Get inside the head of one of America's most experienced MiG pilots as he tells the thrilling tale of the top-secret US operation that wouldn't feel out of place in 'Top Gun'.
After finding themselves outflown over Vietnam, the American military launched top-secret Operation Constant Peg, using illicitly obtained Russian Fighters pitted against star US fighter pilots in simulated combat exercises. With controls labelled in Russian and the only spare parts being the ones they could salvage, the pilots who climbed into the MiGs – the Red Eagles – accepted all of the risks associated with operating these aircraft.
This book describes what it was like to be there day in and day out at one of the most access-restricted airfields in the entire USAF, flying MiGs alongside some of the very best fighter pilots hand-picked from the ranks of the USAF, US Navy and US Marine Corps. Rob “Z-Man” Zettel tells the Red Eagles story for the first time through the experiences of a pilot who flew these aircraft to their maximum performance in simulated combat engagements, often several times a day, against frontline fighter pilots of the three US sister services.
Vivid accounts of training engagements put the reader right in the cockpit, while historical photographs help paint the picture of an operation that took the US Air Force from its disappointing performance in the Vietnam War to unprecedented success in Operation Desert Storm.
By:
Rob Zettel
Imprint: OSP Publishing inc
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 236mm,
Width: 162mm,
Spine: 38mm
Weight: 620g
ISBN: 9781472808554
ISBN 10: 147280855X
Pages: 368
Publication Date: 12 February 2026
Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
(Subject to Confirmation) Prologue – No shots taken Getting there Welcome to Nellis ‘Up North’ – Tonopah Test Range Checking out in the MiG-21 Crashing and Burning . . . Figuratively! The Routine The Squadron ‘Out of the pool, we’re going home!’ Fur Balls and Cat Fights The Crapper T-38 and ‘Alpha North’ USAF Fighter Weapons School and Topgun Did I mention security? ‘Sir, can he do that?’ ‘Flogger’ Time April Fools It's been a blast! Returning in the F-15 Epilogue – Desert Thunder – A Testament to the Value of Constant Peg
Lt Col Rob “Z-Man” Zettel, USAF (ret.) is a veteran of the “'Red Eagles”, the 4477th Test & Evaluation Squadron (TES). Flying both MiG-21 and MiG-23 fighters from September 1983 to December 1986, he completed hundreds of sorties engaging USAF, US Navy and US Marine Corps frontline fighter pilots, In his 42-year flying career he has logged more than 20,000 flight hours in everything from Stearman biplanes to frontline fighters and, more recently, Boeing’s and Airbus' most advanced airliners.
Reviews for American MiG Pilot: Inside the Top Secret USAF “Red Eagles” MiG Squadron
Life in the 'Red Eagles' was unique. Imagine a group of young captains, a few majors and lieutenant commanders, and a couple of lieutenant colonels, living and working in secrecy, flying airplanes no one admitted we had. The stories practically write themselves. Rob 'Z-Man' Zettel has brilliantly captured the spirit, challenges, and camaraderie of life in our secret MiG squadron. * General (Ret.) Herbert “Hawk” Carlisle Commander, Air Combat Command, 2014–17 “Bandit 54” *
