Aviation Therapy
Stories of Perseverance and Personal Growth from the Cockpit
BY DAVID DALE
Take flight on an inspiring journey of personal growth, resilience, and adventure—perfect for aspiring pilots, military history buffs, and anyone seeking a story of perseverance and triumph!
Aviation Therapy is a deeply personal aviation memoir—an intersection of extraordinary world events and one man's transformation through flight. From navigating B-52 nuclear alert missions during the Cold War to wartime air refueling in Desert Storm and the Bosnian War, to flying General Tommy Franks after 9/11, Dale’s journey took him from a quiet navigator to commanding an elite squadron responsible for flying the nation’s top military leaders.
Packed with gripping firsthand accounts and invaluable life lessons, Aviation Therapy is “Chicken Soup for the Skies”—a testament to how aviation can shape character, build resilience, and inspire personal growth.
Fasten your seatbelt—your journey into the skies begins here!
978-1-965766-24-8 (paper)
978-1-965766-25-5 (ebook)
$24.95
Memoir
354 pp
Pub date: September 9, 2025
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
David Dale
Houston native David Dale is a fifth-generation Texan who graduated as a fourth-generation Longhorn from the University of Texas at Austin with a Business Administration degree. He was commissioned in 1984 as a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force. His flying assignments during a twenty-year military career included navigating the B-52G, piloting both the U.S. KC-10 and Dutch KDC-10 air refueling tankers, and finally the Gulfstream G-III and G-V (C-20B and C-37A) for high-level dignitaries.
His aviation articles have appeared in Plane & Pilotmagazine and on Avgeekery.com.
He is married to the former Karin Smith of Corpus Christi, Texas, and they have two grown children, Daniel and Shelby. David is currently a Boeing 737 captain for Southwest Airlines. He and Karin reside in the Texas Hill Country west of Austin.
