Women of the Wind
An Interview with Author, Phil Nussbaum
Author Phil Nussbaum signing one of his books. (Courtesy Phil Nussbaum)
Phil with Rebecca Reeb at a book signing event. (Courtesy Phil Nussbaum)
By Annamarie Buonocore
In Flight USA: Tell me about your background. What made you want to write novels?
Phil Nussbaum: I have been writing since I was in school. I wrote a lot of short stories when I was younger. As I grew older and became more involved in professional aviation, I began towrite many technical articles. After several years in aviation, I felt the need to tap into my creative side. I also felt that women in aviation were underserved.
IF USA: Tell me about all three of your novels. Which ones have been published, what are the tittles? Can you give me a brief synopsis of each one?
PN: Three have been published so far, and I have two more in the hopper. I’ll focus on the first one, Lady Mustang. It is about a well-to-do young woman who wanted to get into vintage aviation. She inherited a lot of money. It is a story about her personal education as well as her experiences managing people. She had to learn to get along with various teams. The story follows the team’s preparations for Susan’s race as she learns some of life’s toughest lessons along the way.The second one is Into the Wind. It is about an English girl in the Air Force. She ends up flying a P38. It is about the trials and tribulations of fighting war missions. She befriends an American sergeant who kind of takes care of her, and they eventually become boyfriend and girlfriend.
She eventually works at Lockheed in Burbank, and they like her so much that they won’t let her go. After a brief stint on the west coast and a whirlwind cross-country tour for the factory, Lockheed sends her to the Pacific. I left it open for a sequel.
The third one is called Boise Moon, which is about a helicopter pilot stationed in Boise, Idaho and the trials and tribulations she faced in her rescue missions. She spent most of her time in the Marine Corps and never had much time for motherhood. She and her husband adopt a young girl with a baby of her own, and she begins a parallel career of flying and motherhood.
IF USA: How many pages is each one of your books?
PN: They are all roughly 180 pages. I designed them for easy reading. You can take them on a plane trip, and in a couple hours, you’ll be done. I would like to think that I have a somewhat concise style
IF USA: In the beginning, you said that you thought women in aviation were underserved. Can you elaborate on that and tell me more about why you chose this topic?
PN: Over my years in the business, I have come to know many women in aviation. They were all unsung heroes and never received much credit for anything. I have known many women pilots, and I wanted to pay tribute to them. They often just did their jobs while the men received far more pats on the back.
IF USA: You mentioned that you are a pilot yourself. Tell me about your flying career.
PN: I started out flying in the Army. When I got out, I worked for General Electric. Then I went back to flying. I flew for the National Baseball Association and the Seattle Seahawks football team. Then I was involved in the vintage airplane movement. I am retired now because I am 68.
IF USA: In your book, Into the Wind, it talks about how your main character’s life was shaped by circumstances. Tell me about this main character and what you believe about life and circumstances.
PN: Allison Booth is the main character, and she is a glider pilot from England. One day, the airport called her to fly a mission for a man who was out sick. She did much better than him, so they did not let her go after that. She did her job in all kinds of weather, and her crew really took care of her. You never know what circumstances will bring. In everybody’s life, circumstances determine what we eventually become. Perhaps you didn’t think you would end up in the magazine business.
IF USA: Who are some other notable characters in your books, and why are they important?
PN: In the first book, Lady Mustang, Frank O’Brien is the main protagonist. He’s the technical expert on the mustang. It is the story of how he and Susan eventually learned to get along because initially, they didn’t. There is also an African American man named Smoky who is the glue who keeps everybody working together. Nobody wants to disappoint him. He is eight feet tall and a gentle giant. Overall, there are 13 characters, but these are the ones that hold it together.
IF USA: Do you have any personal heroes? How do you define a hero?
PN: Being a hero is doing the right thing when nobody is looking. My father is my hero hands down. I don’t have to look any further than that.
IF USA: Can you name any notable women in aviation you know personally who inspired your book?
PN: I have a whole list of them. Trish Mattola was very notable. She flew Kodak film around when I met her in Oakland, CA. She did a great job and eventually became a captain for Air Wisconsin. She is such an inspiration.
IF USA: Do you have any advice for aspiring pilots, especially female pilots?
PN: Examine your skill sets and determine that this is really what you want. The percentages of success are not that high. I would say just keep working at it. The industry is becoming more open to women aviators. Women have great attention to detail and often do a better job than men.
IF USA: What do you enjoy most about flying?
PN: For me, it’s the people. You meet so many along the way. I got to meet Bob Hoover and be his check pilot. It was a great honor. The people are all very nice. Bob Hoover is an inspiration to me. He does the right thing when nobody is looking, much like my father.
IF USA: Was your father a pilot?
PN: Yes, he was. He was in the Navy.
IF USA: Going back to the writing and literary front, do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
PN: Write what you know. In other words, if you’re in agriculture, don’t write about steam shovels. It is very simple.
F USA: Do you have any more books in the works?
PN: I have two more in the hopper right now. One is a tribute to my father––about his time in the Navy and my interactions with him. The other one is about a woman pilot who gets pushed around because she gets a job that none of the men are qualified for or able to do. They resent her and she learns to cope with that.
IF USA: Where can the readers find your books?
PN: All of them are on Amazon. Barnes & Noble has them too. All you have to do is Google my name, Phil Nussbaum. They are available as e-books and in print. I would like to thank Rebecca Reeb, the one who brought the books into the stream of commerce, and all those who helped me with specific technical information such as locales and names.
Writing is something I always wanted to do. Now that I have done it, I can rest a little easier. There is a relaxation that comes over you after you’ve accomplished something.
IF USA: How can the aviation industry be a better advocate for women?
PN: That’s not an easy question to answer. I believe people should be hired for their skills, not gender. Gender should be out of the equation.
IF USA: Is there anything else you want to add?
PN: Yes, when in doubt, add power.
Article originally appeared on In Flight USA (http://www.inflightusa.com/).
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