At the beginning, readers meet Ogdan Kostan.
A former Air Force major, he had what other men called command presence. With his tall, trim frame, he dominated everybody around him, expecting deference and usually getting it. He did not have to work at it. That’s how he was: driven, ambitious, and ruthless. Only the survivors ruled. The rest followed in his jet wash. During his abridged career as an advanced fighter test pilot, they’d taught him well how to survive…at every level. To him, a customer was simply a bag of money, and a competitor someone to destroy because they took money he felt rightfully belonged to him. He held high hopes for his F/X-26 Wasp sixth-generation fighter concept prototype.
His ambition brings readers into the inner world of the civilian aviation business, Rebus Aviation, and his interaction with the Air Force, the US Department of Defense, and the US Congress. The cutthroat industry, with sabotage, bribes, disloyalty, and fierce competition, governs the initial chapters, making getting to know or like Ogdan Kostan difficult. This complicated world of his at first provides readers only a one-sided look at the man.
For readers interested in the process to produce an advanced fighter prototype, will find the details fascinating. For those interested in sabotage and competition, and how the government works to obtain new fighter planes, they will have an inside look.
For some readers who are more interested in people, rather than specifications, antagonism, or politics, the beginning of this book is a bit slow, but patient reading further into the book will provide what they seek. They will get to know more of the enigma that is Ogdan Kostan, and the people in his work and private life.
This book is available on Amazon.
About Angie Mangino
Angie Mangino, a former investigative reporter for the Staten Island Register weekly newspaper, is a freelance journalist who has been providing quality service to editors since 1995. Her publications online and in print include articles on a variety of subjects, essays, and book reviews as well as her contributions to anthologies and an academic book. In 2013 the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) accepted her as a member. She critiques unpublished manuscripts for other authors and is a copy editor.
Having lived in Tottenville since 1978, the Council on the Arts & Humanities Staten Island awarded a grant to her in 1999 to research the history of Tottenville to conduct an interactive workshop in the community. In 2000 the New York Public Library sponsored another workshop at the Tottenville Branch, and in 2002 the N.Y. State Assembly named her a Staten Island Woman in History. She was interviewed on the 50 Plus show at the local Community TV station and included in Gabe Pressman’s report on Tottenville on WNBC.
https://www.angiemangino.com/tottenville-history-blog
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