He has four children and eight grandchildren.