Flying Sideways

$29.95

On an unremarkable day in 1969, a helicopter touches down in Saint Louis, Senegal at the feet of eight-year-old misfit, Fred North. Fifty years later, he’s the world’s most renowned stunt pilot with a world altitude record and over 200 film credits to his name, including Transformers, James Bond: Spectre, Mission Impossible, and the Fast and Furious.

Flying Sideways tells the gripping, heartfelt, madly entertaining story of how a misunderstood boy in Africa with nothing but a dream, breaks the rules, beats the odds, and learns to believe in himself. Against a vibrant global backdrop that touches down everywhere from New York City to Madagascar, we follow Fred as he deserts  the French Army (in roller skates,) talks his way into flight school, sleeps in the Sahara, becomes chief pilot for the world greatest rally car and adventures races, gets mixed-up with DEA in Miami, dodges death, and improbably, falls in love.

A story about having the courage to push the limit and the humility to redefine it, Flying Sideways teaches us to bet on ourselves, to dream big (then bigger), and that the most dangerous thing you do with your life is give up on it. 

Hard cover book, 6x9 - Released October 3rd, 2023

In 1985, Fred began his career as a Camera Helicopter Pilot flying for desert rally car races, working in very difficult and dangerous conditions. He served as Chief Helicopter Pilot for “Paris-Dakar” and “Paris-Moscow-Beijing” rallies spanning the Morocco, Sahara and Namibia deserts, and crossing Russia and China. He also coordinated helicopters for the famous sport trek, “Raid Gauloises,” crossing the jungles of Costa Rica, Madagascar and Malaysia, and the desert and mountain regions of Argentina.

Specializing in the film industry for more than 30 years, Fred is an expert in aerial cinematography having accumulated more than 15,000 hours shooting feature films and commercials, and more than 20,000 total flying hours. He has worked with such acclaimed directors as Roland Emmerich, Michael Bay, Tony Scott, Peter Berg, Damian Chazelle, Doug Liman, Joel Schumacher and 2nd Unit “action” directors such as Bryan Smrz, Phil Nielson, Simon Crane, Spiro Razatos, Vic Armstrong, Andy Armstrong and Jeff Habberstad.

Working out of Los Angeles, Fred possesses extensive aerial film experience throughout the world and enjoys collaborating with filmmakers to ensure a selection of the best camera systems and helicopters based on director, cinematographer and script requirements. In addition, his Motion Picture Safety Manual has been approved by the FAA.

Fred carries helicopter pilot licenses to fly in the USA, in Europe (65 different countries), Canada and also has validations in numerous foreign countries such as Japan, China, New Zealand, Brazil, …

He works with all film formats and numerous helicopter series.

Motion Picture Pilot Association – MPPA Member

SAG and AFTRA Member

Fred holds the World Record for Altitude with a Helicopter, accomplished in South Africa, March 2002. Read more about it, here.