Books published by publisher Freeze Time Media

In the Cockpit with Bob Hoover is the second volume in a series of short biographies (20,000 words or less) regarding notable pilots whose passion for flight inspires young and old alike to take to the skies. Di Freeze interviewed Bob Hoover for this short biography, and filled in facts with his autobiography, Forever Flying, with his permission. Hoover reviewed and approved this approximately 11,000-word bio for accuracy. This is not meant to be a comprehensive history of Bob Hoover's life, but it contains the major milestones in his aviation history.Bob Hoover became infatuated with aviation when Charles Lindbergh made his historic transatlantic flight in 1927. Years later, he would meet Lindbergh and inspire people with his own aviation feats.Bob joined the Tennessee Air National Guard on his 18th birthday, and was eventually assigned to the 4th Fighter Squadron, 52nd Fighter Group. He was shot down on Feb. 9, 1944, and spent 15 months as a prisoner of war. After several escape attempts from Stalag Luft 1, he finally succeeded, eventually making his way to an abandoned Luftwaffe air base and stealing a Focke-Wulf 190, which he flew to Holland. Hoover was later assigned to Wright Field and served as backup pilot to Chuck Yeager on the Bell X-1. He left the military in December 1948, joined General Motor’s Allison Division as a test pilot, and later tested and demonstrated airplanes for North American Aviation/Rockwell International and flew its aircraft at air shows. He served as the official starter for the first Reno National Championship Air Races and Air Show, and continued that role for more than three decades. He also flew popular aerobatic demonstrations in airplanes including a Shrike Commander 500S and well-known P-51. In more than 50 years of flying, Hoover performed aerobatics in more airplane types, events and countries, and before more people, than anyone in the history of aviation.

In the Cockpit with Clay Lacy is the fifth volume in Passion for Flight, a series of short biographies regarding notable pilots who inspire young and old alike to take to the skies. The founder of Clay Lacy Aviation, one of the world’s premier business aviation companies, Clay has flown more than 300 aircraft types and has logged more than 50,000 flight hours, accumulating more hours flying turbine aircraft than any other pilot. Lacy holds 29 current world speed records. He’s accumulated more than 50,000 flight hours, logging those hours in military and test flying, air racing, aerial photography, aircraft sales, and a four-decade career with United. His involvement in aviation has led him to meet many interesting people, including aviation legends, presidents, and celebrities. In these pages, you will read about many of those people, including Jack Conroy, Allen Paulson, Bill Lear, Frank Sinatra, Sydney Pollack, Danny Kaye, Bruce McCaw, and Joe Clark.

In the Cockpit with Chuck Yeager is the first volume in Passion for Flight, a series of short biographies (20,000 words or less) regarding notable pilots who inspire young and old alike to take to the skies. Di Freeze interviewed Chuck Yeager for this short biography, and filled in facts with his autobiography, Yeager. Gen. Yeager reviewed and approved this approximately 11,000-word bio for accuracy. This is not meant to be a comprehensive history of Chuck Yeager's life, but it contains the major milestones in his aviation history.Brig. Gen. Charles Elwood “Chuck” Yeager was the first person to break the sound barrier, on Oct. 14, 1947. After being shot down during World War II and evading capture, he successfully fought a rule that banned shot-down pilots from re-entering combat and eventually became a double ace. In 65 years in military cockpits, he flew at least 340 different makes and models of military airplanes, including the Air Force’s entire inventory during World War II, as well as aircraft from Germany, France, England, Japan, Sweden and Russia.In 1994, Yeager replaced actor Cliff Robertson as the chairman of the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Young Eagles program. Under his leadership, the organization accomplished the successful mission of getting one million youth to fly at the controls by Dec. 17, 2003, the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers’ first flight. Yeager himself has personally flown more than 500 Young Eagles, and the foundation has given more than $50,000 for the Young Eagles General Chuck Yeager Scholarship Endowment Program. After accomplishing his mission, Yeager turned over the reins to Harrison Ford, in 2004.Gen. Yeager and his wife Victoria incorporated the General Chuck Yeager Foundation in 2002. The foundation supports programs that teach “honor, integrity, courage and excellence in our daily conduct, a strong sense of public service and duty to our country, and an intellectual curiosity.”

In the Cockpit with Robin Olds is part of the Passion for Flight series. These short biographies (20,000 words or less) tell the stories of notable pilots who inspire young and old alike to take to the skies. Robin Olds tried to join up with the Royal Canadian Air Force when Hitler invaded Poland, but his father shot down the idea. He entered the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in June 1940, where his football prowess led to his selection as an All-American. After primary flight training and fighter pilot training, he was assigned to RAF Wattisham, England, in May 1944. He achieved his first aerial kill in July 1944 and became a double ace before the end of that war. He wasn't happy when he was assigned back to West Point as assistant football coach and talked his way into an assignment with the 412th Fighter Group at March Field in February 1946. While there, he joined the first jet aerobatic demonstration team. He went to England in October 1948 under the U.S. Air Force/Royal Air Force Exchange Program, becoming the first foreigner to command a regular British squadron. After two more decades in the service, Olds found himself commanding the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base in Thailand. While in that position, he became a triple ace and executed Operation Bolo, during which the pilots under his command, flying F-4s, destroyed seven MiG-21s, almost half of the sixteen then in service with the Vietnam People's Air Force. He flew 162 combat missions in Vietnam, and later served as commandant of cadets at the U.S. Air Force Academy. He was promoted to brigadier general in 1968 and retired from the Air Force in 1973, with many military decorations and awards. He was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2001.Di Freeze and Deborah Grigsby interviewed Robin Olds at his home in Steamboat Springs. This interview is not meant to be a comprehensive history of Robin Old's life, although it contains the major milestones in his military career.

In the Cockpit with Cliff Robertson is the third volume in the Passion for Flight series. These short biographies (20,000 words or less) tell the stories of notable pilots who inspire young and old alike to take to the skies. Cliff Robertson appeared in more than one hundred roles in his career as an actor, including a young John F. Kennedy in “PT 109,” his Academy Award winning performance in “Charly,” astronaut Buzz Aldrin in the autobiographic “Return to Earth,” Henry Ford in “The Man and the Machine,” and most recently, Uncle Ben from “Spider-Man.” Cliff always felt more comfortable in a plane than in Hollywood. His fascination for aviation began as a child. He accrued several thousand hours in the cockpit and held single-engine land and sea, multiengine, instrument and commercial licenses, as well as balloon, gliding and seaplane ratings. Over his lifetime he owned a variety of planes, including a Beech Baron 58, Messerschmitt Me 108, Stampe SV4, three Tiger Moths and a Spitfire Mk.IX.He gave others the opportunity he had as a youth when he became involved with the Experimental Aircraft Association. Within EAA, he founded the Cliff Robertson Work Experience, helped launch EAA’s Young Eagles program in 1992, and served as its first national honorary chairman. At EAA AirVenture 2002, he was presented with the inaugural Key to the City Award, created by EAA and the city of Oshkosh, to honor distinguished personalities for significant contributions to the promotion and support of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh and the aviation community.Di Freeze interviewed the Emmy and Academy Award winning actor for this short biography prior to his death. He reviewed and approved this approximately 5,000-word bio. This is not meant to be a comprehensive history of Cliff Robertson's life, but it contains the major milestones in his acting career and aviation history. About the author: Author and editor Di Freeze interviewed many well-known aviators during nearly a decade as editor-in-chief for Airport Journals, the founding publication of Living Legends of Aviation. She interviewed some of the world’s best-known pilots, including military heroes, celebrity pilots, aerobatic pilots, astronauts, philanthropists and entrepreneurs. The books in the Passion for Flight series include In the Cockpit with Chuck Yeager, In the Cockpit with Bob Hoover, In the Cockpit with Cliff Robertson, In the Cockpit with Sean Tucker, In the Cockpit with Morgan Freeman, In the Cockpit with Tony Bill, In the Cockpit with John Travolta, In the Cockpit with Harrison Ford, In the Cockpit with Robin Olds, and In the Cockpit with Al Ueltschi.Upcoming biographies will feature military greats such as Brig. Gen. Tex Hill; Hollywood director and actor Sydney Pollack; aerobatic superstar Patty Wagstaff; astronauts Maj. Gen. Bill Anders, Capt. Gene Cernan and Brig. Gen. Charlie Duke; entrepreneurs Clay Lacy, Linden Blue, and Barron Hilton; legendary golfer Arnold Palmer; country singer Aaron Tippin; comedian Jeff Dunham, and many others.Di Freeze lives in Colorado. She also writes a blog, Same Shih Tzu Different Day, about her four rescued shih tzus: three half-sisters from a puppy mill and an owner release male.

In the Cockpit with Clay Lacy is the fifth volume in Passion for Flight, a series of short biographies regarding notable pilots who inspire young and old alike to take to the skies. The founder of Clay Lacy Aviation, one of the world’s premier business aviation companies, Clay has flown more than 300 aircraft types and has logged more than 50,000 flight hours, accumulating more hours flying turbine aircraft than any other pilot. Lacy holds 29 current world speed records. He’s accumulated more than 50,000 flight hours, logging those hours in military and test flying, air racing, aerial photography, aircraft sales, and a four-decade career with United. His involvement in aviation has led him to meet many interesting people, including aviation legends, presidents, and celebrities. In these pages, you will read about many of those people, including Jack Conroy, Allen Paulson, Bill Lear, Frank Sinatra, Sydney Pollack, Danny Kaye, Bruce McCaw, and Joe Clark.

In the Cockpit with Bob Hoover is the second volume in Passion for Flight, a series of short biographies regarding notable pilots who inspire young and old alike to take to the skies. Hoover was shot down on Feb. 9, 1944, and spent 15 years as a prisoner of war. He was later assigned to Wright Field as a test pilot and served as Chuck Yeager’s backup pilot for the X-1 program. He left the military in 1948, joined General Motor’s Allison Division as a test pilot, and later tested and demonstrated airplanes for North American Aviation/Rockwell International. He flew popular aerobatic demonstrations in airplanes including a Shrike Commander 500S and well-known P-51. In more than 50 years of flying, the legendary air show pilot performed aerobatics in more airplane types, events and countries, and before more people, than anyone in the history of aviation.

In the Cockpit with Harrison Ford is part of the Passion for Flight series. These short biographies (20,000 words or less) tell the stories of notable pilots who inspire young and old alike to take to the skies. Harrison Ford’s fascination with aviation began as a child. He took as many flying lessons as he could afford in college but didn’t get back into flying until he was in his mid 50s, after spending time in the air with pilot and director Sydney Pollack. As a way to help promote aviation, he got involved with the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Young Eagles program. He served as the YE chairman from 2004 to 2009. Ford says one of the things he loves about aviation is the special kinship of pilots, whether at a gathering like EAA AirVenture Oshkosh or when he lands at small airports around the country. He’s had a vast collection of aircraft, including a Cessna Citation CJ3, Pilatus PC-12, Aviat Husky A-1B, Cessna Grand Caravan, Bell 407, AT-10 Waco, de Havilland Beaver and Waco Taperwing. He is also a helicopter pilot.Di Freeze interviewed Harrison Ford during EAA AirVenture. This is not meant to be a comprehensive history of his life, but it contains the major milestones in his acting career and aviation history.

In the Cockpit with Sean Tucker is part of the Passion for Flight series. These "short biographies" (20,000 words or less) tell the stories of notable pilots who inspire young and old alike to take to the skies. Oprah invited Sean D. Tucker on a 2009 show dedicated to the “best” in different areas. The legendary aerobatic pilot briefly shared some of his life story with her, including what caused him to fear flight at an early age and how he overcame that fear. I had the chance to interview Sean a few years ago, shortly after he made a harrowing jump out of his cherished biplane, the Oracle Challenger. Sean Tucker’s father was a pilot who influenced his passion for airplanes as well as his fear of flight. An early experience with skydiving also contributed to that fear, but he overcame it through aerobatic lessons with acclaimed flight instructor Amelia Reid. Tucker has flown more than 1,000 performances at more than 425 air shows, in front of more than 80 million spectators. His extraordinary talent in the sky has earned him many awards, from the Art Scholl Memorial Showmanship Award and the Bill Barber Award for Air Show Showmanship, in his early air show days, to recently being inducted into the International Council of Air Shows Hall of Fame in 2007, the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2008, and the International Aviation Air & Space Hall of Fame in 2009, as well as many others. Sean Tucker is also an honorary Thunderbird, Blue Angel, and Snowbird, and is the only civilian performer ever to be allowed to fly close formation with the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds. His concern over safety in the industry led him to accept an appointment in 1990 as an FAA-appointed air show certification evaluator (ACE). Throughout his career, he’s also mentored many would-be air show performers.This bio is based on Di Freeze's personal interviews with this legendary aerobatic pilot. This is not meant to be a comprehensive history of Sean Tucker's life, but it contains his major accomplishments.

In the Cockpit with Chuck Yeager is the first volume in a series of short biographies, Passion For Flight, regarding notable pilots who inspire young and old alike to take to the skies. Brig. Gen. Charles Elwood “Chuck” Yeager is best known for being the first person to break the sound barrier, on Oct. 14, 1947. After being shot down during World War II and evading capture, he successfully fought a rule that banned shot-down pilots from re-entering combat and eventually became a double ace. In 65 years in military cockpits, he flew at least 340 different makes and models of military airplanes, including the Air Force’s entire inventory during World War II, as well as aircraft from Germany, France, England, Japan, Sweden and Russia. Gen. Yeager and his wife Victoria incorporated the General Chuck Yeager Foundation in 2002. The foundation supports programs that teach “honor, integrity, courage and excellence in our daily conduct, a strong sense of public service and duty to our country, and an intellectual curiosity.” In 1994, Yeager replaced actor Cliff Robertson as the chairman of the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Young Eagles program. Under his leadership, the organization accomplished the successful mission of getting one million youth to fly at the controls by Dec. 17, 2003, the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers’ first flight. Yeager himself has personally flown more than 500 Young Eagles, and the foundation has given more than $50,000 for the Young Eagles General Chuck Yeager Scholarship Endowment Program. After accomplishing his mission, Yeager turned over the reins to Harrison Ford, in 2004.