Swan 23 is a gripping novel about military aviators, inspired by true stories. It vividly portrays the dangers they face in the skies while highlighting the vital role of family and camaraderie in sustaining them. Rain pelted the windows in sheets, making it impossible to see outside. Not that it would have mattered; it was pitch-dark in the eye of the typhoon. Every few seconds, lightning flashed as if some giant strobe light was attached to the WC-130. Lieutenant Colonel Reggie Moore, Flight Commander, was straining his eyes to see if there was a weak spot for exiting the eye. The streaks of lightning gave the dense wall of clouds making up the “eyewall” a surrealistic effect. The Hercules aircraft with the call sign Swan 23 (pronounced Two-Three) was in the eye of a Level Five typhoon for the second time in three hours, but this time, something was wrong, very wrong.