Tag Archives: The Globe

April 2, 2013 · 5:35 am

Congratulations to Frank Van Haste


McDonnell 119 / McDonnell 220

McDonnell 119 / McDonnell 220

Yesterday I ran an aircraft identification contest with pictures I took of the one-of-a-kind McDonnell 119/McDonnell 220 business jet.  The prize for correctly identifying this relatively obscure example of aviation history consisted of Kindle or Nook versions of my two mystery novels:  Decisions and The Globe.

And the winner is (may I have the envelope, please) . . . Pilot, Aircraft Enthusiast, and Fellow Blogger Frank Van Haste.  You can visit Frank’s wonderful aviation (and occasional book review) blog at N631S.blogspot.com.

Frank recognized the McDonnell 220 because of his long-time interest in the Air Force contract that in the 1950s pretty much created the modern business jet.  That was the once famous but now mostly forgotten UTX/UCX (Utility-Trainer Experimental/Utility-Cargo Experimental) contract.  The eventual winner of that contract was the Lockheed Jetstar (L-329/C-140), an aircraft that sent shivers down my spine whenever it showed up at RAF Lakenheath because that was the aircraft used to evaluate air traffic control services at Air Force installations throughout Europe back in the 1970s.  If you’re a movie buff, you can see the Jetstar in action in the classic James Bond film Goldfinger.

Another winning entry for the UTX contract was the North American Sabreliner (N-265/T-39), which went on to become quite successful in the civilian market.  Indeed, over 800 examples of the Sabreliner were eventually built compared to just over 200 Jetstars.

Now for a bit of self-congratulatory housekeeping.  Yesterday’s post was the 400th for this blog.  That’s over three a week since this blog’s inauguration in January of 2011.  Looking forward to bringing you many more in the future.

2 Comments

Filed under Author, Aviation Safety, Books, eReaders, Writing

Tagged as , , , , , ,

April 1, 2013 · 5:35 am

Interesting Aircraft — The ???


Last Friday I showed you an interesting aircraft that calls El Paso ‘home.”    That was the Super Guppy.

Here’s another.  Let’s see just how good your aircraft recognition is.

And the first person to correctly identify this aircraft will receive for their Kindle, Nook, or device using the free Kindle or Nook reading App, copies of my two murder mysteries Decisions and The Globe.

The Catch:  Exempted from this contest are current or former air traffic controllers (or other FAA employees) from either El Paso or Albuquerque (for obvious reasons, guys and gals).  Persons who already own these books are asked to pass on the prize (should they guess correctly) so that the second correct guesser may have the chance to enjoy them.  Persons too young to attend unaccompanied an R Rated motion picture will be ineligible to receive either book.  The winner is requested (but by no means required) to post reviews of both books on both Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

The Clues:  This is the only example ever made of this particular aircraft.  It was originally designed for the military, but later offered to the civilian market as a business jet.  Lockheed won the contract for which this aircraft was originally designed.  This prototype originally flew when Dwight Eisenhower was president.

Here you go (the registration number has been digitally removed to prevent cheating):

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

4 Comments

Filed under Author, Books, eReaders, Photography, Technology/New Stuff, Writing

Tagged as , , , ,

March 26, 2012 · 6:01 am

Barnes & Noble Nook Owners—This Is Your Lucky Week


And if you’re a Kindle owner, you may not realize just how lucky you already are.

Following a phenomenally successful three-day promotion on Amazon last week, The Globe will soon be available for my Nook fans.  That is if it isn’t already.  The Globe has been processing at B&N since yesterday morning.

During that three-day promotion, The Globe was downloaded by 6,264 readers.  The Globe was ranked on Amazon’s Top 100 Bestsellers list starting the evening of Day One, and remained in the Top 100 until the afternoon of Day Three, residing on that prestigious list for nearly 48 straight hours and at one point cracking the Top 50.  In Mysteries, The Globe was in the Top 10 for most of that time, and at one point reached #4.  The Globe also obtained a high of #3 in Action & Adventure.  As for Hard-Boiled Mysteries, The Globe made #1, slipped to #2, then came roaring back to hold the #1 spot almost to the very end of the promotion.

But this success wasn’t just limited to the U.S. market.  The Globe also made Top 10 lists in the United Kingdom, Germany, and France—in Action & Adventure in Germany and France  and Hard-Boiled Mysteries in the U.K.  Unfortunately, The Globe failed to make the Top 100 list in any of those countries, so I’m not going to claim “International Bestseller” bragging rights.

At least, not yet.

The Globe—Coming soon to a Nook near you, and already available for the Kindle.  Don’t have either?  Click on one of the links below to download a Kindle or Nook Reading App for your PC, Mac, Blackberry, Android, iPhone, iPod, iPad, or any other iThingy®.

Free Amazon Kindle Reading App (Requires establishment of an Amazon account)

Free Barnes & Noble Nook Reading App (Requires establishment of a Barnes & Noble account)

The Globe — An Old Style of Murder Presents a New Kind of Mystery

Comments Off on Barnes & Noble Nook Owners—This Is Your Lucky Week

Filed under Author, Books, eReaders, Writing

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , ,