Aviation Thriller ‘The Shepherd’ Will Boost Any Pilot’s Holiday Runup

English author Frederick Forsyth’s The Shepherd hits especially close to home for private pilots.

Jonathan Welsh

Friday, December 01, 2023 at 10:04 AM ET

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A pilot flies a de Havilland Vampire through difficult conditions in Frederick Forsyth's 'The Shepherd.' [iStock]

Key Takeaways:

"The Shepherd" is a classic Frederick Forsyth short story about a 1957 RAF pilot flying home for Christmas Eve whose flight is jeopardized by an electrical failure and severe weather, leaving him lost.
The tale is lauded for its suspense and how it captures the relatable anxieties of pilots concerning fuel, weather, and equipment during flight.
It has a long-standing tradition of being read annually on Christmas Eve by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.
A new screen adaptation, directed by Iain Softley and starring John Travolta, is now available for streaming on Disney+.

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It is Christmas Eve, 1957, and a young Royal Air Force officer stationed in Germany is granted leave at nearly the last minute, allowing him just enough time to fly home for the holiday.

The pilot straps into his de Havilland Vampire fighter, is cleared for takeoff and heads toward his home field, RAF Lakenheath. The night flight will take about an hour and he has plenty of fuel.