The crash of a V-22 in Afghanistan in April is blamed on everything, and nothing. That is, no factor is singled out, even though an engine failed just as the pilot was attempting a “nonstandard landing.” Is the heli-plane just too unforgiving for anything less than a perfect landing?

This is the historic flight, which I took with Rick Whittle, in which I joined the pantheon of aviation pioneers, who did something noteworthy, first; names like Charles Lindbergh, Chuck Yeager, and Neil Armstrong. Yes, I became the first civilian, perhaps even the first person ever, to throw up on a V-22 while it conducted aerobatic maneuvers.

Rick Whittle spins a fascinating yarn of science, politics, and intrigue as he tells the inside story of how the revolutionary V-22 rose Phoenix-like from the ashes to become a potential game-changer. The jury is still out on the “Dream Machine,” but in telling the tale of how the heli-plane survived setbacks that would have killed most over-budget defense programs, Whittle provides an enthralling window on how Washington, the Pentagon, and the Defense industry really work. Whittle’s easy writing style makes the brisk narrative appealing to the novice and aviation expert alike.

The U.S. Marine Corps has spent billions developing a revolutionary heli-plane that would be capable of speeding to any corner of the world, and then shift into helicopter mode to deliver troops and heavy equipment to the most remote and rugged terrain. So why wasn’t the V-22 Osprey used to get first responders to Haiti in the crucial first 24–48 hours, when they could have saved countless additional lives?

Just a few years ago there were serious questions whether the V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor heliplane was simply too unforgiving the fly in combat. But the V-22s proved their worth in dust of Iraq, and now they will get a real test in the thin mountain air of Afghanistan.

Were two of the best pilots in Marine Corp made scapegoats to save the troubled V-22 program back in 2000? One congressman is on a crusade to set the record straight asserting the pilots and their families have been dishonored. The Navy and and Marine Corps are not budging.