Jungle Pilot takes up the story of the five American missionaries told in Through Gates of Splendour and Shadow of the Almighty, by Elisabeth Elliot, who writes:
"Here is proof that the life that was lived on Galilee's dusty roads may be lived in the jungles of Ecuador—even in a twentieth-century airplane.
Nate knew that there is only one thing worth expending one's life for—the will of God. 
How did he set about to do this?
Through Nate's own clear-eyed writing, skilfully incorporated in Jungle Pilot, we have a satisfying answer."

This book is centred on Nate Saint, the man whose inventive genius made "Operation Auca" possible. He was born into a family where art, mechanics and deep religious faith seemed mixed in equal proportions. After a tour of duty in the Air Force, he joined the now well-known Missionary Aviation Fellowship in its early days as mechanic-pilot. Before long he became the planner and logistics expert of "Operation Auca". It was he who worked out dozens of ingenious devices and as pilot perfected the now-famous "bucket-drop" for plane-to-ground communication.

This was used to make the first contact with the savage Auca Indians.
The missionaries dropped gifts in the bucket and were pleased to see them picked up by the Aucas, who also presented gifts. 

It was Nate who made the first difficult landing in Auca territory.
He and his four friends built a prefabricated hut on the beach and settled down to wait for the Aucas.

On January 8th, 1956, Nate radioed to the missionary wives:
"Have just sighted a commission of ten, it looks like they'll be here for the early afternoon service.
Pray for us. 
This is the day!
Will contact you next at four-thirty."

It was a message that never came through.

From the dust jacket