Sunderland pilot hits the heights with debut novel

A pilot from Sunderland who now flies the super-rich around on luxury planes in the United States has called on his his considerable life experience to write his first book.

Dean Corbyn's debut novel is called The Jorvik Prophecy. He wrote the book while he was grounded with many other pilots during the covid pandemic; and now it has been published.

The novel is a supernatural mystery story, about a "paranoid New York dentist’s journey to York, England to unravel her ancestral mysteries - and save an innocent child’s life. Danger lurks around every corner and nobody is who they seem, least of all her allies".

The new book, which was released on April 29, was adapted from an earlier screenplay by Dean called The Maiden of Jorvik. It combines real North East history with supernatural elements. An audiobook version of the novel is expected by June.

Dean said: “I included my favourite local spots like Sunderland’s St Peter’s Church, Durham’s Lumley Castle and York’s Guy Fawkes Inn; plus a funny take on the fierce Sunderland-Newcastle football rivalry.”

The author's passion for flying was sparked when his parents gave him flying lessons as a Christmas present.

In 1998 the then newlywed trainee pilot and his wife Amy made the front page of the Echo when they were separated at a Dallas airport over visa issues during their honeymoon.

In fact he was deported back to England and forced apart from Amy for nine months and into a lengthy legal battle.

He later had to endure the aftermath of the 2001 attack on the World Trade Centre, when a job offer he had received from American Airlines was rescinded.

Dean recalls: “Tens of thousands were furloughed. It was literally the worst time to be a pilot.”

In his time Dean has helped run a Roker guesthouse, been a barman, security driver and picture framer.

Today he is based in Texas and flies a $65 million Gulfstream G650, the fastest private jet in the world, for a wealthy family.

The Jorvik Prophecy is out now and is available in paperback from Amazon and also on Kindle.