Headwind

Acknowledgments

While the world of aviation is my domain, I am also a lawyer, and Headwind gave me an extraordinary opportunity to meld both the aeronautical and legal worlds together in an exciting romp that has many dimensions, all of them needing the research help of numerous people in Europe and the Americas, some of whom I’d like to thank publically and specifically.

First, as always, the evolution of this story was helped immensely by the constant and patient editorial and developmental assistance of my wife, Bunny Nance.

I want to express my appreciation to my prime advocate at Putnam, Senior Editor David Highfill, whose top-flight abilities at fine-tuning the manuscript always make a good story even better. And my thanks, as well, to my Publisher, Leslie Gelbman, and to my long-time agent and friend Olga Wieser of the Wieser and Wieser Literary Agency in New York.

Here in Washington State, the demanding day-to-day task of line-editing, polishing, and helping to shape this work was performed again with indefatigable energy by Patricia Davenport, who is also my business partner, an English Master, and my world-class in-house editor who never seems to run out of red pens.

I could not have rendered an accurate description of how Irish justice would have handled this international crisis without the learned assistance of a world-class Barrister named Patrick Dillon-Malone of Dublin, Ireland, who spent time instructing me and assisting the editing process, as well as directing my visits to the historic Four Courts building and appropriate pubs. My thanks also to Dubliners Mike Rogan of Parc Aviation at Dublin Airport, Feidhlim O’Seasnain, and Peter Donnelly (a member of the Shelbourne Hotel’s management staff), and to my daughter, Dawn Nance, who lives in Ireland and whose suggestions sparked the idea to bring the “circus” to town.

In London, I want to acknowledge also the kind assistance of Solicitor Leslie Cuthbert, who helped significantly in understanding the Bow Street Courts, and the assistance of Mr. John Coles of Metro Business Aviation at Heathrow.

And back home in the States, a hearty “Thank You” to Gary and Elizabeth Rhoades, Jim and Kelly Watt, Kirk T. Mosley, and Msg. Jerry Priest, and fellow attorney Ross Taylor for helping proof the results.

The year 1999 was marked by many things, but the passing of my longtime friend George Wieser was especially difficult. George was there in the beginning of my authorship with an indomitable optimism, and an infectious pride when we reached the bestseller lists with both nonfiction and fiction. He was a gentleman and a scholar and a fighter and that rarest of commodities: an honest man. I shall miss him in this life.