A polite request for aviators of a certain age
Just over 55 years ago in a Tiger Moth
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9th Apr 1965 Perth (Scotland) C150 (boring) - wow, nearly 50 years!
6th Oct 1967 Barkston Heath JP4 (not boring) - after 18 months of square bashing at the Towers.
mcdhu
6th Oct 1967 Barkston Heath JP4 (not boring) - after 18 months of square bashing at the Towers.
mcdhu
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Some of you will have forgotten more than others will ever know.
A summary of things You've learnt about flying would be invaluable. From carb heat to weather to INS systems. The list is infinite.
Most of only have the chance to read more from the aaib and chirp, which aren't there for passing on experience.
A summary of things You've learnt about flying would be invaluable. From carb heat to weather to INS systems. The list is infinite.
Most of only have the chance to read more from the aaib and chirp, which aren't there for passing on experience.
Vercingetorix
Threw me for a bit there as I couldn't think what you were on about!
Scrolling back saw I had posted my comment back in 2011
As a matter of interest Mr Grumpy lent me a copy of his book, which I thoroughly enjoyed - but he probably was a bit too hard on some of the 'old-school' managers. From what No2 son tells me ( he's in TC ), Clint would go absolutely apoplectic if he had to endure the current crop of sh1ts masquerading as managers - the 'Fat Jock' being a prime example!
Scrolling back saw I had posted my comment back in 2011
As a matter of interest Mr Grumpy lent me a copy of his book, which I thoroughly enjoyed - but he probably was a bit too hard on some of the 'old-school' managers. From what No2 son tells me ( he's in TC ), Clint would go absolutely apoplectic if he had to endure the current crop of sh1ts masquerading as managers - the 'Fat Jock' being a prime example!
PG Taylor was the most prolific of any Australian airman to tell his story. In eight published books no less. After his double crossing of the South Pacific in his Catalina Frigate Bird 11 in 1951 (Sydney-Valparaiso-Sydney) he was knighted, becoming Sir Gordon Taylor. But to his friends and work associates he remained simply Bill Taylor.
Next month Allen & Unwin will have out the first comprehensive biography of Taylor. It is by Rick Searle . They have called the book The Man Who Saved Smithy, as in 1935 it was Bill Taylor who in flight climbed out of the cockpit of the Southern Cross over the Tasman Sea to transfer oil from one (disabled) engine to another on the opposite side that was losing oil pressure.
Perhaps the most notable thing about PG Taylor's writings is the fact that he had a keen ear and eye for the subtle nuances of the world of sea , land and air .
At his best his work is in some ways comparable to St Ex when the Frenchman
is describing some majestic or moving sight.
Next month Allen & Unwin will have out the first comprehensive biography of Taylor. It is by Rick Searle . They have called the book The Man Who Saved Smithy, as in 1935 it was Bill Taylor who in flight climbed out of the cockpit of the Southern Cross over the Tasman Sea to transfer oil from one (disabled) engine to another on the opposite side that was losing oil pressure.
Perhaps the most notable thing about PG Taylor's writings is the fact that he had a keen ear and eye for the subtle nuances of the world of sea , land and air .
At his best his work is in some ways comparable to St Ex when the Frenchman
is describing some majestic or moving sight.
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In true fanboy fashion I would love to read each and everyone of y'alls short stories/memories/anecdotes/recollections!
There are so many wonderful historical and personal tales out there - and being aviation related only makes it SO much better!
If anyone would like to share their story with me, a total stranger on the Internet, I'd be more than happy to get pointers to where I can find a copy of said story. All media welcome: audio, video or paper. PDFs are great too!
My Inbox is ready for anything!
(I did get the book blind pew wrote!)
There are so many wonderful historical and personal tales out there - and being aviation related only makes it SO much better!
If anyone would like to share their story with me, a total stranger on the Internet, I'd be more than happy to get pointers to where I can find a copy of said story. All media welcome: audio, video or paper. PDFs are great too!
My Inbox is ready for anything!
(I did get the book blind pew wrote!)
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Javelin memories
Hi,
I'm working on a book on the Gloster Javelin and would like to include a number of first hand accounts on what the aircraft was like to fly and maintain.
If anyone would be willing to share their stories I would be very grateful.
Regards,
Alex
I'm working on a book on the Gloster Javelin and would like to include a number of first hand accounts on what the aircraft was like to fly and maintain.
If anyone would be willing to share their stories I would be very grateful.
Regards,
Alex
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Memoirs of a seaplane pilot
Hi, not sure if this thread is still alive or not, but it seems in keeping with the topic to say that after recently retiring after forty years in the air, I have put pen to paper, starting by just writing down short narratives as they came to mind, then eventually finding a way to string them all together in what seems to be a fairly popular book. My career has been far from ordinary, definitely a deviation from the norm, and as previous writers in this forum have observed, it would be a shame for the many worthwhile contributions to the history of aviation to go un-recorded, simply because people didn't 'get around to it'.
As the moderators of this forum may have rules about advertising, let it suffice to say that if anyone is interested, googling my name will show the trail to a lively tale, with a fair bit of aviation history woven in.
As the moderators of this forum may have rules about advertising, let it suffice to say that if anyone is interested, googling my name will show the trail to a lively tale, with a fair bit of aviation history woven in.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Stockport MAN/EGCC
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Coming up on 6 years folk.
Anyone getting any nearer, do please let us know so that we can form a (dis)orderly queue or start mithering our chosen book supplier for a copy, gets 'em curious if people start enquiring about a book before it's published.
Be lucky
David
Anyone getting any nearer, do please let us know so that we can form a (dis)orderly queue or start mithering our chosen book supplier for a copy, gets 'em curious if people start enquiring about a book before it's published.
Be lucky
David
Well, as one who was fortunate enough to spend 13 years of their life selling commercial aircraft, I recently put (some of) my memoirs concerning the deals I was involved with into print.
If anyone is interested, it's called 'Wings for Sale' and is available through the usual internet bookseller.
If anyone is interested, it's called 'Wings for Sale' and is available through the usual internet bookseller.
Thread Starter
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Well, as one who was fortunate enough to spend 13 years of their life selling commercial aircraft, I recently put (some of) my memoirs concerning the deals I was involved with into print.
If anyone is interested, it's called 'Wings for Sale' and is available through the usual internet bookseller.
If anyone is interested, it's called 'Wings for Sale' and is available through the usual internet bookseller.
I hope this doesn't incurr the wrath of the advert police
Be lucky
David
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2005
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Learned contributors,
It's now over seven years since I started this thread.
Has anyone started their biography yet ?
PLEASE don't leave it to much longer.
Be lucky
David
It's now over seven years since I started this thread.
Has anyone started their biography yet ?
PLEASE don't leave it to much longer.
Be lucky
David
Well, I did finish mine about five years ago. It ended up in two parts (RAF - Part One) and (Civil - Part Two) and it ended up as an astonishing total of 370 pages of A4 (including lots of photographs). As was my intention, I ran off about 10 copies which went to family members and very close friends so I have achieved my goal.
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Good on you AvgasDino. 
I have been helping a family friend compile some of his memories and stories during the war as a B-24 bomber captain and afterwards. My uncle, and inspiration for my career, flew for Eastern then American, spanning the days of hulking radials to jets, has also been coerced into putting down his experiences for posterity.
Our B-24 man has been using a handheld recorder, after having tried typing it all out on an ancient manual typewriter, whilst my uncle is using a combination of hand written notes, his journals, and a cell phone voice recorder app.
For anyone struggling with memory and structure, we have found a couple of tricks using categorization such as aircraft type, girlfriend, domicile, model of automobile owned, and night stops, all of which have provided fertile starting points to jump off from.
One of the greatest 'methods' we've discovered, although not always possible, is to organize a meeting of old friends and quietly record the interactions, such as, "remember old so and so" or "what about that time you saved the day..." or "whatever happened to..." with each friend in turn providing details or corrections that had been since forgotten.
I have been helping a family friend compile some of his memories and stories during the war as a B-24 bomber captain and afterwards. My uncle, and inspiration for my career, flew for Eastern then American, spanning the days of hulking radials to jets, has also been coerced into putting down his experiences for posterity.
Our B-24 man has been using a handheld recorder, after having tried typing it all out on an ancient manual typewriter, whilst my uncle is using a combination of hand written notes, his journals, and a cell phone voice recorder app.
For anyone struggling with memory and structure, we have found a couple of tricks using categorization such as aircraft type, girlfriend, domicile, model of automobile owned, and night stops, all of which have provided fertile starting points to jump off from.
One of the greatest 'methods' we've discovered, although not always possible, is to organize a meeting of old friends and quietly record the interactions, such as, "remember old so and so" or "what about that time you saved the day..." or "whatever happened to..." with each friend in turn providing details or corrections that had been since forgotten.
A note of caution about interview recordings. I too have been recording people's stories for about 35 years, but only about a quarter of them have appeared in print to date. I have recently offered the entire collection to the two most obvious archives in the UK. One was not interested because there were not enough "well known" names in the collection, and the other, having promised to arrange to take them from me, has not been heard from since.
This lack of interest - without having listened to any of the content - is most disappointing as it means many great stories will never reach a wider public. I highlight this to you merely to bring attention to the fact that, in my view, getting someone's stories down on the printed page is essential.
This lack of interest - without having listened to any of the content - is most disappointing as it means many great stories will never reach a wider public. I highlight this to you merely to bring attention to the fact that, in my view, getting someone's stories down on the printed page is essential.
