Over and Back: A Daring Band of American Pilots Flying North to South Into Mexico!: The Untold True Stories Smuggling Contraband Into Mexico

If you need a bit of adventure in your life there is no need to read this review. Just get Wild Bill's book and read it.If you are skeptical, read on...I probably appreciated this book more than anyone else could. I too was involved (allegedly) in a smidgen of "backwards" smuggling albeit by ground. However, I am a pilot, just never smuggled by plane.In another life during the late 70's and through the 80's I operated a tour biz in Mexico and Central America. First we took the geriatric set (of course, which now I am one) on archaeology/photographic tours of the "Ruta de Maya" around Yucatan. This eventually evolved into off road motorcycle tours at first from Monterey to San Luis Potosí and then onto darn near every state in Mexico but mostly in Chihuahua and Copper Canyon. This grew into road tours as well from Nuevo Laredo to Cancun and return via 18 day tours. During this time I flew single engine private planes to and from our tour jump off points, both mine and others, on many occasions.That being said I must say Wild Bill Calahan nailed every facet of life on and above Mexico during that period. From the road blocks and mordida to the street tacos and really wonderful and warm people of Mexico Señor Calahan made me feel like I was right back there.If you want to enjoy a great true adventuresome read this book is for you. If you want to really live it without leaving your cozy armchair or taking a chance of enjoying the accoutrements of a Mexican jail, not to mention "Boys Town" then do yourself a favor. Buy the book, grab a Tecate or Dos Equis (only tourists drink Corona ;-) find a chair you can't fall out of very easily and hang on while you fly with Wild Bill.I promise you will enjoy it especially Wild Bill's nuances regarding political correctness.One last comment. Mr. Callahan please do not put your laptop down. I, among I'm sure many others, want to read and savor your many other adventures. I only wish I took notes during my 50 years of South of the Border Adventures so that I could at least leave my stories for my children and grand children.I'll be waiting for your next read. Thanks Wild Bill.

Wild Bill tells the real story of the little known enterprise of electronics smuggling! Think it sounds benign? Think again! As a former contrabandido I can tell you these true accounts will leap off the pages as Wild Bill puts you right in the seat and takes you through daring adventures in pursuit of fast cash and adrenaline in the not-so glamorous world of Latin American bush flying. His stories clip along and keep you pinned in your chair wondering how he will again avoid being captured or killed while facing incredible odds and asking the impossible from some very rugged but old and undependable airplanes. Wild Bill's writing is second only to his good nature and finely honed piloting skills. His accounts of Vietnam helped me gain a greater respect for those who faithfully served and sacrificed for a sometimes ungrateful country.The true characters are numerous and diverse and very typical for the region and industry which adds credibility. At times I felt his story continuity to be a little fragmented but became accustomed to his style and I don't feel it deserving of a demerit. I requested a signed copy so shipping was a little delayed as it was sent to the author first. It was well worth the wait.Over all, this was not only a pleasure to read, but a revisit of my own experiences. It was also very refreshing in finding there are people such as Wild Bill Callahan who still honor this great country and are appreciative for the opportunity she affords.

An enjoyable, fast-paced story about the author's time in deep south Texas flying for and with a wide variety of personalities. The author makes the logical assumption that the book's audience will mostly be other pilots, but it's fairly free of heavy aviation jargon so that it's a great choice for the general reader as well. The aircraft themselves feature prominently, but the author also gives time to the people on both sides of the border who were either involved in the business or just living their lives as best they could during the struggling economy of the time.

The true-life accounts portrayed in this book depict real men. Survivors, born of an era of war, strife and political upheaval where today we produce feeble, limp-wrist girly boys who cower and hide from their shadow by the millions. Pilots know the risks of their profession, but these men went far beyond to the risk of the unknown. Balancing experience and preparation with a whole lot of luck, helped them survive it. This book is a tribute to them, as well as those who tried. A must read for anyone who ever may have heard rumor of the tales of those pilots going down south.

Being a pilot myself & a lover of the older A/C I'm always kind of searching for little flaws in story telling but with Bill it just seems like we're all sitting round the table the whole gang just popping back a few "Brewskies" & "Chasers" talking shop. Stories you are only going to hear at that table & outsiders or non-members of this the little fraternity of brothers stay away.I finished reading this book off & on in two days. It just kept me entertained 100%. Being familiar with some of these A/C along with bite in the rump tendencies if you slacken the leash even a bit through exhaustion, carelessness or Mother Nature throwing you a curve Bill just puts the reader right there.. I'm sure more than a few will be reminded of certain experiences they can associate with Bill's. BILL...., that bad brake at Chicago & of course the taller & lower snow piles -"OMG" ! I just can't go on boring the reader with this review, I'm ready to pick the book up all over again ! I know I will be reading it again ! There's so many excerpts I'd like to place in this review but I don't want to spoil the book for others. AND Bill tells it like it is, no candy coating here or political correctness. (The way it should be told - "BRAVO"- Bill !) Seems a lot of people can always tell a "Wannabe" story teller where they'll mention something that ain't so being caught in a non-truth of flying whether it be the A/C, the systems or whatever but I'll say one thing for sure about "Wild Bill", he's the "Real Thing" & you can bet your life on that, he did ! FIVE STARS Bill & THANKS !

Being a former crop duster,this has to one of the best reading books in years.It is the kind of book that makes you feel your there with him. I was lucky no one was out to shoot me down,but some of the close calls flying were very similar. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in flying.