Griffin Bay Bookstore will present Bob Tripp, a longtime pilot and author, on Aug. 23 from 2-4 p.m.

Tripp, a San Juan Island resident, will be on hand to sign and discuss his first novel, “Last Clear Chance,” a riveting story about the aftermath of a disastrous crash at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak airport.

Tripp writes with authority about the world of aviation. He has spent 50 years in the industry, logging in 25,000 hours as both a commercial and test pilot. He has written numerous magazine articles on aviation, sports and adventure.

In “Last Clear Chance,” he has turned to fiction to take the reader behind the scenes and into the world of pilots and airlines. The novel centers on Capt. Dan Swanton’s struggle to rebuild not only his professional life as a pilot, but his family and personal life following the crash.

Richard Drury, Airways magazine contributing editor and author of “Skylines” and “My

Private War,” wrote the following about his fellow author:

“Bob Tripp’s captivating first novel serves us food for the soul. From the most complex flight technology that only an accomplished aviator could illuminate to the eternal questions of religion and philosophy, ‘Last Clear Chance’ takes the reader down roads we do not find on the usual maps. The feast is on the table, but we first need the address. Bob Tripp gives it to us.”