Lockout
by John J. Nance
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Pub Date Nov 15 2016 | Archive Date Jan 27 2017
Description
Over the Atlantic in the dark of night, the electronic brain of Pangia Airlines Flight 10 quietly and without warning disconnects all the cockpit controls and reverses course on its own.
The crew of the huge Airbus 330 at first sense nothing, the flight displays still showing them on course to New York. But with puzzled passengers reporting stars on the wrong side and growing alarm over the sudden failure of all their radios – and when armed fighters pull alongside to force them to land – the confused pilots discover that Flight 10 is streaking back toward the hyper-volatile Middle East and there is nothing they can do about it.
With an alphabet soup of federal agencies struggling for answers and messages flying between Washington, and Tel Aviv where the flight began, the growing supposition that Flight 10 may be hijacked is fueled by the presence of a feared and hated former head of state sitting in first class, a man with an extreme Mid East agenda who may somehow be responsible for the Airbus A-330’s loss of control. As frantic speculation spreads, the possibility that the unresponsive airliner could be the leading edge of a sophisticated attack on Iran designed to provoke a nuclear response drives increasingly desperate decisions.
As time and fuel runs low, flying at full throttle toward a hostile border ahead, Captain Jerry Tollefson and First Officer Dan Horneman have to put their personal animosities aside and risk everything to wrest control from the electronic ghost holding them – and perhaps the world – on a course to certain disaster.
And in the “Hole” – as the war room in Tel Aviv is called – the interim Prime Minister of Israel grapples with a horrifying choice in the balance between 300 airborne lives and the probability of nuclear war.
A Note From the Publisher
From the Author:
It’s just a matter of time!
That phrase is often grossly misused these days to foreshadow some future threat (such as the scandalously false statement: It’s just a matter of time before a toy drone takes out an airliner!). But as we move to increasing automation and build our incredible, highly reliable air machines to need humans (read: Carbon-Based Units) less and less, there will be some conflicts that could be described as inevitable.
Several weeks after 9/11, President George W. Bush stood on the ramp at Chicago O’Hare in front of the cameras and fell victim to one of the worst pieces of presidential staff work in recent history. He declared that in the future we would have devices built in to all airliners that would enable air traffic controllers on the ground to seize control of a hijacked flight and land it remotely like a drone. Most aviation professionals did a collective spit-take in response! That grossly improbable declaration sparked my 2003 thriller SKYHOOK.
So what’s wrong with the idea? For one thing, very few of our hardworking and highly skilled air traffic controllers are pilots who could fly an airliner remotely without extensive and continuous training. And, of course, there were a few additional problems, such as the tens of billions of dollars such a program would cost, and the fact that if we could take control from the ground, so could a sophisticated terrorist.
But we’re now flying incredibly sophisticated airliners that have few if any physical connections between the cockpit and the actual aircraft, other than wires and streams of electrons. What if that someday opens a door we don’t want opened? If an airborne fire is the first fear of a pilot, perhaps the second is a complete loss of control, and that’s precisely where, and why, LOCKOUT was born as a concept.
Yes, I’ve been on an eight year sabbatical from writing these high-speed, based-on-reality thrillers, but what spurred me back in the saddle (and to the laptop) was a rising sense of unease that I needed to get this story in front of you before it actually happens!
And, yes, I’m back. And there will be many more high-speed tales to follow. Including… well, we’ll save that for next year. Happy reading!
Advance Praise
"What a thrill ride! The frightening thing is that I got to the end of the book and thought, 'Wow, that really could happen!' That's the sort of realism the old Air Force pilot Nance brings to his aviation thrillers."--New York Times bestselling author Steve Jackson
Marketing Plan
Price discounts and standard return policies are available for bookstores through Ingram. Others wishing to order quantities of 20 or more may contact us directly at info@wildbluepress.com for discount pricing.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Ebook |
| ISBN | 9781942266617 |
| PRICE | $5.49 (USD) |
Featured Reviews
Scott L, Media/Journalist
Nance continues to not disappoint. I've only just begun the book and already can't put it down and can't wait to get back to it. The character development is excellent, and the nail-biting suspense begins practically immediately. Nance most definitely has not lost his touch! Don't miss it!
adrian k, Bookseller
Exciting thriller with a compelling plot. I fell challenged when reading this book. I wanted to figure out what would happen at the end and never could. The writing was so good that I was surprised at the end.
Candace H, Librarian
A definite page turner. Great story keeps you in the middle of the action. We all hear about technology hacking, so this is not as far-fetched as it would have seemed a few years ago. Just hope it doesn't happen for real. Extremely readable and totally enjoyable.
Joanne F, Reviewer
What a great read this book is, fasted paced with a thrilling plot. The story unfolds from multiple view points and this really added to the suspense of the novel. This novel is about a plane being hacked and taken over remotely and given today's world you do not have to suspend belief to believe. The novel is a real page turner as you struggle along with the characters in the novel to solve the problem.. If you love technical detail and explanations you will love this novel, Nance really seems to know is stuff. If you love a good thriller this book is for you..
Graham M, Reviewer
John Nance has been called the "master of the aviation thriller" and in "Lockout", his first book in ten years, he proves he fully deserves that title.
"Lockout" narrates in real-time the battle to save a stricken airliner, from the ground and on the plane itself, as time (and fuel) run out. The "Lockout" in the title relates to the pilots being unable to regain control of the plane after its in-flight controls lock: not by accident but rather by deliberate electronic interference. Nance is an aviation veteran and the technical detail provided in the book, which add to the vivid reality of the drama, is excellently described by the former airline and test pilot. The drama is set amidst sky high Middle East tension between Iran and Israel and allows insight into the rivalry between the various American intelligence agencies as the suspicion develops that Pangia 10's plight is the result of an undercover Black Op gone wrong.
Packed full of action, thrill, political intrigue and tension this book is bound to be a bestseller and deservedly so.
Aimee S, Reviewer
This book was so great!! I already have a slight fear of flying, so this didn't help with that. Great book with a fantastic premise. Pick this one up before your next flight. Haha!
Betsy S, Bookseller
John Nance does it again with an edge of the seat airline thriller incorporating the latest technology fears of the entire industry! Everyone is afraid of what could happen with an out of control airliner. The cause? Totally unknown. But...as events unfold, the U.S. bound airliner has reversed course over the Atlantic and heads for the volatile Middle East with several enemies laying in wait for an incursion. Nance keeps the reader guessing what could possibly be causing the airliner to continue on its suicide course. It's not until the last few pages that the real answer is revealed and it truly comes out of the blue. The story is so real that it makes one think twice about what lies ahead for the airline industry and the forces who want to see another catastrophe. This book creates in the reader the sense of an unavoidable collision between highly trained pilots and an unknown technology. A must read!
Linda J, Reviewer
I've read Nance before, but it's been a while. Honestly, it took me a little while to get into this book. There is a multitude of things going on with multiple characters. But once I got into it, I couldn't put it down. With the state of the world today, this scenario is not too far-fetched. Good read!
kATHLEEN G, Reviewer
Don't read this one on a plane! Nance is a master of the suspenseful aviation novel and this is one of his best. it's highly plot driven, which makes it a quick read, but it's one I would read on a train or a bus but definitely not on an international flight. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Thumbs up = you will like this if you like action/suspense/topical tales.
Anne M, Reviewer
Will make the way you look at air travel differently after reading this book. Excellent story and quite believable in this technological age.
Martin W, Reviewer
Took me a few pages to get into the characters and the story but when i did it did deliver, ended up as a bit of a page turner, was hard to put down. Did enjoy the book and Mr Nance is now on my author list to keep an eye on.
Elizabeth M, Librarian
Fantastic!
I had forgotten how intensely John J. Nance could draw you into an inflight emergency. Really kept me turning the pages, especially in the second half.
Susan D, Reviewer
I am so happy to find John Nance again. I had forgotten how great his books were. Lockout is no exception. It is well paced, building suspense, and encompassing the plane, the politicians, and the manipulations that form the base of the story. This was an easy to read book, hard to put down, but sorry it had to end. John Nance knows planes, and he also knows how to describe planes and plane related procedures in layman's terms. While this was not a totally original plot, as this type of thing had been mentioned for MH370, it showed how the theory could become reality. I enjoyed this immensely and plan to seek out his other books. Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read an early copy. I recommend reading this book as soon as you can get it, in whatever format.
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