Good aircraft books- what are you reading?

[VIRGA]

Just finished reading a pretty good book called "The Crew". It was written by an airline pilot called Michael Patrick Collins. The last few lines on the back say it all.

'The Crew offers an exciting roller coaster journey through the world of international espionage and corruption at the highest level.'

'The author, an airline pilot with 22,000 hours, has written a story leaning heavily on a lifetime in the air. The cynicism for management and the establishment, evident in these pages, is common amongst those who fly the line.'

'A book for pilots and for those who, if they could have their time again, would join them.'

Definately worth a read. I borrowed a copy off a mate who says Amazon sells them.

Anybody else out there read it?

[rearwhelsteer888]

Virga,

I was thinking the other day that I should start a thread on good books for pilots to read ,I havn't read the crew but just finished a great book called "SKUNK WORKS" Its all about the late great Kelly Johnson who was the bloke resposible for the development of the F104, U2,YF-12,SR-71 and its written by the bloke who followed in his footsteps called Ben Rich who developed the Have Blue project stealth bomber,I think now in operation called the F-117.
An absolutely awsome read,lots of cold war secrets and its all in paperback,paid $15 for it from a local bookstore.
Highly recommended.
RWS888:E

[E.P.]

I still believe Earnest K. Gaan said it all in "Fate is the Hunter" and with an eloquence that remains unequalled. "Young neophytes with their enormous watches and matching appendages..........."
Just brillant!! :ok:

[KLN94]

VIRGA

I went to Dymocks and Angus & Robertson today and they don't have a listing for this book on their databases. Can you please have a look and advise what the ISBN code is so I can track it from there?

Thanks

[The_Cutest_of_Borg]

For anyone interested, Mike is still a current QF pilot, one of the growing ranks of over 60's pilots on the 767 after coming back from the -400.

I haven't read the book but have no doubt it would be a great read and congratulate Mike on the achievement of simply getting it published. No mean feat..

[VIRGA]

G'day KLN94, the ISBN is 1-84426-291-X. Hope that helps. Otherwise definately available on Amazon on the net. Also their is a website for the publishers on the back. www.upfrontpublishing.com

Rearwheelster, I too have read SKUNKWORKS and yes it is. 'The Crew' is a fair bit different as it is not a biography but a cracking story to the end.

Cutest, pass on my congratulations to the Author please, as you're obviously an acquaintance.

[SeldomFixit]

Hornet's sting; Kentucky Blues; Piece of cake; A good clean fight; Goshawk Squadron; damned good show. All by Derek Robinson and excellent reads. So many more and so little time to savour.

[Heatseeker]

If Mike's book reads anything like his articles in the Ops rag I bet it's going to be a cracker. Must hit him up for a freebie next time I see him (yeah I know, in my dreams)

Heat

[gaunty]

Michael Patrick Collins - The Crew

Information

ISBN No.:
184426291X

Pages:
220

Price (£):
9.99

Format:
5 x 8 in or 203 x 127 mm Perfect Bound

What next?

I would like to:
View other books by this author
Order this book from Upfront
View this book at Amazon
Begin a new search


Synopsis:

An ageing reporter, consigned to a South American backwater covering an election in which nobody is interested, spends his last nights in a bar. Striking up a conversation with a mysterious stranger, he is told a story of death and destruction and of wealth beyond his dreams, a story of eight long weeks in the lives of three men. The ensuing tale involves the corrupt management of a bankrupt airline on the verge of collapse, and soon it is the three unwitting crew of one of their freighters that become pawns in a game of greed and murder. As the pressure builds they realise that the only way that they will survive is to take measures into their own hands. The Crew offers an exciting roller coaster journey through the world of international espionage and corruption at the highest level. The author, an airline pilot with 22,000 hours, has written a story leaning heavily on a lifetime in the air. The cynicism for management and the establishment, evident in these pages, is common amongst those who fly the line. A book for pilots and for those who, if they could have their time again, would join them.


Plot sounds chilingly familiar, your normal day in the prosecution of aviation for a living :E :{

They "print on demand" one book, or thousands. check out the site, I'm ordering a copy today. :ok: thanks for the tip.

Now if I can only find a copy of the "Skunk Works" at my local book exchange :)

[Wings Of Fury]

SeldomFixit,
Another good one by Derek Robinson is "War Story" follows Lieutenant Paxton when he was posted to France in 1916, very funny at the same time serious book :ok:
It is a prequel to Goshawk Squadron.

[cascade07]

I have just finished reading "Chickenhawk" by Robert Mason - Vietnam, Huey's and some pretty hair raising accounts of the missions they flew....

Definitely worth a read...:ok:

[Poto]

"Chickenkawk", "Skunk Works", "Fate is the Hunter", "Yeager
" ! Could not put these books down. "Qantas Rising" was a little like pulling teeth but I battled on. :ok:

The One got me into this whole game was "Reach for the Sky" (the story of Douglas Bader WWII RAF spitty driver). It's one of the classics:cool:

[SeldomFixit]

Thanks W.O.F - one of his I haven't read but will now. It's his ability to paint the cynacism with dark humour that I enjoy in his work.

[Inverted FL]

rearwhelsteer888, i read that book a while ago as well and thought it was fantastic!

does anybody know the name of the book written by the ex SR71 pilot? To the best of my understanding, it was what started the "ground speed" joke.

Cheers!

[Keg]

Brian Shul was the blokes name. His book was Sleddriver.

http://www.sleddriver.com/

Goodgle is such a wonderful thing when you know the name of the book!

Enjoy.

[rearwhelsteer888]

Inverted FL,
Keg's got it in one ,exept he didn't mention that it cant be found for less than about $400,I've looked high and low and no joy,If someone has got a copy and feels like lending it to me,they could be sure that I would enjoy it emensley and return it in perfect condition...Promise.
RWS888:E

[Soulman]

On the topics of good books - I'd recommend Aiming High by Jon Johanson to anyone who hasn't read it. For those who don't know, Jon is the Aussie fella who piloted NOJ (the RV-4) around the world twice.

Not your typical airline captain with 20000hrs - just an ordinary Aussie with extraordinary passion for flying!

Soulman.

[Wing Root]

Virga,

Thanks for the recommendation. I ordered it from amazon.com and finished reading it last night. The author sure didn't like airline executives!
It was great to see the Australian involvement in the book including ASIO and the Aussie SAS plus a look at Cabramatta's seedy Asian crime element.
:ok: :ok:

[Equatorial]

Thanks VIRGA

Just finished reading my copy which I got thru amazon - it was a great read - one of those books that keeps you hooked until the end.

Don't you hate it when all you want to do is read a great book and you keep getting interupted? Very frustrating.... sorry for the delay in posting this but I felt I must sing the book's praises publicly.

I wonder if the Author has plans to write a biography of his aviation career? He's obviously had a lot of experience to draw from in his life - hopefully I have as successful an avation career.

I would suggest everyone get a copy and have a read - good value and great time passer whether in between sectors or sitting out bush waiting for the next charter to pop up.

:ok:

[Keg]

The author sure didn't like airline executives!

Make that DOESN'T. Mike is still flogging up and down the coast in a 767. He was great to watch in full flight at an AIPA SGM a couple of years back. I don't think he's changed too much since then. For an 'over 60' bloke, he's still great to talk to! :E

[Hahn]

Thanks, Virga, that was a good one indeed! For a similar pleasure try "Fate is the risk" by Gunther Goering (ISBN 3-929017-20-2) it is told a "tale", but in fact most of it is a true story and happened as written in there. I know and flew with at least four guys the book deals with, and they confirmed the true story! It is about shipping guns and other stuff from A to B and I read it in one go!!

[VIRGA]

Hahn sounds good. Will do.

Keg you seem to know Mr Collins quite well, do you know if he's writting or written another book at all? Wouldn't mind getting my hands on it.

[BLO MOI]

another excellent read.. written by the other Mike Collins ( that is the Apollo 11 Command Model Pilot.. the one who stayed in orbit)
'Carrying the Fire'
Hard to track down but def. worth the effort..

[27/09]

Anyone bothered to check the price of the limited edition reprint of Sleddriver, ONLY $427-00 USD, OUCH

[Taildragger]

I too, am an Ernest K Gann fan. His writing has that fantastically evocative style which makes you want to jump up and say "ME TOO" What a writer.! However, I have recently read a book, just as evocative and in the same wonderful modest style.
It is "First Light" by Geofrfrey Wellum and will be available from your local library. It is the story of a young lad who joins the airforce and flies Spitfires. Before you run off with the idea that this is another, "I flew against the Hun" type of book...it is not.
it is the story of everybody who ever learned to fly...the Highs, the lows, and the downright heartbreaking. It is written in a beautifully modest and realistic style, and by the time you get to the end of the book he was only 21.!! To see what he had seen and done what he had done at 21 years of age is phenomenal. Do yourselves a favour and get it. If you can put it down after you have picked it up, then the beers are on me.

[Arm out the window]

A good one is 'Winged Victory' by V.M. Yates, (or Yeats?).
It was written by a WW1 Camel pilot, and far from being Biggles-style escapism is a deeply moving story of a Camel squadron and its exploits in France. It seems to have been written in the spirit of putting down things as truthfully as possible, so it's easy to relate to the fears, excitement, war-weariness and so on that is portrayed, as it all reads so true.
Another excellent book is 'Wings on my sleeve' by Eric Brown (I think). He was a British fleet air arm pilot in WWII who went on to become a test pilot, flying all kinds of weird and wonderful machines, including testing some of the German types just after the war ended. A bunch of great stories, and well written.

[VIRGA]

Just thought I might send this up to the top again.

I don't know about anybody else but I enjoy a good read and everyone on this thread seems to be coming out with some pretty good ones.

[Like This - Do That]

Sled Driver is an absolute beauty. I bought one of the first editions from Napoleon's in Pitt St, I thought it was pricey at $75 or thereabouts. The new edition has lots more pics but $400+ ?!?!? RWS888 I'm sure you're an honourable type but I'm not letting my copy leave my study :ok:

"Going Downtown" by Col Jack Broughton is a good read, not sure if it's still in print. It's a better book than his earlier "Thud Ridge". Also about F-105s is Ken Bell's "100 Missions North" which is good.

Has anyone read Milt Thompson's book about the X-15? "At the Edge of Space" is the name. I have "Hypersonic" on the same topic which is good but it get a bit anorak-like in the details.

"Chickenhawk" I enjoyed. "Sea Harrier Over the Falklands" is a cracking read if you can get past Sharkey Ward's monumental ego....

[Flight Detent]

Hi all,

Rearwhelsteer888 - Isn't the F-12 and the SR-71, twin and single seat versions of the same airplane?
The F-12 being the much better version in its hey-day!

Saw a heap of SR-71s and U-2s parked at Palmdale, California, (about 120 miles north of LA), where Lockheed assembled both the C-141 and the P-3C years ago during my days of post production test flying of the RAAFs new P-3Cs in mid '86.

I've read that book relating the designing, development, test flying and in-service life of both the F-12 and SR-71.

It's a really interesting read, a fantastic airplane!

Cheers

[AT502]

Try, 'Sigh For a Merlin' by Alex Henshaw. He was the Spitfire test pilot based at Duxford, UK.

I bought a few copies when I went to Duxford about 5 years ago and wish I had of grabbed even more for other mates to read, as I won;t loan mine out, too teasured. Highly recommended reading. Just amazing stories.

Cheers,

Troup.

[Three Bars]

Virga,

Yes, Mike is working on the sequel to his story and more's the pity because his contributions have tailed off on Qrewroom. If you thought his book was entertaining, you should have read some of his posts about company goings-on. Absolute classics!!!

:O :D :p

[VIRGA]

How refreshing to hear. This guy sounds like a real good bloke and a 'typical and true' line driver. It's obvious now where the influence in the book comes from.

Can't wait for the next bit. Is it a sequel or another story?

Aside from that I'm seriously giving thought as to whether I should invest in a copy of 'Sled Driver' the limited edition. How much would I be able to hire it out to people for? Of course I would have to have security and perhaps an interview before the lease takes place. A maximum reading time may also be required.

[Animalclub]

What a great thread.

My library says that I have no chance of getting Sleddriver or Fate is the Risk from them... but the other books mentioned on this thread are coming through. If there are others please put them up on this thread.

Again, thanks.

[Hahn]

You can get "fate is the risk" from www.amazon.de it is from the other side of the planet, but no problem at all.
cheers!

[Animalclub]

Hahn..a good drink.

I've tried but can't find it in the English Section. Any idea how much it would cost?

Can't read/speak much German.

[Hahn]

Hi!
here is the link: http://www.amazon.de/exec/obidos/ASIN/3929017202/qid=1101042955/sr=1-6/ref=sr_1_8_6/302-9728032-0608829
if you are an amazon customer somewhere you can use your normal lock-in to order, at least it worked when I tried the other way round. Price is EUR 17,99 plus shipment. Hope it helps.

[Animalclub]

Hahn... now I'm concerned. If I order that will it be in German or English. The only thing that appears in English is the title.

[Hahn]

Relax! The book will be in english, my word! In fact "fate is the risk" is the english translation of "Der den Kopf riskiert" and all the comments and recommendations are based on the original book. And one of the blokes writing a comment flew with a couple of the guys mentioned in the book as well.

[VIRGA]

Back to the top for more books.........

[Ultralights]

Just finished the biography of Sidney Cotton "The last flight out of Berlin"
very interesting read, beginning from his WW1 flying through to developing the air recon unit and spy flights over Berlin and germany before the outbreak of WW2 in his personal Lockeed Electra,and the pink and pale coloured spitfires.
then goes on to tell of his story after the war, gun running for royalty using surplus WW2 bombers, and onto his middle east exploits! great read, and lots of fantastic photos especially do WW2 times!

found the copy at my local ABC store in Miranda.

[Animalclub]

Reading a few John J. Nance books... I like them.

Nance is a B747 Captain in real life.

[VH-UFO]

Nah, im sorry people but "Budgie the helicopter" tops 'em all.

In particular "Budgie goes to sea", an absolute cracker.

Cant remember, but i think it was written by some redheaded toesucking nimwit.

[A/F Armed]

Slipping The Surly Bonds

"Fulcrum: A Top Gun Pilot's Escape From the Soviet Empire." by Alexander Zuyev

And some links to browse.......


http://books.mcgraw-hill.com/getcategory.php?template=aviation&catid=3633&category=General&level=2

http://www.yellowairplane.com/Books_n_Videos/Books.html

http://www.powells.com/salebooks/Aviation.1.html

[Gumaaark]

I can't Believe...
All these posts about great books, and not a single mention as yet of the one who more or less started it all for me;
Richard Bach...

Surley at least one in five pilots has a copy of "Jonathon Livingstone Seagull" in their collection?

Honourable mention to Antoine de Saint Exupery...

:ok:

[NOtimTAMs]

Tom Wolfe "The Right Stuff" - test piloting and the guys that formed the early space program in the US.

[Captain Sand Dune]

Well I know what I want for X-Mas and birthday pressies!

Anyone got information (author's name and book ID no) on "Sky Pirates"?

[ou Trek dronkie]

If you've ever been in an Air Force, The Right Stuff and Catch 22 are hilarious - and utterly believable too.

oTd

[VIRGA]

I finally have it. My limited edition copy of "SLED DRIVER". Autographed and serial numbered. Havent started reading it yet but I had a flick through and it looks fantastic. Some of the photos are amazing. Cant wait to get into it. Although I think there will be rules, no greasy fingers, too name one.

I also got the last flight out of Berlin so I will be getting into that this week.

[7gcbc]

I'm also surprised that Gumaark is the only one to mention Richard Bach and more importantly Exupery.

Ernst K Gaan is fantastic with "Fate is the Hunter", but for sheer love of flying then Bach in "Biplane" or "Gift of wings" has to do it, Exupery is very philosophically astute at the emotions, although a little remiss on the technical side of things so the story goes......... Exupery has certainly influenced me personally.

is it true that copies of "Sled Driver" are around 400 USD now ?

ps, some of the w.e.johns stuff (biggles this , biggles that) is also fairly accurate in as much as it could have been at the time, early stuff better than later ,as later he made more cracking adventure stories rather than factual flight engagement anecdotes......or so I'm led to believe, fun reading though, I'm looking forward to getting the kids hooked

regards

7gcbc

[VIRGA]

My copy of 'sled driver' was 400USD. Havent read it yet. The pics so far have made it worth it though.

[AnyGivenSunday99]

I agree with 7gcbc. Richard Bach is an exceptional author. It sounds a little corny, but do your selves a favor, go and buy a copy of "jonathon Livingston Seagul". It is one of the most inspirational books I have ever read. You really have to read between the lines, but i am sure you will find it as inspiring as I did.

Other than that, there is also another called "A Thousand Skies", which was a dramatisation of the life of Sir Charles Kingsford Smith. Excellent look into australian aviation in it's infancy.

Enjoy.... what a good string this is......!!

[vneandbeyond]

Can anyone suggest a few good books to read for an enthusiast with nothing better to do.

So far I have come up with;

Fate is the Hunter - Ghan
Handling the big Jets - Davies
Chickenhawk - Mason
The Right Stuff - Wolfe

[PLovett]

Check the Aviation History and Nostalgia forum and do a search. There was a thread running there on good aviation books which will provide far more titles than you can possibly read in a year.

[flyby_kiwi]

Go to www.aviation-worldwide.com

They have all titles for books and dvds with delivery setups in NZ and OZ.

[VIRGA]

Just read 2 books by a french WW2 fighter pilot, Pierre Closterman 'The Big Show, his war on Spits, Typhoons and Tempests' and 'Flames in the Sky' a series of factual stories about flying and combat in the war. Quite old and almost certainly out of print now but if anybody can get them they are incredible reading.

Also anybody recall the name of a Battle of Britain novel written by a guy called Eleston Trevor? Again quite old. A good yarn which I would like to read again but just cant remember the name of thr book.

Any help is appreciated.

[CoodaShooda]

Virga

From dim memory, I think Elleston Trevor wrote Squadron Airborne.

Clostermann had an updated version of The Big Show released a couple of years ago but I don't know whether it has been translated and published in English.


Used to have a couple of hundred books in a similar vein (including the above 3) but donated them to the local library due to storage problems. Most of them did not come back after the first or second loan.

[tinpis]

ho..ho..ho..ho...when Pierre goes down he goes down in flames !

old ones is best

:p

[VIRGA]

Coodashooda thanks very much for that memory jog. Now all Ive got to do is find it.

As for your incident, I guess its true that you don't know what you've got until you haven't got it huh. Must have been worth something.

[tinpis]

Another goody if you can find it is "I flew for the Führer."
By Heinz Knocke.

[Heatseeker]

Was talking to Mike Collins (The Crew) a couple of nights ago. He tells me he is not only writing a sequal to the book but also a prequal.

Wonder if he will bloody make me pay for them too. :( :( :(

H

[Plas Teek]

Have you seen the price of that book??

Amazon - Sled Driver (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0929823087/qid=1119652498/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-3010750-9013722?v=glance&s=books)

Sled Driver Website (http://secure.succeed.net/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=SR71&Product_Code=001)

Right, where's my wifes credit card?

[VIRGA]

I've got a copy. Its well worth it. Beautiful photos. Very much so an elite group of pilots.

[amos2]

Read Richard Hillary's book "The Last Enemy" 40 odd years ago when I was a budding private pilot and thought it was the greatest thing ever!

Read it again the other day and thought is was the greatest load of nonsence I had ever come across!!

I guess times and perceptions change! :sad:

[Low-Pass]

Sagitarius Rising by Cecil Lewis stand out for me.

(From http://oldpoetry.com/authors/Cecil%20Lewis)

He lied about his age in order to join the Royal Flying Corps in 1915 and served as a successful fighter pilot during the First World War. He is credited with victories over eight German planes, and he survived an encounter with the infamous "Red Baron" von Richtofen. He was awarded the Military Cross for his numerous actions performed at the Battle of the Somme in 1916. His memoirs of the air war, Sagitarius Rising (1936) are considered to be one of the finest of that era. Sequels documenting his later life included Sagittarius Surviving, All My Yesterdays, Farewell to Wings and Gemini to Joburg.


LP

[VIRGA]

Some rather sad news to this thread.

The author and decorated french WW2 fighter pilot, Pierre Closterman, died recently. As reported here he was the author of two best sellers on the airwar of WW2. 'The Big Show' and 'Flames in the Sky'.

For those interested 'The Big Show' was apparently reprinted in 2004 and should be available again. It is the only book of that time that describes in detail the activities of the Tempest fighter up against the FW90, the ME262 and of course the V1, from my knowledge.

[tinpis]

This was a cracker

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/1853672637.01._BO2,204,203,200_PIlitb-dp-500-arrow,TopRight,32,-59_AA240_SH20_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

[troppo]

"The Big Show" For any Kiwi's out there that are interested and didn't know, NZ has a strong link to the RAF's 486 Squadron and we were at the forefront flying Tempests against the V1.
Jim McCaw was and remains a legend for his flying with 486 Squadron.
He used to run a gliding club off his farm strip in the Hakataramea Valley near Kurow in North Otago and he would keep a captive audience with 'war stories' after a day's gliding.

http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2-2RAF-c11.html

[tinpis]

Troppo I flew with and knew a lot of WW2 Kiwi aces when they were "old men" in their late 40's and 50's
They were sure able to hold their own in the Aero club bar.

http://www.augk18.dsl.pipex.com/Smileys/draft.gif

It was a privilege.:ok:

[LookinDown]

Gumaaaaaaaaaark,
I was thinking exactly the same as you re Richard Bach. Just rummaged through my bookshelves for a paperbook by him that I had years back but can't find it. Had wonderful short stories about flying light classic aircraft around the US post war. Anyone recall the title?

[AusFlygal]

I find that most aviation-related novels lean heavily towards military flying which is not my thing at all.

My favourite non-military novel is a book called "Propellerhead" written by an English pilot name Antony Woodward and is an autobiography.

It's wonderfully written with pleny of humour and really captures all the joys and frustrations of learning to fly.

The synopsis is:

"Antony Woodward hated flying. It was, quite simply, not his thing. But when his flatmate Richard returned from Africa with a pilot's licence - and instant sex appeal - there was only one option....

Eccentric characters, recalcitrant lawnmower engines, lousy weather, unhappy landings - can these really be the things to get a relationship off the ground! As Woodwards passage from man to airman hits ever-increasing turbulence, he finds himself embarked on a jaunt of self-discovery that will strike a chord with many a disaffected urbanite".

Highly recommended.
:D

[sailing]

.

My favourite non-military novel is a book called "Propellerhead" written by an English pilot name Antony Woodward and is an autobiography.

It's wonderfully written with pleny of humour and really captures all the joys and frustrations of learning to fly.

Highly recommended.
:D

Couldn't agree more! Just loved that one, and one of the few books I've read more than once; it's a 'keeper'. Reminiscent of some of my early flying.:ok:

I doubt you will find this anywhere, but my Dad has a copy of "History of Aeronautics" printed in 1913, foreword by Orville Wright. Fascinating book of all the latest stuff in flying, including a photograph of a Curtiss biplane setting a new altitude record, at 300+ feet! Dad rescued it from the Defence library as it was about to be thrown out!! (That's the book, not the Curtiss)

[aircabbie]

Hi guys , this book "Nine minutes twenty seconds" is a great true story . im not a big reader , infact i hate reading though this is the first book iv'e not put down . it was recently on Air crash invesigations though the book is well laid out and full credit to the author .. A must read guys if not already done so . not sure where you would find it though im willing to lend my copy...

cheers

[Jamair]

A recent book published by an Aussie pilot - 'Sock it to 'Em Baby' by Garry Cooper. Damn good read; I've read most of the Vietnam War non-fiction titles dealing with the Australian Air War in Vietnam and this one would be one of the best.

Garry Cooper was an Aussie Fighter Pilot seconded to the USAF as an FAC in an 01 Birddog. His exploits make gripping reading. The administrative bungling of the RAAF is cringeworthy. The Australian Government approach to Awards and Honours is infuriating (I've just recieved a military service award 20 years after leaving the green machine).

Nice pic of a well-known Ppruner in there too.....:)

[aviation_enthus]

Recently celebrated my birthday and recieved a book of flying stories on the RFDS. Got me thinking if there are a lot of good books out there people might recommend?

A few I've found good recently;
- the 'Proficient Pilot' series (three) by Barry Schiff
- Flying Doctor Stories by Bill 'Swampy' Marsh


Thoughts??

[thunderbird five]

#1: Low Level Hell - loach flying in nam.

#2: Chickenhawk - slick flying in nam.

[Eagle402]

Chickenhawk by Robert Mason is possibly the best Vietnam/helo's in war book ever written. Would also recommend 'Night Dogs' by Kent Anderson - another Vietnam classic. The follow up is also excellent - 'Sympathy for the Devil'.

I've just finished 'Eight Lives Down' by Major Chris Hunter. The true story of a British bomb disposal expert in Iraq. Superb book and one very brave man.

It has recently been released in paperback too.

Eagle402

[BPH63]

"North Star Over My Shoulder" by Bob Buck (who also wrote "Weather Flying") is a great first hand account of flying from the 1930's into the 70's.
Funnily enough I also received Swampy's book for my birthday last year - a compilation of people's experience of the RFDS.
Can anyone recommend a good read (preferably autobiography) involving Australian/PNG/NZ flying that is in print/readily available?

[BPH63]

Have got to add my endorsement for "Chickenhawk" - have yet to meet a helipilot who hasn't read it!

[18-Wheeler]

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=326589

There's already a good thread on this elsewhere here.

And yeah, gotta mention "Fate is the hunter" yet again.

[youngmic]

Nicky Barr, An Australian Air Ace.

Brilliant and humbling, an amazing story of determination and courage.


And an all time favourite.

Fly for your life, a biography by Larry Forrester on Robert Stanford Tuck.

WW2 English ace with an uncanny shooting skill, a never say die attitude, a quirky sense of luck and unassuming bravery. 5 stars.

[Hasselhof]

Couldn't rate Chickenhawk highly enough. Was very hard to find for a while however its recently been reprinted and is widely available again. A truly incredible book.

[sms777]

I do not think there is a better book out there than Swampy's Flying Doctor Stories. It is a great collection of the good old fair dinkum days of aussie aviation pioneering.
Having logged nearly 2000 hrs on Queenairs it brings tears to my eyes every time i pick it up.

[Fantome]

Ginger Lacey, Fighter Pilot by Richard Townshend Bickers, a good companion to the RS Tuck book. Funniest bit in it is what Lacey does to a drunken American pilot in India who is slagging off about the "goddam Limeys, getting us into this friggin' war".

Flying Doctor by Clyde Fenton is a brilliant first hand account. Clyde was the pilot and the doctor at Katherine 1935-1939. Also has fall off the perch bits of a kind unique to the perverse personality of the late Dr Fenton.

Beyond the Blue Horizon by Alexander Frater tells the story of Frater's journey retracing the original Imperial Airways/Qantas route from England to Australia.
When he gets to Darwin he meets Ossie Osgood, Arnhem Air Charter. Ossie tells him how every pilot he employs must be a willing reader of the aviation classics, or "he's no use to me, mate."

Every pilot aspiring or qualified or anyone with the tiniest poetic bone in their body and a feeling for flight has to know Wind Sand and Stars, Antoine de St Exupery. Lindbergh's Spirit of St Louis and Autobiography of Values are fine accounts of an extraordinary life. As are his wife's books about their long flights together exploring long haul routes for Pan Am. Listen the Wind is one of those.

Then there's those two brilliant bios by Ian Mackersey on the lives of Charles Kingsford Smith and Jean Batten (Smithy and Jean Batten Garbo of the Skies.)

[Torres]

"Sepik Pilot" by Jim Sinclair. Not available "new" but can generally be found in second hand book stores and EBay.

[Dog One]

Great Australian Aviation Stories by Jim Haynes & Jillian Dellit. A great yarn of characters, pioneers, triumphs, tragedies and near misses.

[tinpis]

Duke Elegant (http://www.avcanada.ca/forums2/viewtopic.php?f=51&t=504&st=0&sk=t&sd=a)

I can personally vouch for the veracity of his TPNG exploits :rolleyes:

RIP Les.


http://www.avcanada.ca/albums/albums/userpics/10119/Duke%20and%20Tanker%2026~1.jpg

[Fris B. Fairing]

Then there's those two brilliant bios by Ian Mackersey on the lives of Charles Kingsford Smith and Jean Batten

Brilliant if you enjoy reading a relentless put-down of Smithy.

For a good read you can't go past anything by P.G. Taylor.

Rgds

[Islander Jock]

I had a hard back copy of Sugar Bird Lady, the story by Robin Miller. Quite a good read if you can get your hands on a copy.

[Pluto's gone]

Flynn of the Outback - John Flynn the real flying doctor, amazing read.

I flew for MMA - great read covering the DC3's of Mickey Mouse Airlines.

Penthouse - ok good picture book...:)

[ZEEBEE]

The Bandy Papers by Donald Jack.

A whole series of books starting with,

Three Cheers for Me
That's Me in the Middle
Me Anongst the Ruins
It's Me Again

Hillariously funny, account of a Canadian who signed up as soldier in WW1 and through accidently capturing his Commanding Officer and putting him in hospital, is reccomended for the Flying Corps where the life expectancy is one week.
Nevertheless, Bandy not only goes to distinguish himself as a War Ace, but even gets to run down the same ex Commanding officer who is on horseback during a desperate forced landing.
It has the right amount of tongue in cheek, authenticity and humour to carry it off.
Hard to find, but worth the effoert.

[Fantome]

Fris B.
Brilliant if you enjoy reading a relentless put-down of Smithy.

For a good read you can't go past anything by P.G. Taylor.



Bear in mind that Ian Mackersey and his wife Caroline put in at least ten years researching the life and times of Smithy. They uncovered stuff and made contacts with family and close connections that put all previous writers on the subject deeply in the shade. Smithy's qualities as an airman and the way in which he was an inspiration to countless Australians and New Zealanders are given prominence, of course. On the other hand, revelations and expansions about the well known larrikin streak, corporate incapability and instances of his habitual womanising and alcoholism, however distasteful to those who held him and hold him up as an idol, are the stuff of a good biographer's brief. Credit, please, where's it's due, Fris.

[GoDsGiFtToAvIaTiOn]

"Memoirs of Chimbu Chuckles"

A great read and absolutely hilarious!

GG

PS: Hopefully he will write them soon!

[Jabawocky]

GG

Fate is the Hunter might be a good read for you!

J:E

[Fantome]

WINGED VICTORY by V Yates, a former Camel pilot's novel about serving in France 1917-18 is sometimes compared with those literary gems ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT and HER PRIVATES WE, in Yates' case capturing the essence of contemporary aerial combat and the surreal life on the ground and in estaminets rubbing shoulders, (and the odd other part), with the natives.

TE Lawrence, no less, praised Yates style and veracity when the book was in MS form in 1930. My copy is a paperback reprint, ca. 1980. The only original (Jonathon Cape) edition I've ever seen was in an extensive private collection of First World War books about the war in the air, 1914-1918. The reprint has a foreword by Henry Williamson ('Tarka the Otter'), a friend of Yates. Williamson gives a sad account of Yates' short post war life and says how Yates' descriptions of tactics were so sought after during the Second World War, copies of the by then rare book changed hands for up to 20 pounds.

[solocmv]

Hello All,

P.G. Taylor, The Sky Beyond.

Peter Fitzsimmons is working on a Smithy book ,(yet another version on the man who has been depicted as all from: fool to hero).

Cheers,
Solocmv

[sms777]

And we can not forget the paperback collection of Tom Clancy's fictional novels centering the invincible B-52 and it's crew during the cold war era.

Lt. Col. Jack Ryan. Remember him? ;)

Lot of crap but it is entertaining!

:ok:

[Fantome]

Speaking of which, Slim Pickens playing Major "King" Kong in Dr Strangelove comes to mind:

* Well, boys, I reckon this is it. New-q-lure combat, toe-to-toe with the Rooskies. Now look, boys. I ain't much of a hand at makin' speeches. But I got a pretty fair idea that somethin' doggoned important's going on back there. And I got a fair idea of the kind of personal emotions that some of you fellas may be thinkin'. Heck, I reckon you wouldn't even be human beins if you didn't have some pretty strong personal feelings about nuclear combat. But I want you to remember one thing - the folks back home is a countin' on ya, and by golly, we ain't about to let 'em down. Tell ya somethin' else - this thing turns out to be half as important as I figure it just might be, I'd say that you're all in line for some important promotions an' personal citations when this thing's over with. That goes for every last one of ya, regardless of your race, color, or your creed. Now, let's get this thing on the hump. We got some flyin' to do.

* Survival kit contents check. In them you'll find: one .45-caliber automatic, two boxes ammunition, four days' concentrated emergency rations, one drug issue containing antibiotics, morphine, vitamin pills, pep pills, sleeping pills, tranquilizer pills, one miniature combination "Rooshin" phrase book and Bible, one hundred dollars in rubles, one hundred dollars in gold, nine packs of chewing gum, one issue of prophylactics, three lipsticks, three pair of nylon stockings... Shoot, a fella could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff!
o Pickens actually said "... have a pretty good weekend in Dallas with all that stuff." but his line was looped in post-production because of sensitivity about the Kennedy assassination that had just occurred in Dallas.

* Well, I've been to one world fair, a picnic, and a rodeo, and that's the stupidest thing I ever heard come over a set of earphones.

* Now, boys, we got three engines out; we got more holes in us than a horse trader's mule; the radio's gone and we're leakin' fuel, and if we's flying any lower, why, we'd need sleigh bells on this thing. But we got one little bulge on them Rooskies, at this height, why, they might harpoon us but they dang sure ain't gonna spot us on no radar screen.

* Well, shoot. We ain't come this far just to dump this thing in the drink. What's the nearest target o' opportunity?

* Stay on the bomb run, Ace. I'm goin' down below and see what I can do...Stay on the bomb run, boys. I'm going to get them doors open if it harelips everybody on Bear Creek.

* [as he rides on top of the bomb as it falls on the target]Aaaaaa hoooo! Waaaaa hooooo!

[Stationair8]

Flight Plan PNG, written in the late 1960's,

I Flew For MMA, by Reg Adkins,

The Flying Business the Arthur Schutt story

[Capt Wally]

yeah Schutty's good reading, in fact the old bugga was a good read himself:) I still have a smile on my face old Schutty thinking of that one time!:ok:


CW

[18-Wheeler]

FWIW an absolutely brilliant place to get old(er) books is ABE books.
http://www.abebooks.com

Bought many a book through them, well worth it.

[Pinky the pilot]

Against the Sun by Edward Lanchbery; The story of Wing Commander Roland 'Bee' Beaumont,Fighter Pilot and Hawker Test Pilot for the Typhoon and Tempest, then after the war the test pilot for the English Electric Canberra and Lightning.

Concur with Youngmic re 'Fly for your Life.' The story of Bob Tuck.:ok:

"Memoirs of Chimbu Chuckles"

A great read and absolutely hilarious!

GG

PS: Hopefully he will write them soon!

Hmm, Suspect that there would be a few anecdotes in that tome that might prove embarrassing to a few current Ppruners!:eek::E:O

I aint sayin nuthin!!:=

[Fris B. Fairing]

fantome

Credit, please, where's it's due

Absolutely. That's why I'll continue to place more credence on the writings of those who flew with Smithy.

Regards

[Bendo]

Outback Airman, by Harry Purvis - fascinating account of Aviation in the Kimberley and NT

Flying Low, by Geoffery Dutton - autobiographical story of one of Australia's best poets and his career in the RAAF as a flying instructor in Tigers, then onwards in Wirraways.

I love these threads but they always come on just after my alibris $10 voucher expires! :ugh:

[Aerodynamisist]

Good thread a few there to add to the reading list.

Also you might like to try some autobiographies.

Yeager ... Excellent read not just for the Mach 1 stuff, evading the Germans in occupied France, shooting down ME-109's and knocking a dead tree over with the wing tip of a airocobra as a favor for a mate.

The Winged S , Igor Sikorsky. a must for chopper pilots and fixed wing blokes alike.

Also try The Grand Old Lady a collection of DC3 stories

and for fun try Garth Wallace's books
http://www.happylanding.com/allbooksdirectory.htm

or ACE McCOOL by Jack Desmarais

[Fantome]

Fris B posted:
That's why I'll continue to place more credence on the writings of those who flew with Smithy.


Well that would indicate a bias against any writer who goes to enormous lengths to interview, and quote verbatim, the many people who in this instance not only flew with Smithy, worked on his planes, had smokes cadged by him, but also with several witnesses, deeper insights into the character and personality of the man than the hero worshippers such as Harry Purvis. Not decrying for a moment any of the late Harry's wide accomplishments, but a good judge of character was not one of them. Ask just about anyone who flew in or out of the old strip at the Rock late sixties early seventies and who knew him well.

And that leaves Scotty Allan's "Australia's Flying Scotsman" by Elizabeth Shearman. As George Roberts ("Qantas by George") said to me once when he was looking after Qantas Archives in Coward Street, "Burn it. And if you can't, delete the 'F' in 'Flying' ". I do not think George would object to me repeating his justification for that remark, should I be pressed. But not on a public forum for I respect family sensitivities. Incidentally, I have interviewed Catalina veterans from Rathmines days, when Scotty Allan was the CO, and the sentiments accord closely with George's. Sorry, did not mean to hijack this thread. Now where did I put that copy of "No Man a Hero to his Butler".

[FRQ Charlie Bravo]

Voice From the Stars by Tom Scotland. (Just finished it today.) A young man from Perth joins the RAAF during WWII, trains in WA (poignant for those of us who have done navs out to Cunderdin etc) and then goes off to fly Pathfinder missions for the RAF. Night runs over war darkened Europe navigating by dead reckoning, star fixes and some surface mapping radar (rivers contrasting with land) to drop flares over a target for bombers to follow up. Not just interesting flying stories but he's got a real way with words and telling the non-aviation aspects of the story. Also talks about a bit of his soul-searching during the war.

FRQ CB

[Keg]

Down to Earth: Dunkirk to D-Day and beyond. SQNLDR Ken McGlashan and Owen Zupp. ISBN: 9781904943846

Very readable book. Available from www.angusandrobertson.com.au Do a search for "Down to earth mcglashan" and you're there.

:ok:

[2ndGen]

Skunkworks!!

[Muffinman]

Sock it to 'em baby - RAAF FAC in Vietnam - Garry Cooper
(excellent aviation read and the piss poor treatment from our government regarding the military gong system).


No One Left Behind - the Lt.Comdr. Michael Scott Speicher Story - (F18 POW in IRAQ)

[gsf]

Night After Night by Max Lambert http://www.rsa.org.nz/review/bs2005february/bookshelf_4.html

For something in a more humourous line try The Wrong Stuff, Flying on the edge of disaster, By Cdr. John Moore, USN Ret.

[VH-WTF]

Catalina Dreaming, by Andrew McMillan.
Needless to say, 'tis about the RAAF Cats based in the tropics during WW2. Good read.

[notmyC150v2]

Big fan of Yeagers book. Great read.

On fictional stories, I love James Clavells "Whirlwind". OK it's about helecopters but that's not enough to write it off. The story is a ripper.

[BPH63]

Thanks for the suggestions on the Australian/PNG aviation heritage books.

Currently reading "Night Fighter over Germany" by pilot Graham White about his exploits (often humorous) in the RAF No.100 Group 1943-45.
From age 17 when he volunteered then through training in Arizona and on to electronic intercepting of Luftwaffe fighters over Germany in Mosquitoes.
So far a very good read. It was loaned to me by a friend of the author but can be found here (http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk)

[Bendo]

Propellerhead, by Anthony Woodward.

Young fella studying Law decides that he isn't getting enough action, the way to pull chicks is to be ... a pilot! I know, I'll learn to fly. :rolleyes:

Finds that flying anything in the UK is a bit beyond the average student budget... but ends up in a Thruster :D - some of the adventures make interesting Human Factors case studies.

a cracking good read, many laughs ...and all true!:ooh:

Like many good books, available in every second hand bookshop and remainder bin. When I was flying RAAus I gave one to every student who I sent solo in the Thruster (and now I think of it they probably sold it back to the 2nd hand bookshop so I could buy it and give it to the next victim....) :*

[Fark'n'ell]

"Chickenhawk" By Robert Mason

Some graphic descriptions such as "You know when you are being shot at. You can hear the tic tic tic of the bullets as they hit the Huey"

[bra83d]

Forever Flying by Bob Hoover is also a bloody good read. goes well with Yeagers book

[Keg]

A quick update on the plug I gave for 'Down to Earth'. It looks like it's cheaper out of Amazon UK.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Down-Earth-Fighter-Recounts-Experiences/dp/1904943845

Enjoy.

[flog]

Can't be said enough - Fate is the Hunter, Ernest Gann.

Best book about flying ever written.

[Fantome]

Billy Vincent's book about flying the mutton birds in Tasmania -

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=321374&page=3


There are also several good reads about Sir Hubert Wilkins. Simon Naste's recent biography is well researched and written. Wilkin's own account (as told to Lowell Thomas), is a gripping read. The postscript is a beautiful account of life with Wilkins by his widow Suzanne Bennett who was a dancer on the stage in New York when they first met. She was a girl from the bush, having been raised in Walhalla in the Gippsland.

[Islander Jock]

We Landed by Moonlight written by the late GP CAPT Hugh Verity (Mrs IJ's uncle). Some really gutsy flying at night over France in Lysanders in support of the SOE and landing on a simple "L" light pattern marked ALAs.

[knox]

Catalina Dreaming.

Flying the big jets.

knox.

[Pick58]

Like Keg,

"Down to Earth" about SLDR Kenneth McGlashan AFC by Owen Zupp.

It's a remarkable story!

Pick

[tinpis]

All the novels by James Lee Burke

Not a single reference to aviation in them :ok:

[permFO]

Jonathon Livingstone Seagull- Not your usual flying book but a classic nonetheless.

[Fark'n'ell]

Jonathon Segal Chicken

About a chook flying around New York at supersonic speeds. Can't remember who the author or publisher was so if anyone knows could you PM me please. Real hoot.Would love to read it again.

[Stationair8]

Islander Jock, that is a fantastic book and bloody scary stuff especially when started using the Hudson for the drop offs. Did you meet Hugh Verity?

[Fantome]

Qantas Rising Hudson Fysh, best read in conjunction with

The Defeat of Distance John Gunn.

[Jet_A_Knight]

'Failure Is Not An Option' by Gene Kranz.

if you're interested in the American Space program, that is.

[LUCKY-1]

The Cyde Fenton Book 'Flying Doctor' is just a classic...his exploits against the then CAA are hillarious and worth the read alone! (Nothing changes eh!):ok:

[Capt Snooze]

On fictional stories, I love James Clavells "Whirlwind". OK it's about helecopters but that's not enough to write it off. The story is a ripper.Apparently based on fact!

Ask any of the Bristow guys.......................................:D

[Teal]

Jet-Age Test Pilot by Tex Johnston (legendary Boeing test pilot for the B47, B52, 707, etc)

The Wrong Stuff by Cdr. John Moore (US Navy test pilot - eg, landing Grumman F9F-7 Cougar wheels-up onto rubber-decked carrier).

Fighter Pilot's Heaven (Fight Testing the Early Jets) by Donald S. Lopez (WW2 fighter pilot, USAF test pilot, Apollo, Skylab, Dep. Dir. Smithsonian Air and Space Museum)

(All bought through Amazon)

[Keg]

I hear that Owen Zupp is onto his second book now. True story of former WWII Commando, goes to Hiroshima as part of the occupation forces and ends up as a Meteor pilot with 200 missions in Korea. A very full life! Not sure when it's due for release.

[Keg]

Zuppie on youtube (http://www.youtube.com/user/ozupp).

Two vids. Both not bad for a beginner! :ok:

[Kemerton]

I apologise if this hase been done before. Was wondering if anyone has read any good aviation related books that they could recomend as a good read. Some that spring to mind are;

Sigh for a Merlin- Alex Henshaw
Fate is the hunter - Enerst Gann
Etc

[drunkensailor]

No Visible Horizon: Surviving the worlds most dangerous sport by Joshua Cooper Ramo. His method of writing will put you in the cockpit.:ok:

[planemad_bk]

Flightlines by Richard S Drury

[troppo]

My Wicked Wicked Ways - Errol Flynn
Early aviation pioneer in Wau :E

[Jabawocky]

The Killing Zone by ......(I foget)

Good read indeed!

J:ok:

[Ex FSO GRIFFO]

And with a bit of history......W.A. style.....

"I Flew For MMA" - An Airline Pilot's Life - Capt. R. Adkins

ISBN 0 646 29966 2

:ok:

[Horatio Leafblower]

The menu bar at the top of the page.

One of the options is "search"

This has been done many times, including a great thread in Jet Blast around 1999.

Happy reading!

ps: I just go to 2nd hand bookshops on every overnight and buy (almost) anything with an aircraft on the cover. Some unknown gems out there :ok:

[flighterpilot]

Night Fall. By Nelson Demille.

Its (roughly) about the TWA 800 crash, the conspiracy theories. But is a novel with a cool story and an awesome twist at the end.

[the wizard of auz]

Cloud dancers Alaskan chronicles. Volume I and Volume II By Cloud dancer.
Pretty good read both of them.

[tinpis]

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Dr Hunter S Thompson

[Captain Nomad]

Two Autobiographies:

Forever Flying - Bob Hoover

Yeager - Chuck Yeager

And for a good Aussie tale:

The Diamond Dakota Mystery

That one I got from Newslink at Perth airport a few months ago. Tells the amazing story of a true Australian flying drama. Very well researched and written very entertainingly.

[wessex19]

Captain Eric Melrose "Winkle" Brown, CBE, DSC, AFC, FRAeS, RN

"Wings on my sleeve"

flew more types than any other pilot in history(487 types), 2407 carrier deck landings (world record) flew a Sikorsky R-4B helicopter with instruction solely from reading a manual, the world's first landing of a jet aircraft on an aircraft carrier,commanded the Enemy Aircraft Flight, an elite group of pilots who test-flew captured German aircraft. What he hasn't done aint worth doing in the air!!! worth a read

[sleemanj]

Propellerhead (Antony Woodward)
Amazon.com: Propellerhead: Antony Woodward: Books (http://www.amazon.com/Propellerhead-Antony-Woodward/dp/0007107293/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1225249749&sr=8-3)

[AerocatS2A]

Chickenhawk about helicopter flying in Vietnam by Robert Mason

[gadude]

I flew for the Furher.

I cant remember the guy's name who wrote it.

The funniest thing was this guy telling how he got shot down i think by a p-51, but before he hit the deck, he managed to shot down the very same p-51, they both parachuted out and ended up sitting next to eachoter in a ditch having a good old yarn about the war. and aviation no doubt.

:ok:

[Got the horn]

Stick and Rudder

http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:zTQOVCgJEKP6yM:https://secure.steenaero.com/Store/images/site_images/book_stick_and_rudder_langewiesche_320x482.jpg

[Centaurus]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And with a bit of history......W.A. style.....

"I Flew For MMA" - An Airline Pilot's Life - Capt. R. Adkins

ISBN 0 646 29966 2

Depends on your point of view but some readers thought the author was one of the old fashioned me big airline captain troglodytes. Certainly an ego problem. Very much a union nutter. And in his summing up of his "career" flying between Perth and Darwin all his life, he bemoaned that his first officers had bad attiudes because they dare question his decisions.

Far better to read Test Pilot by Neville Duke DSO, OBE, DFC & Two Bars, AFC.
He flew Spitfires, Tomahawks and Kittyhawks against the Germans in WW2. In a previous Pprune post it was mentioned that his books included Sound Barrier, Test Pilot and The Crowded Sky and that he brought home to his readers the realities of test flying at a time when flight approaching the speed of sound was an unknown quantity and literally a Sound Barrier.
It was first published in 1953 and reprinted in paperback in 1997. A wonderful book to read and keep.

[Stationair8]

A few of my favourites:
1. Spitfire A test Pilots story
2. Sigh For A Merlin
3. The Big Show
4. We Landed By Moonlight
5. The Flight of the Mew Gull
6. I Flew for MMA
7. Gatty Prince of Navigators
8. Forever Flying
9. The Long Way Home
10. The Dam Busters

I Flew For MMA, I found to be a very good read and also why we pilots need to be members of the AFAP. The conditions that the crews had to put up with in the early days of MMA were pretty basic particularly on overnights and not to mention the meatworks run out of Derby. At least the MMA pilots and AFAP got things heading in the right direction. In all honesty the MMA pilots did a fantastic job operating in that part of the country during the wet season, considering that most destinations only had a NDB, and in a lot of cases only basic aerodromes with no approach lighting etc. Keep flying Capt Reg!

[Ovation]

A book about Ben Buckley titled "Buckley's Chance". Ben could be described as a bit of a "larrakin" when it comes to flying. CASA have tried to bust him for years and have most probably have given up by now. I believe They actually filmed him getting into his Cessna and flying it with one leg in a full cast. He is also reputed to have flown a motorised hang glider from AU to NZ.

Lifted directy from:

Benambra - History and People (http://members.pcug.org.au/~phooper/benambra/history.htm)


Characters in the Benambra Shire (Eastern Victoria)

Small communities create more than their fair share of colourful, or at least memorable, characters. Some still live in Benambra and we can expect that more are still being born and raised today.

The first name that springs to many minds, when the topic of living Benambra characters is raised, is that of Ben Buckley. Ben, an agricultural and general pilot for many years, founder of the Benambra-based Alpine Aviation, has spent a lifetime doing the unconventional, and inevitably locking horns with those guardians of convention, the Dept of Civil Aviation and its successors.

Many of Ben's adventurous, dare-devil, courageous, and sometimes heroic exploits have recently been recorded in Bob Steven's biography of Ben, "Buckley's Chance".

[Fris B. Fairing]

"747" by Joe Sutter (Smithsonian Books 2006)
ISBN 978-0-06-088242-6

The author led the team that designed the 747. Written by an engineer for general readership but not "dumbed down".

Also anything by Sir Gordon Taylor. (Qantas please name an A380 after him)

[Barkly1992]

Why hasn't anyone mentioned Biggles?

:confused:

[Peter Fanelli]

If you read me rock the tower!

By Bob Stevens :E

[Led Zep]

The Old and the Bold by Macarthur Job.

[Little_Red_Hat]

From the other side of the cockpit door...

"Head In the Clouds" by Muriel Hanning-Lee... one of the first 'real' air hostesses... some fantastic stories when flying was 'glam', era of the flying boat, and real thinking on your feet. No shy girl this one!

Don't particularly like the 'airport thriller' but "The Last Hostage' by John J Nance I found quite riveting... aviation environment but essentially a crime story.

As a teenager I read a book called 'Trail of the Octopus' by some guy alleging to be a CIA 'asset'... detailed a whole theory that the CIA was behind Lockerbie and framed Libya. Found it scary if true but have never heard anything about this guy before or since... Lester (Coleman?) I think the author was...

[bluesky300]

Another vote for Propellorhead - a really great read, even if the piloting skills leave something to be desired! And some biggles are now available on audiobooks which make for good listening on long car trips on the mp3.

[flywatcher]

I have just got a pre release copy of an interesting book called "Dick Richey - the Flying Fisherman." This is a great read, it covers many searches and a couple of incredible rescues by this guy in a Super Cub, and various other aircraft. The flying abilities and techniques of some of these old timers was pretty exceptional, as was the disregard for some of the bureaucracy of the day. Found the website Tasmanian Flying Fisherman index (http://www.tasflyingfisherman.com/index.html), it has info there.

[bogdantheturnipboy]

Thanks for telling us about this book , looks good.

Flywatcher, you know most pilots don't know what reading is don't you?

[cficare]

The sad thing is that Dick destroyed fish stocks in the Tasmania region and they are yet to recover (if indeed they will)_....

[flywatcher]

cficare, I believe it says in the book that the CSIRO monitored their catch rate in the mid 1960's and again in the mid 1990's and found that the catch rate remained constant yet the fish landed were larger. This led them to believe it was probably the best managed fishery in Australia.

[pithblot]

It should be a good read. I remember Bill Vincent describe Dick Richey rescue (really 'rescue') one [or was it two??] of the Blythe Star (http://www.amsa.gov.au/Publications/AMSAaboard/2008_spring.htm#blythestar) survivors. Flying his Super Cub in foul weather, Dick took off from an impossibly short sand bar, through a wall of foam & spray to save the ship wrecked sailor. But that was only part of the story. Dick & Billy had to battle an incompetent bureaucracy (http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1300&dat=19740123&id=B8kQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=15ADAAAAIBAJ&pg=4012,4448489) that was reluctant to start or continue the search and who even sent the Tasmanian Police to physically stop these two pilots entering the search.

[flywatcher]

pithblot, you are so right!

[allthecoolnamesarego]

Have been reading a few books lately about the development of specific aircraft.
Am reading "The Tiger Moth story" by Alan Bramson.
Chimbu Chuckles might appreciate this comment from 1932 as detailed in the book, about the early impressions of the Tiger:
"The shaking and the juddering whilst ticking over, the dreadful aileron control, the effort required to put an inverted formation show at Hendon, the difficulty of operating in any sort of wind; no breaks and the tail skid tearing up great chunks of grass field!! Points for: NO trouble; very cheap to run and had a nice locker for instructor's suitcase when on weekends" :)

Any other good books out there? Suggestions?

Coolnames.

[big buddah]

Fate is the Hunter, is a must!
Smithy
Chuck Yeager, "The right stuff" (Then you can make you're own mind up about him?

[Wanderin_dave]

Flying Through Midnight - John T Halliday
Vulcan 607 - Rowland White
Fly - Michael Veitch
A View From The Hover - John Farley

[Captain Nomad]

Tiger Moths - "Dreadful things" according to my Grandfather who was a fitter and turner on them among other machines during the war. After they had been used in flying training and done the obligatory heavy landings they couldn't rig them according to the book. The final rigging adjustments were done in flight. Can you imagine that today? He would sit in one seat while another bloke flew and after getting the pilot's feedback he would bend down and adjust the control cable turnbuckles in flight! He had much nicer things to say about other aeroplanes however...

Another few:
Yeager - the autobiography
Forever Flying - Bob Hoover's autobiography
Any of Bill Swampy Marsh's RFDS stories (there are at least three books)

[Homesick-Angel]

Fate is the Hunter, is a must!:ok::ok::ok::ok::ok:

Ernest K. Gann is such a great writer.

I did read a book called "my god its a woman" or something like that written by Nancy bird walton.Not terribly well written, but Interesting stories of early aviation(particularly outback flying) around Aus.

Will have a look at some of the other books noted here.

[T28D]

Buffalo Airways by Darrel Knight Flying the SR 71 Blackbird by Richard H Graham Squark 7700 Pete Buffington Hauling Checks Alex Stone North Star over my Shoulder by Bob Buck

[Wanderin_dave]

Normally I'd step in and defend my beloved Tigers. As I'm only checking pprune due to wind killing today's flying I'd best keep my mouth shut!

[fl610]

Sigh for a Merlin - Alex Henshaw

[plucka]

'The Rogue Pilot.' Forgotten the author tho

[maverick22]

"Skunkworks" by Ben Rich and Leo Janos. "Reach for the sky" - pretty amazing story of Douglas Bader:ok:

[Tee Emm]

"Letting Fly" by Elaine McKenna and Deborah Wardley (formerly Lawrie).

The story of the first female pilot who tried to join Ansett. Sir Reg Ansett told his management pilots he did not want any women pilots in the cockpit of Ansett aircraft. Despite her being an already experienced general aviation pilot, every dirty trick was pulled by Ansett to stop her from being accepted as a pilot.
.
The story is about her career and subsequent various court appearances where she fought against blatant discrimination. Her case hit the headlines of that era and she finally won. Today she is one of Australia's most experienced airline captains. The book is available in some libraries. I have read it and found it hard to put down.

[NNB]

Chicken Hawk:ok:
if you like helicopters yjen this is a must read...!!
enjoy

[norwester33]

'The big show'-Pierre Closterman, up there with the best ive read re WW2
'Think like a bird'
'Skunkworks'
'Chickenhawk'
'Typhoon Pilot' Desmond Scott

[Aye Ess]

"Tiny office,Great Views" autobiography of Ross Isaacson. Australian GA pilot's career. Excellent stories & Photos.

[NOSIGN]

JET - the story of a Pioneer
Sir Frank Whittle K.B.E., C.B., F.R.S.

by Frederick Muller

Very good so far. Helps you to gain an understanding in the development of the jet engine.

[Old Akro]

"Weather Flying" and "North Star over my Shoulder" by Robert Buck.
Flying the SR71 Blckbird Richard Graham
Flying Carpet Greg Brown
Unforgetable - my 10 best flights - Lane Wallace
Aerobatics - Neil Williams
Flight Unlimited - Eric Muller & Annette Carson
A History of Aerodynamics - John Anderson
Night Flight - Antoine de St Exupery

[djpil]

I really enjoyed Stick and Rudder (Wolfgang Langeweische) I wish I had read it 40 years ago - bought it 18 months ago and still haven't finished it - hard going.
Fate is the Hunter.
I agree with Old Akro about Aerobatics and Flight Unlimited. Neil Williams' books were regular bedtime reading.
Flight Fantastic by Annette Carson.
Better Aerobatics by Alan Cassidy.
Stall/Spin Awareness by Rich Stowell.
Aerobatics: Principle and Practice by David Robson.
Three Points: Flying a Tailwheel Aircraft by David Robson.

[27/09]

1 Fate is the Hunter - Ernest Gann; Engrossing true flying events that happened to the author where fate dictated the outcome, not only the best flying book IMO, it's the best book I've ever read.

2 Chickenhawk - Robert Mason; A fascinating book about flying helicopter (Hueys) during the Vietnam war with a very sad ending.

3 The Sky My Canvas - Miles King; the story of the authors war time flying and the founding and development of Rex Aviation the largest Cessna distributorship outside of the USA.

4 Typhoon Pilot - Desmond Scott; the author was the youngest Group Captain in the Allied Air Force during WWII. The book covers the invasion of Europe by the Allies and the defeat of Germany and the role played in these events by the Typhoons.

5 Spitfire, A Test Pilots Story - Jeffrey Quill, The story of the development of the Supermarine Spitfire right from the first days through to the last Mks built as seen through the eyes of the Chief test pilot. A very interesting insight into what is probably the most remarkable fighter of WWII with the many different variants that were built to fulfil many various roles.

[Desert Flower]

Up Above - Down Under by Elva Rush. Stories of Australian Women in Aviation. Elva was in my area a few weeks ago, & we caught up for a chat.

DF.

[ForkTailedDrKiller]

"Chuckles over PNG" by Chimbu Chuckles!

Oh! Sorry, that one hasn't been written yet. :E

Dr :8

[Plow King]

'The Rogue Pilot.' Forgotten the author tho

Could be thinking of Darker Shades of Blue: The Rogue Pilot by Tony Kern.

If you're going to read that make sure you read Redefining Airmanship first. Kern also wrote Flight Discipline which is a good read also (slots in between the other two) although it is a little heavier going.

Unfortunately most of my reading these days alternates between Dora the Explorer and Angelina Ballerina.............:sad:

[Lasiorhinus]

Richard Bach's A Gift Of Wings.

A collection of short stories, most of them very inspiring. I read that so many times before I was able to start flying myself.

[lederhosen]

4 day follies is an amusing description of life as as an airline pilot in the US.

[The Green Goblin]

The Flying Doctor by Clyde Fenton

Best book I have read hands down. Better than fate is the hunter and gives a gripping account of flying in the territory in the pre war years and the larikens who survived there.

Got to love the cheek of Clyde. An aviation pioneer, a celebrity in his time, and a true Australian.

Get it!

[allthecoolnamesarego]

"Chuckles over PNG" by Chimbu Chuckles!:O:O

When is your book "My Forked Life" coming out? :}:}:p:p

[big buddah]

Chickenhawk

It's a must! You have to read this book from cover to cover! Twice!!

[allthecoolnamesarego]

Plow King,

This is also an excellent book on HF (not the radio type:p:p) in aviation.

The Naked Pilot: The Human Factor in Aircraft Accidents.

I read it a number of years ago, and found it really useful.

Cool names.

[PA39]

AIP's, CAR's, CAAP's. Interesting reading.....always being ammended!! ;)

[flyinkiwi]

Chickenhawk

It's a must! You have to read this book from cover to cover! Twice!!

If you read that you also have to read Low Level Hell by Hugh Mills. It's just as good as Chickenhawk imho.

[Old but not bold]

Eileen Steenson's Flight Plan PNG. Still one of my favorite Australian Aviation Books, brings back some great memories.

[Martin VanNostrum]

"The Cannibal Queen: A Flight into the heartland of America."
by Stephen Coonts
Written about +20 years ago when he flew a Boeing Stearman, to every one of the lower 48 states of the USA.
He also wrote "Flight of the Intruder".
A good read and a must if you have, or would love to have a go of the Stearman.
Available also on Kindle.

"North Star over my Shoulder".
by Bob Buck
He died about 10 years ago at +90 years old. This book is about his life as a pilot starting as a DC2 Co-pilot till he retired as a TWA B747 Captain.
Very interesting book.
Available on Kindle.
He also wrote "Weather Flying".

"Sagittarius Rising".
by Cecil Lewis
The life of a WW1 pilot. What struck me was the experience level of this pilot. About -3 hours to solo, -10 hours to full pilots licence, -50 hours to go into battle (earlier pilots were expected to be fully ready for operational flights at 10 hours!). No instruction given to fly IFR or at night; all self taught on very, very limited panel.

"Flight of Passage".
by Rinker Buck (no relation to Bob Buck above)
1966 two brothers restored an old Piper Cub themselves and then at ages 15 and 17 flew it across the USA (self taught navigation, no radios etc).
Makes you want to go back in time and do it yourself!

"Aircraft Command Techniques".
by Sal J Fallucco
Quite simply one of the best CRM type books available and highly recommended for all pilots.

Enjoy!

[Desert185]

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand.

Dittos on Chickenhawk.

Winging it by Jack Jefford.

MIG Pilot by John Barron.

Handling the Big Jets by Davies.

Wager With the Wind: The Don Sheldon Story by Greiner.

[UTW]

A fantastic read nonetheless is A Man on the Moon by Andrew Chaikin.
It's about the Apollo program and is a real eye opener on how far we haven't come in manned space exploration. They bred them tough in those days!

[Plow King]

The Naked Pilot: The Human Factor in Aircraft Accidents

Thanks Cool Names. I thought that was one I had read and forgotten about long ago, but it looks like I never had it to start with.
You can also get the boxed set of The Proficient Pilot (Schiff) for a reasonable price at the moment on Amazon.

Another one I've got on my shelves is Piloting for Maximum Performance - haven't read it for a long time, but I don't remember thinking it was a waste of time like some other things I've read so it can't be all that bad.

Also, the trap for young players, don't confuse Handling the Big Jets with Flying the Big Jets!

And of course don't forget this one

[flywatcher]

"The Flying Fisherman". Great read, real grass roots aviation.

[Teal]

"Jet-Age Test Pilot"
by Tex Johnston
Started flying in the 1930s. In the 1940s was testing the grand-daddy of all modern airliners, the B-47 Stratojet. Later was the chief test pilot for the Boeing 707 prototype and was the PF who did the famous barrel roll over Lake Washington, Seattle.

"The Wrong Stuff"
by Cdr. John Moore, USN Ret.
Great account of carrier-based operations with early jets and various (and sometimes bizarre) experiments.

"Fighter Pilot's Heaven (Flight testing the early jets)"
by Donald Lopez.
Testing Shooting Stars and Sabre jets in the 1940s/50s.
Later, he become the Deputy Director of the Smithsonian Institute's National Air and Space Museum

And something different....

"Red Star in Orbit"
by James Oberg
Fascinating account by a former US Airforce and NASA engineer of the cold war Soviet space programme with all of its internal machinations, deadly politics and intrigues.

Also endorse previous recommendations for Bob Hoover and Ben Rich (Skunk Works).

[JustJoinedToSearch]

Currently reading 'Command Instrument Rating'.:E

Highly recommend 'Air Distaster: Volume 4: The Propeller Era by Macarthur Job.
Really interesting even if you're not into prop era airliners (I wasn't).

[tothepoint]

Tall Tails of the South Pacific - John Laming

great read!!!

[clear to land]

Snake Pilot:Randy Zahn- AH1G in Vietnam
Pathfinders: Don Bennett
Apache: Ed Macy
Wings on My Sleeve: Eric 'Winkle' Brown- flown more types than any other pilot- also most carrier landings- great read about a remarkable man
:ok:

[slackie]

If you want a good read on an alternative flight training method, then download the following 4 books by ex-Aussie, now living in NZ, instructor Noel Kruse on FLY BETTER...... (http://www.flybetter.co.nz)

[siftydog]

If you're into biographies, and I am....
Ian Mackersey - a NZ author wrote a couple of warts and all on The Wright Brothers and Jean Batten.

First Man, to my knowledge the only official biography on Neil Armstrong by James Hansen is an excellent antidote to the Yeager book.

Generally, I get lost in any well written aviation historical and just wish I was born 30 years earlier.......

[TriMedGroup]

Can't believe that only one person has mentioned The Flying Doctor by Clyde Fenton - hands down the best book I've ever read..

Also no one has mentioned Tall Tales of the South Pacific, written by a well known PPRuNe identity and also a great read.

Perhaps if more kids read books like these there wouldnt be such a rush to skip GA and join an airline cadetship aged 18??

[PLovett]

Tall Tails of the South Pacific - John Laming

Yes it has.

[Frank Arouet]

Winged Victory.
V M Yeates.

Excellent, excellent, excellent;

Winged Victory - A Book By V.M. Yeates, An RFC Fighter Pilot (http://www.squidoo.com/winged-victory-v-m-yeates)

[M14_P]

I'd just like to say the Tiger is the aeroplane I have had the most amount of fun in thus far out of all the aerobatic (if you can call it that:p) types I have flown.

I am a bit bias, but have read (about half a million times) Aerobatics - Neil Williams.
I am reading Duane Cole's Roll Around a Point and Conquest of Lines and Symmetry at the moment. Sigh for a Merlin by Alex Henshaw was a brilliant read, as was The Spifire: A test pilots story by Jeffrey Quill.

The most interesting read I have had to date in relation to Aviation, is unquestionably Charles Kingsford Smith and those magnificent men by Peter Fitzsimons. If you enjoy reading about Aviation history, this is the book. So many prominant personalities are mentioned as Smithy crossed paths with so many of them.
I have copies of all the above, but one I have read but don't own myself is Keith Park's biography, would really like to track down a copy of this one.

m14

[criticalmass]

Re-reading "Skunkworks" by Ben Rich and Leo Janos. A very well-thumbed and dog-eared copy now.

[troppo]

Ewan Wilson Dogfight. Just jokes, luckliy i bought some toilet paper. Chronolgy of what can go wrong will go wrong. Loved the piece where he did an Eagle Air charter with a mechanic only to get lost :ooh:

[27/09]

Loved the piece where he did an Eagle Air charter with a mechanic only to get lost As I heard it he was flying an aircraft chartered by Eagle to get an engineer to fix a stranded aircraft. The moron landed at the wrong airport and the engineer refused to go home with him. The really scary part if true was it was an IFR flight.

[aroa]

"Nanette" by Edwards Park. A P39 fighter pilot's story with his 'Cobra in NG.
Makes you want to fly one. I want one !.. I did find one, but some bum had blown it up post war. Bugger.
An expaned version from QUP.. "Angels Twenty"

"Song of the Sky" by Guy Murchie. Roamed the world as a Navigator on C54s.

" Flight of the Mew Gull" Alex Henshaw. Got to be the most amazing long distance record flight..and nav ex in the history of aviation, Cape Town and back.
A top precursor to "Sigh for a Merlin". He was "Mr Spitfire" extrordinaire, too

[Howard Hughes]

B-350 POH, I just can't get into the story...:}

[PLovett]

Now don't you go showing off Howard. Its not nice you know. :}

[Stationair8]

1. Forever Flying by Bob Hoover

2. Gatty Prince of Navigators

3. Bennett and the Pathfinders

4. Sigh for a Merlin

5. The Flight of the Mew Gull

6. Corsairville

7. Bushies A history of Queensland's Airline.

8. The Big Show Pierre Closterman

9. Airfix Celebrating 50 Years of the Greatest Plastic kits

10. The Dambusters by Guy Gibson

11. Phoenix Squadron

12. Vulcan 607

13. The Forgotten Giant of Australian Aviation

14. This Flying Business

[Pinky the pilot]

Stationair8,

10. The Dambusters by Guy Gibson

Do you mean 'The Dambusters' by Paul Brickhill
or
'Enemy Coast Ahead' by Guy Gibson?

Both good reads.

[Hasherucf]

Much Not of an Engineer by Sir Stanley Hooker.

A good account of the war and the start of the jet age

[Stationair8]

Thanks Pinky,

Enemy Coast Ahead by Guy Gibson

The Dambusters by Paul Brickhill

Another few for the list

Piper Aircraft by Roger Peperell

The Long Way Home.

[boocs]

Hard Landing.

A brilliant book on the history of why Deregulation was introduced in the USA and its disastrous initial consequences.
The book also gives an interesting introduction on the setup of airlines and how they came to be.
Highly recommended.

Others include:
* I flew for the Fuhrer by Heinz Knoke
* The First Jet Pilot by Lutz Warsitz
* Herman Goring Fighter Ace by Peter Kilduff
* The 49ers - The True Story by John Warham

b.

[Captain Nomad]

Another one for the biography lovers: "Wings of Destiny" - the Charles Learmonth story. Very vivid stories from the life of an amazing man and his colleagues. From Ansons in WA to Boston bomber stories in PNG to Hudsons and his unecessary death in one due to faults of that aircraft that were only rectified as a result of his demise (even though the machine had killed hundreds of men by then). Learmonth airport named in his worthy honour.

HH I have a few POH storis too. However a few would be 'nightmare' material for our friend Wally...! :}

[LewC]

"German Fighter Ace:Erich Hartmann". Claimed 352 victories,345 of which were against the Soviet Air Force. Upon cessation of hostilities he surrendered to the Americans only to be handed over to the Reds who sentenced him to 25 years hard labour.He served 10 years and on release rejoined the Luftwaffe and commanded Germany's first all-jet unit flying F-86's and later F-104's. Certainly an interesting view of the Air War on the Eastern Front from the German perspective.

[Metro man]

Vectors by Len Morgan, stories from the good days of airline flying.

[Keg]

Riding Rockets by Mike Mullane. Astronaut on three Shuttle missions. Not a pilot but still a pretty great read. Available on e-book at Amazon for those who read these days via iPad. :ok:

[sms777]

Island in the Sky by aussie writer R.B. Shaw. Spent 17 years in PNG salvaging WW2 aircrafts in the jungles. Based on actual events.
His second book called Fire Cult is fictional but also aviation related in PNG.

[Jamair]

B-350 POH, I just can't get into the story...
Get a PC12 POH HH; its only half as long :E

Sock it to Em Baby - RAAF FAC in Vietnam, Garry Cooper

One Day at a Time - 165 Sqn in Vietnam, D.J. Dennis

Bush Pilot - Bob Norman

Never tell me Never - &
Dare to fly - Janine Sheppard

The Flying Nurse &
Sugarbird Lady - Robin Miller

The 747 Story - can't remember the author, was an engineer on the project

[Howard Hughes]

Get a PC12 POH HH; its only half as long
I heard it doesn't have a happy ending...:}

[FoxtrotAlpha18]

Both re-reads but favourites...

The Untouchables - Brian Shul
What is was really like to operate the awesome SR-71

Hornets Downunder - Andrew McLaughlin
Everything you ever wanted to know about the F/A-18, and much more...

:ok:

[Fris B. Fairing]

The 747 Story - can't remember the author, was an engineer on the project

Joe Sutter is the man. He led the 747 design team and yes it is a great read.

Rgds

[halas]

Great read of an Australian WW2 Air Ace by Peter Dornan.

12 "kills" plus shot down in Egypt three time, escaped as a POW four times in Europe only to fly/fight again over France and New Guinea!

halas

ISBN 1 - 74114 - 529 - 5

[halas]

Not sure of the exact title, as have lent it to a "friend"!

Self taught to fly, stow-away to north africa from Australia, self taught camera man with british Pathe, faced possible firing squad during Balkan/Ottoman war. Siberian census and documentary. Arctic filmmaker then WW1 film maker in the Passiondale/Some - blown-up three times, Witness of Red Baron finale. Arctic expedition with two Fokkers, one sold off to Kingsford Smith. Australian Flora & Fauna/Aboriginal statical. First to cross the arctic from America to Europe by plane.............

That is just the icing on the cake! An amazing read.

halas

[Desert Flower]

Great Flying Doctor Stories by Bill "Swampy" Marsh; & Great Australian Aviation Stories by Jim Haynes & Jillian Dellit.

DF.

[Sunfish]

Sky bound by Rebecca Longcraine. A great cancer survivor who took up gliding.

[aroa]

Flying Doctor... excellent exploits of Clyde Fenton, doctoring in NT pre war ina Gypsy Moth. The bureaurats were pain in the arse even then as they are now.
Last Plane out of Berlin, Sidney Cotton, adventuer pilot and pioneer of recon photg and mapping,
Solo to Sydney. Francis Chichester in his Gipsy Moth on wheels.
Ride on the wind . After his epic trans Tasman from NZ to Oz, this covers his solo Sydney to Japan in his Moth on floats.

All ripper reads

[PoppaJo]

**** me he wrote a book!

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1110x1543/199a18ec_28b8_4336_bfc6_d13896b1a2ba_5a9adeb247646e7df589249 0d4a008a8a37e4355.jpeg

[Centaurus]

.Ten Journeys to Cameron's Farm. I have just read this latest enthralling story by Cameron Hazlehurst about the 1940 Hudson crash at Canberra that wiped out several members of Bob Menzies Cabinet. It is a long book of 600 pages plus. In later years I knew many of the RAAF names.mentioned including Group Captain 'Paddy' Heffernan for one. . In fact I did my very first flight which was in a Lockeed Hudson VH-SMK a freighter of the Sydney Morning Herald Flying Services at Camden NSW in 1948. Captain Harry Purvis AFC was the pilot and it was a 30 minute test flight after an engine change. I was 16 then and sat on the freighter floor. No seats. No belts. Just hung on to the nearest protuberance. Incredibly noisy with no sound-proofing. Hence my interest in Cameron Hazlehurst book featuring Hudson facts

The book is an E-Version and free to download. See link

https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=Sr5LX--lNsnUz7sP-_2xqAQ&q=ten+journeys+to+cameron%27s+farm&oq=Ten+Journeys&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQARgAMgIIADICCAAyBggAEBYQHjIGCAAQFhAeMgYIA BAWEB4yBggAEBYQHjIGCAAQFhAeMgYIABAWEB4yBggAEBYQHjoICAAQsQMQg wE6CwguELEDEMcBEKMCOggILhCxAxCDAToOCC4QsQMQxwEQowIQkwI6BQgAE LEDOgsILhCxAxCDARCTAjoOCC4QsQMQgwEQxwEQowI6CAguEMcBEK8BOgUIL hCxAzoCCC46BAgAEApQ0RpYplhgzI0BaABwAHgAgAHLAYgB1RGSAQYwLjEwL jKYAQCgAQGqAQdnd3Mtd2l6&sclient=psy-ab

[mgahan]

No really "aircraft " but closely related: "Longitude" by Dava Sobel - and after reading I challenge you to be within 50nm of Greenwich and not visit to see clocks - apologies chronometers.
If you've ever flown on PanAm or know or are one; "Sky Gods" by Robert Gandt. You'll see the train wreck coming and wonder why no one did anything to stop it.

And absolutely not "aircraft" but after reading "Longitude" you will enjoy "1421" by Gavin Menzies. Well referenced story of potential Chinese discovery well before the Europeans. Ever wondered why Cook was looking for a Southern Land?

MJG
(still in COVID free Kiribati)

[rjtjrt]

A reminder: 'The Sky Beyond (https://www.amazon.com.au/Sky-Beyond-Gordon-Taylor/dp/1520412223/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=sky+beyond+gordon&qid=1599055971&s=books&sr=1-1)' by Sir Gordon Taylor is now available in Kindle and paperback format in Australia, the USA and the UK.

It does not seem to come up on Amazon Aust as a Kindle book.
It is there on Amazon US but we in Aus seem not to be able to get it from there.

https://www.amazon.com/Sky-Beyond-Gordon-Taylor-ebook/dp/B01N5BQHRR

[deja vu]

Flying Doctor... excellent exploits of Clyde Fenton, doctoring in NT pre war ina Gypsy Moth. The bureaurats were pain in the arse even then as they are now.
Last Plane out of Berlin, Sidney Cotton, adventuer pilot and pioneer of recon photg and mapping,
Solo to Sydney. Francis Chichester in his Gipsy Moth on wheels.
Ride on the wind . After his epic trans Tasman from NZ to Oz, this covers his solo Sydney to Japan in his Moth on floats.

All ripper reads
Co incidentally yesterday I started unpacking my deceased Dads books that have been in boxes in my roof for the last 15 years for transfer into my new Billy book shelves. First book out was a shabby version Flying Doctor, 1947 Edition. Noted chapter X1 is titled "the uncivil aviation department" Looking forward to the read along with "The Sea Shall Not Have Them".

[Capn Bloggs]

"I flew For MMA" is out as an ebook at all the normal ebookstores.

[Desert Flower]

Co incidentally yesterday I started unpacking my deceased Dads books that have been in boxes in my roof for the last 15 years for transfer into my new Billy book shelves. First book out was a shabby version Flying Doctor, 1947 Edition. Noted chapter X1 is titled "the uncivil aviation department" Looking forward to the read along with "The Sea Shall Not Have Them".

Wish Flying Doctor was available in ebook form but unfortunately it isn't. :(

DF.

[Desert Flower]

"I flew For MMA" is out as an ebook at all the normal ebookstores.

$8.99 on Amazon - just bought it :)

DF.

[Desert Flower]

It does not seem to come up on Amazon Aust as a Kindle book.
It is there on Amazon US but we in Aus seem not to be able to get it from there.

https://www.amazon.com/Sky-Beyond-Gordon-Taylor-ebook/dp/B01N5BQHRR

When I clicked on that link it took me to the page, then I went to where it says Continue shopping on the Kindle Store at Amazon.com.au (https://www.amazon.com.au/s?_encoding=UTF8&field-keywords=The+Sky+Beyond&node=2496751051) which will take you to another page. Scroll down & the book is 6th from the top.

DF.

[Desert Flower]

.Ten Journeys to Cameron's Farm. I have just read this latest enthralling story by Cameron Hazlehurst about the 1940 Hudson crash at Canberra that wiped out several members of Bob Menzies Cabinet. It is a long book of 600 pages plus. In later years I knew many of the RAAF names.mentioned including Group Captain 'Paddy' Heffernan for one. . In fact I did my very first flight which was in a Lockeed Hudson VH-SMK a freighter of the Sydney Morning Herald Flying Services at Camden NSW in 1948. Captain Harry Purvis AFC was the pilot and it was a 30 minute test flight after an engine change. I was 16 then and sat on the freighter floor. No seats. No belts. Just hung on to the nearest protuberance. Incredibly noisy with no sound-proofing. Hence my interest in Cameron Hazlehurst book featuring Hudson facts

The book is an E-Version and free to download. See link

https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=Sr5LX--lNsnUz7sP-_2xqAQ&q=ten+journeys+to+cameron%27s+farm&oq=Ten+Journeys&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQARgAMgIIADICCAAyBggAEBYQHjIGCAAQFhAeMgYIA BAWEB4yBggAEBYQHjIGCAAQFhAeMgYIABAWEB4yBggAEBYQHjoICAAQsQMQg wE6CwguELEDEMcBEKMCOggILhCxAxCDAToOCC4QsQMQxwEQowIQkwI6BQgAE LEDOgsILhCxAxCDARCTAjoOCC4QsQMQgwEQxwEQowI6CAguEMcBEK8BOgUIL hCxAzoCCC46BAgAEApQ0RpYplhgzI0BaABwAHgAgAHLAYgB1RGSAQYwLjEwL jKYAQCgAQGqAQdnd3Mtd2l6&sclient=psy-ab

I could only find it in paperback. :(

DF.

[rjtjrt]

When I clicked on that link it took me to the page, then I went to where it says Continue shopping on the Kindle Store at Amazon.com.au (https://www.amazon.com.au/s?_encoding=UTF8&field-keywords=The+Sky+Beyond&node=2496751051) which will take you to another page. Scroll down & the book is 6th from the top.

DF.
Thanks, I didn’t scroll down far enough.

[deja vu]

"I flew For MMA" is out as an ebook at all the normal ebookstores.
I guess its unlikely to be reprinted. Seems like it should sit on the shelves for the next generation rather than in a Kindle. Such is life

[Desert Flower]

Thanks, I didn’t scroll down far enough.

You're welcome!

DF.

[Frontal Lobotomy]

Two by Jim Eames:

”The Searchers” which details the efforts by the RAAF to locate missing aircrew in the Southwest Pacific after WW2. “A thousand Australian airman remained unaccounted for at war’s end in 1945”.

”Courage in the Skies: The untold story of Qantas, it’s brave men and women and their extraordinary role in World War II”.

[sheppey]

I could only find it in paperback. https://www.pprune.org/images/smilies/sowee.gif

DF. Try this link

https://press-files.anu.edu.au/downloads/press/p263591/pdf/book.pdf

[Desert Flower]

DF. Try this link

https://press-files.anu.edu.au/downloads/press/p263591/pdf/book.pdf

Thanks - much appreciated!

DF.