(Found) Non genre novel about an alcoholic airline pilot

[Danny McG]

So I recently watched Flight (2012) starting Denzel Washington as a pilot who was a secret alcoholic, he drinks vodka and orange juice from a flask while flying, to try disguise the smell. Things go wrong but he becomes a hero, until blood tests reveal the truth.

Anyways, maybe 20/25 years ago I read a novel with very similar themes, the pilot wore civilian clothes while driving en route to his job, this was so he could buy his daily vodka without raising any eyebrows.
Like in the film he has a mishap in the air and blood tests are taken.

That's all I remember.... anyone know this novel?

 

[Orcadian]

Perhaps Final Approach? (see review at that link) - or possibly a film based on that man's life?

 

[Danny McG]

Perhaps Final Approach? (see review at that link) - or possibly a film based on that man's life?

Nah, soz, the book was deffo fiction and maybe set in the 80d

 

[Danny McG]

It's possibly The Pilot by Robert P. Davis (1976), but I can't find any plot details to confirm

 

[M. Robert Gibson]

It's possibly The Pilot by Robert P. Davis (1976), but I can't find any plot details to confirm

This was made into a film in 1980, and the synopsis of the film is here

The Pilot (film) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Given that the author also helped with the film, I'm assuming the film plot is more or less the same as the book plot

 

[Danny McG]

Yeah, that ties in with my memories - found!