** Al Rioni was born in Springfield Massachusetts.

** While still very young, he developed a fascination with aviation watching the airplanes take-off and land at nearby Westover Air Force Base.

** At the age of twelve, Al and his dad took a ride in an airplane from a local airport and Al was firmly hooked on flying.

** He struggled to earn his Private Pilots License in Massachusetts and obtained his Commercial Pilots License at advanced flight school in Florida.

** Al's first flying job was as a flight instructor and charter pilot.

** After a short stint with the airlines Al advanced to the exciting world of corporate aviation where he flew everything from high performance twins to corporate jets.

** Al had the very unusual opportunity, while still very young and inexperienced, to fly advanced aircraft in situations which only much more experienced pilots normally operate. This book is the story of his efforts to meet these challenges.

** Al has had many near death experiences, both in and out of airplanes. This book attempts to tell how these experiences may have influenced his attitude as a pilot.

** After several of these "interesting" events, Al decided to retire from professional flying in order to spend more time with his young daughters.

** He currently works as a casino dealer in Las Vegas and still flies often for fun.