Navy Pilot Jack ‘Rattler’ Owen is taking his talents to South Beach. Not really. But he is taking them from the Hawkeye community to the fighter pilot community after the skills and bravery that he showed in Treason Flight. Bravado aside, Rattler is dedicated to serving his country and being the best that he can be.
Having paid his dues with the Wallbangers of VAW-117(Navy Terminology, no worries), Owen completes his F/A-18/C Hornet qualifications to head to Naval Air Station Lemoore in California. Upon arriving, he is immediately put on guard as LCDR Troy ‘Toad’ Kilby puts him in his place because of his actions from Treason Flight. Rattler also has a budding romance blooming with a sweet Australian blonde by the name of Sandy.
Prepping for deployment, Rattler and his squadron must devote countless hours to testing, qualifications, and getting everything straight at home prior to departing on a deployment that would change his life. The deployment starts to get a little hairy as things that you train for, and hope don't start happening. A very scary and eye-opening night launch followed up by the need to take a breather from a near death experience scrub a combat mission that Rattler was looking forward too. Matson continues to build the intensity as that life changing situation finally comes to fruition and Rattler finds out that there is a group of people that are determined to keep peace and prevent the violent actions of those power hungry and evil people ruining the world. Will Rattler have the courage to stand and fight when he has lost everything?
Matson drives this fight and flight packed adventure with supreme creativity and a solid plot. Jack ‘Rattler’ Owen is a humble person that does well to embrace the amount of grief and violence thrown his way. Vengeance Flight has an Old Guard vibe while focusing on the perseverance and faithful mentality that a simple-minded group who defends the world against evil continues to implore. Matson also leverages his time behind the sticks of E-2 Hawkeyes and the Hornet, as the cockpit scenes have the most authentic and vibrant feelings you could imagine. I really enjoyed that the story doesn’t spend every minute flying a plane, enabling you to get a real feeling that the characters also have a life when not up in the air.
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