Snowbird: The Rise and Fall of a Medellin Drug Pilot Paperback – July 10, 2013

I’m the past few weeks I’ve read a handful of books about drug smuggling pilots for the Medellín cartel. This was my favorite. I think that is in part due to the fact that this one was written by an author and not by the smuggler themselves, so it provides a more objective overview.The story is well structured, and includes a lot of interesting anecdotes about flying (as a pilot this is what I was hoping for). I also enjoyed the authors perspectives on Andrew and his wife.

The book was a good read. Settle in with a pizza, some mixers, a bottle of bourbon and some ice and enjoy the ride. It left me wondering: what happened to Barnes after he got out of the clink in 1995? Turns out he returned to the U.K., or was forced to return, and lived a life of booze, TV, and very little work. As such, homeless in recent years, he got into a bust up with another bloke over squatters rights at a dwelling in Devon. He was charged with aforementioned crime. He will probably die in prison. Sad. If he had just quit while ahead none of the bad stuff would have happened. But no one in the trans-shipment game ever does. Look at El Chapo in 2019 or Carlos Lehder in 1988.

Modern day swashbuckler. Interesting account, to told to a journalist, of a drug-transporter's adventures. Islands in the Caribbean, night landings on a dirt track in Columbia, night landings on improvised rural strips in Florida and Geogia. Many close calls, wrecked and stolen airplanes. Exciting as well as informative read. Nonfiction! This is a real guy still living, I understand, in a foreign country. My only reservation is that, in order, I think, to get the story out of the former pilot, the writer made him out to be less bad than he really was: "Economic circumstances made him do the things he did." Yeah, sure. That's probably true. But only partially. Clearly the guy loved the adventure -- and the money that went with it. I, too, enjoyed the adventure. Vicariously being good enough for me!

The crimes were heinous, of course, but the spirit of adventure involved is amazing. Norris' writing kept me engaged up the very end. Also unlike other authors of the same subject he didn't feel the need to inject tons of supplemental names and have full "cast" to keep up with.Just like age old pirates it was very interesting to see how these operations were done and then lengths of which the pilots would go just for payment. Andrew Barnes was an interesting fellow and I find it very intriguing that he never partook in the massive amounts of drugs that he smuggled. All in all this was a very interesting and fun read.

Andy, Got screwed over by his long time buddy Juan Carlos. $500,000 were given to the torre's to give Andy 50K, he never did give Andy the money bought a Beech craft, and told Andy I screwed him.Andy was a severe alcoholic best C46 Pilot and ratted me out. I"m kind of glad he's in jail forever what a waste he was a nice guy, but Alcohol ruined his life and his trust for Juan Carlos Torres.Then he ratted Carlos (JOE) and was the cause of Chucks death along with his copilot that left behind 5 kids.

This is a straight forward, easy to read 1-2 person account of the smugglers life. I don't think the author interviewed anyone other the the subject and his wife. I loved the smuggling stories, descriptions of the aircraft, the maneuvers, the landing strip, the technique etc. The unappealing part of this book was the unappealing main character.

A truly interesting story that was hard to put down. I was a Federal Agent working in South Florida at the time and this book is defiantly factually correct. I generally rate few books but this was a value packed exciting read that I highly recommend. It was very well written and flows easily.

This is a story about a kid who, as much by chance as by design, lands in the upper echelon of Carlos Lehder's early smuggling venture.Recommended for anyone looking for a unique perspective on life in the sphere of the high times of 1980's Florida drug runners.A very well written, easy read for a hot summer day!

I remember Andrew very well as we were at school together for 10 years.