Ericferret - I couldn't agree more. Spellbinding books and well worth reading over and over again. Both those authors had a superb way of describing flying.
I still recall with pleasure talking with Brian when he was trying to persuade me to put a 200HP supercharged engine into our Stampe, to replace a badly misbehaving Renault. "Just think of the upward verticals you'll be able to do!" He did admit the down verticals would still be the challenge.
To watch Brian in a Stampe, was just lyrical pleasure - even we LAROSA types could imagine how much fun that ought to be. And in the Extra for example - wow!
Very sad news. I doubt if I can be down there to say farewell, may just go fly and think.