author
Elmer Haslett
A decorated World War I airman turned memoirist, he wrote with firsthand knowledge of the danger, improvisation, and dark humor of early military aviation. His best-known book brings readers into the cockpit-era world of aerial observation over the Western Front.
1 Audiobook
Luck on the Wing: Thirteen Stories of a Sky Spy
by Elmer Haslett
About the author
Best known for Luck on the Wing: Thirteen Stories of a Sky Spy (1920), he wrote from direct experience rather than distant research. The book is a lively account of service in the U.S. Army Air Service during World War I, and it has remained of interest to readers drawn to early aviation and wartime memoir.
Reliable records identify him as Elmer Resides Haslett and note that he served with the 12th Aero Squadron in France. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism near Montfaucon on September 28, 1918, after continuing an aerial mission despite severe wounds. Later reference sources connected with his book describe him as having served as an operations officer and as an aide to General William "Billy" Mitchell.
What makes his writing stand out is its mix of action, observation, and plainspoken storytelling. Instead of treating flight as pure legend, he shows it as risky, technical, and often improvised work, which gives his memoir a lasting sense of immediacy.