The Diversion of Flight 641

About the Book

A routine flight from Washington DC to San Francisco is intercepted and taken aboard a huge alien space cruiser. The aliens explain their action as trying to recruit suitable people from Earth to join their Galactic Federation. They state that after receiving explanatory lectures everyone will be returned to Earth, but without any knowledge of their experience. Only those selected will be given the chance to retain knowledge of what they have seen. They are told they will return to Earth within about ten days and, should regard the operation as a vacation. Placing the aircraft on the space cruiser is accomplished by means of a UFO controlled by an individual from Earth who joined the Federation after his abduction many years earlier. He is accompanied on the UFO by an alien assistant. It is explained that the Federation already has hundreds of people from Earth who have joined the Galactic Federation after learning of its existence. The first step after the UFO and the jetliner are placed on board the cruiser is to transport them to Solar Base 3 which is located on Titan, the large moon of the planet Saturn. This is where the explanatory lectures are to be given. While at Solar Base 3, the captain, co-pilot and flight engineer of the jetliner are offered the chance to visit a planet outside the Solar System. This ultimately results in the operation of the jetliner on an alien planet! There is much food for thought in the detailed narrative.

About the Author

The author is a chartered electrical engineer and physicist in the United Kingdom. He initially graduated in electrical engineering from Manchester University in 1945 and entered the electrical power industry. During this period he also served as a part-time lecturer in electrical engineering. From the power industry the author joined the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) in 1958 as the Works Electrical Engineer at the Chapelcross nuclear power station. During this assignment he developed an interest in the reactor side of the operation and began a study of reactor physics. He then moved to the Industrial Power Branch of the UKAEA and was engaged in the review of commercial nuclear power plants. He also lectured on reactor control at the Calder Hall Reactor Operations School. The author next took a position with the Test Design and Analysis Group of The General Electric (GE) Nuclear Section in San Jose, California. He was assigned as the team leader for the team conducting all startup testing on the Dresden 2 nuclear reactor located south of Chicago, Illinois. At completion of the Dresden startup, the author continued with GE to support the licensing of nuclear plants. He formerly retired in 1988, but worked as a private consul- tant for GE until 2001. The author now devotes time to keeping up with developments in physics and has an interest in Ufology. By way of contrast he also follows the fortunes of Manchester United; an interest stemming from his student days in Manchester.