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The best satires are those infused with enough facts to create compelling fiction. In this novella—easily and enjoyably read in one sitting—there's more than enough truth to make most of the fabrication believable. The terrible tragedy of airline disasters is at the core of this story, but the author manages to use authenticity and expertise, wit and irony, plus crime and punishment, to reduce pathos by rewarding justice.
David is the CEO of a successful airplane manufacturer. He wants to remain successful. In light of a new aeronautical achievement that enables planes to consume far less fuel in flight, competition demands that his company take advantage of it. But he knows his major airline client is dead set against the time and expense of having to retrain their pilots to use it. So a solution is devised that attempts to employ computerization rather than hands-on know-how. The solution skirts Federal Aviation guidelines and is also hidden from them. Before you know it, two planes have crashed, over three hundred people are killed, and responsibility reaches beyond David, even into the office of the President of the United States.
Author Kendall uses his vast experience in the aviation industry to make technical descriptions of aircraft design, operations, and procedures easily understandable. The shady characters he creates from the corporate and political world come across as far too authentic for comfort. Plus, his use of historical profundities as chapter headings lends a bit of charm even as they tease what's coming next. This is an author who has managed to pack a maximum amount of insight and story into a minimal amount of pages, which is not often an easy trick.