A polite request for aviators of a certain age

[The AvgasDinosaur]

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Please consider the following polite request.
There are those among you who bridge the huge and significant gap in aviation history, that from biplanes to jets, or flying boats to jets or heavy recips to jets. Probably the biggest leap in aviation technology other than venturing into space. Those who can recall what prop synch was all about, that know what 2,800 at 54" means, who can still smell 115/145 on a quiet night. When take off power was measured in decibels achieved not what %flex the bean counters will let us get away with. Those who laid a noisy, black smokey trail across the sky for others to follow, when mag drops were not a new fangled sweet. You know who you are. Pilots, flight engineers, loadmasters, line engineers all of you out there in pprune land.
Recently Captain Bob Welliver (411A) passed away, last May he PM'd me to say that at last he had started on his biography, it will not now be finished.
Please have a serious thought about getting into your loft/garage/shed/den/office/study/cellar and digging out your old log books and bit and pieces.
Please consider applying quill to parchment and recording your piece of the fabulous history that is aviation. The incidents that inspired, amused, frightened or amazed you. Please don't leave it too late.
Please forgive this intrusion.
Thanks for your time,
Be lucky
David

[Loose rivets]

Mr Dinosaur your PM box is full.


However, having popped in here and read your last post, I am certainly in agreement - in fact I mentioned it in Bob's thread, and would love to know if he'd not only started, but kept notes and photos with the intention of a biography one day.

There are a lot of interesting lives stashed away in shoe boxes and dusty cupboards, and so many of them will be discarded without a word being read. Such a shame.

[The AvgasDinosaur]

Quote Loose rivets Mr Dinosaur your PM box is full.
Sorry Sir,
This thread caused a bit of a surge in the inbox.
All sorted now.
Thanks for taking the time and trouble to post.
Be lucky
David

[innuendo]

I have a "Royal Air Force Flying Training Manual,
Part 1-Landplanes"
Air Publication 129, revised 1937,
reprinted 1939 with pen and ink revisions in 1940.
I got it from a teacher when I was in school in the fifties.
To give you some idea of its contents, where formation hand signals are discussed, the illustrations are open cockpit bi-planes with a lot of the formations in Vic threes. I don't think there was any finger four in the scheme of things when it was in effect.

I know of a few places that would be glad to have it and I do not intend to see it get binned. I have to believe that the RAF museum at Hendon must have copies but I wonder if it would be worthwhile finding out just in case. That would be a good home if they do not have something like that.

[Dan Winterland]

If you have the notion to share such a document, perhaps you could consider scanning it and publishing it on a webite such as Scribd (http://www.scribd.com/) I've done it for a couple of documents which the pilot fraternity may find useful. And perhaps we could start a historical documents link on this forum like the one which exists on the technical forum.

I for one would love to see that manual. I should think that copyright wouldn't apply on such an old document

[twentygrand]

I wrote a brief autobiography (23,000 words) for my sons a couple of Christmasses ago. About 40 pages of A4,with embedded pictures, printed and bound myself - nothing elaborate. It has been well received.
There is no way the RAF Museum is getting my stuff - it will only vanish into some dusty file somewhere!

[innuendo]

Dan, I think that scanning the book would be a fair undertaking as it is almost a couple of inches thick. It is in eight chapters with nine appendices at the end. I think it would end up as a pretty big file.

[Old-Duffer]

20 Grand,

You might not give the orginals to the RAF Museum and things like medals would stay in the family.

However, a copy of your autobiography would be appreciated by them. The work would be catalogued in such a way that it can be pulled up by the many hundreds of people using the museum's research facilities, when there is some relevance between your experiences and what the researcher wants to find out about.

Give it go!!

O-D

[1970s Spotter]

AvGas

A GREAT idea, I just hope some people take up the challenge. So often those at the forefront of events don't realise the significance (to us like-minded types, at least) of their endevours. There are numerous aviation magazines that would love to receive tales of times gone by, Air Classics, Propliner, Airways Magazine to name but three.

[Sir George Cayley]

I think my exploits with early flying machines and truculent pilots is already well documented;)

Sir George Cayley

[Tee Emm]

I too have an original of AP 129 and it sits proudly among all my treasured books as I type this.

Now, in case the Mods read this and cry "advertising not allowed" I shall say right now this is not the intent. I too have written my memoirs garnered from daily diaries and photos kept since 1952 and cross referred to 23,000 hours worth of military and civvy log books. I found the cost of writing and publishing let alone advertising was beyond my means. There had to be another way and I found it.

Chris Brady of www.b737.org.uk (http://www.b737.org.uk) wrote his marvellous The Boeing 737 Technical Manual many years ago. I recall we talked by email and he advised me to use an internet publishing site called www.lulu.com (http://www.lulu.com) which is based in Louisiana USA which is free.

The website shows a budding author how to collate the pages etc and submit the book for publication to them. All at no cost. The snag is you have to write your own book and that includes designing the cover page and back page, do your own proof reading and page layout. I needed help from a friend who had computer keyboard expertese. In other words the author is entirely responsible for the donkey work. As I said I needed someone to help me with page layouts.

That done, you simply forward the book file to the internet publishing website of your choice - probably hundreds of them available. I chose www.lulu.com (http://www.lulu.com) despite googled comments criticising the site efficiency. My book was around 12 MB. Incidently there are well written instructions from lulu how to decide on what size pages and format and you decide how much you want to sell the book for. Say $20 USD. If someone sees your book advertised (free) on www.lulu.com (http://www.lulu.com) they send off the $20 plus around $6 postage to lulu. The author gets $5 and lulu get $5 and the printer gets $10.

Or, you can do what I did, and that is buy 30 copies of your own book from lulu (delivery usually within 14 days) and give them as gifts to friends or family. The printing is the interesting bit, though. As soon as www.lulu.com (http://www.lulu.com) get your credit card amount for the book, they contact the nearest capital city to your home address and arrange for one of the hundreds of specialised computerised printers to dash off one copy (or more) to your nominated address.

That is where the $6 "shipping" comes in as it is sent by courier and not by expensive post office means.

All this so far at not a cent from your pocket. All you need is the desire to write your memoire, the basic nouse of writing a story of your life experiences say in aviation, the help of a good friend to guide you through page layouts etc and someone to help you design an attractive colour front page.

For the latter, all I did was to go through my photo albums and selected about four photos of aircraft I had flown, and I found a nice shot of a Pacific island runway taken from very short final from my 737 cockpit. With those photos in my grubby hand I went to a local shopping mall which had a graphic designer who puts photos on coffee mugs and tea towels.

I thought of a title for the book and asked the man behind the counter could he please design a evocative picture for the front of a book to include the photos I gave him and title.

A day later he showed me his work which included several choices. He had done a wonderful job and I was delighted. That cost me a grand total of $35 for his work. I would show you the picture on Pprune but am not permitted due to The Rules.

You may not want to sell the book but just to have something for your family. Fine - lulu couldn't care less but will merely print any number copies that you want.. they get their $5 commission and you are happy. By the way, just google the words "Tall Tails of the South Pacific" and see what comes up. Make sure you spell it as `tails`, too. I achieved a life long ambition to put my log books into words and my family were delighted.
I hope this starts a few of you thinking about those flying experiences of long ago and start off with Chapter One..."there I was at 30,000 ft with nothing on the clocks except the maker's name". And all the jazz.

[Tankertrashnav]

bral is absolutely correct. Some years ago a chap came into my shop and offered me the following original documents for sale, all pertaining to one RFC/RAF pilot.

An army commission dated around 1910

A Royal Flying Corps commission dated around 1915

A Royal Air Force Commission dated 1918

A bestowal document for a DSO dated 1917, and 2 MID certificates

When I asked him where he had got the documents he told me he was a dustman and had removed them from a pile of stuff on top of a bin he was emptying. Can you imagine what was in the items he didnt recover, and the mentality of the person who threw them away in the first place?

Timely advice, avgas dinosaur.

[ian16th]

the mentality of the person who threw them away in the first place?

TTN,

A little strong.

In most cases it is pure ignorance.

Anyone want a set of Green Satin circuit diagrams, circa 1958?:D

[Tmbstory]

Tee Emm:

Thank you for the post on how you published the Memoirs, good information.

Kind regards

Tmb

[Mr_Grubby]

Last year I published my autobiography, ‘Was It All Worth It’

It cost me £2K for just 20 copies which I have given to my family and close friends.

Having retired after 32 years as an Air Traffic Controller mismanaging the skies above the UK I thought it would be fun to recount it all.

I wrote 135,482 words, 15 chapters. Tales about airmisses, incidents etc that I was involved with.

It only took me 6 months to write. There were days when the words just flowed from my mind and I would not get to bed until 2 am. But sometimes nothing happened. I now know what writers block is.

As far as getting it published on the open market, now that was a problem.

The Official Secrets Act that I signed when I joined ATC in Jan ’70 it seems binds you for life. I am very critical in the book of my past managers & the RAF. Also the newly formed CAA. So for that reason I could only get it published privately.

Still. I’m glad I did it.

So if anybody is thinking about writing a book, go do it. It’s not so hard. But unless your name is JK Rawlings don’t expect publishers banging at your door !!

Clint.

[JW411]

Well, I AM trying but I am so busy now that I have retired that I find it really hard to sit down and get on with it. I have managed to get to the end of 1965 so far.

I have decided to self-publish enough copies for my family and a few friends. It certainly would never be a great seller but some folks in the future might find some of it of interest.

One thing that is of interest about my 55-year flying career (so far) is that I never ever flew a Boeing or an Airbus!

[Brian 48nav]

Clint I'm intrigued,what could be secret about a career as a controller with the CAA? But having been given a written warning because I wrote to the local paper without management pewrmission I can see where you are coming from.

In my career as both a Herc nav and then CAA ATCO I can't think of any thing that I or any reasonable person would consider to be of earth shattering secrecy! Oh yes - how incompetent most of the managers I encountered in the CAA were, particularly post late '80s. But that must surely have been self-evident!

Brian

[Mr_Grubby]

JW411.

Good you have made a start on your book. Stay with it.

When the time comes I can give you the name etc. of my publisher. They specialse in one off publications. Not cheap but good value.

Clint.

[Mechta]

If you have an elderly parent, relative or friend who has told you bits of their story in the past, but is unlikely to sit down and write it all out, why not list a few chapter headings based upon memories they have told you previously, and ask if they would tell you again with a recorder running? Once they are going it should prompt a few questions from you, and before you know it there will be plenty of material.

Its usually possible to find someone who can touch type who could get it onto a computer or paper for you; capturing the memory before its too late, is what matters.

I only found out a few weeks ago that when my mother went to RAE Farnborough in the early 50s (ending up as an aerial photographer in a Dakota) that she was interviewed, at all three stages of the process, together with her twin sister!

[henry crun]

My typing is strictly two fingers and thus very slow, so when I was asked to write about my experiences the thought was rather daunting.
If anyone else is in the same situation you could try what I am doing.

I bought a Sony IC Recorder and am dictating the story into that.
As each episode/chapter is finished I back it up in the PC and also onto CD.
When complete I will put it all on DVD.

I realise this is not as permanent as a printed edition, but at least the story will be there for others to transcribe if they want to.

[JohnReid]

Looks like I stated something here.Come on guys we gotta get it down before it is gone forever!:ok:

An Avgas Dinosaur.

[JW411]

Mr Grubby:

Many thanks for your encouragement and the offer to put me in touch with your publisher. As you say, it costs a fair bit to publish a few copies. I had an old friend (now departed) who spent around £6,000 having his career (in two books) published. (That covered about a total of 60 books as far as I can remember).

I am lucky to have a copy of both, I am pleased to say.

When I said that I was considering self-publishing I meant that I was toying with the idea of using MS Publisher (or a similar programme) and doing it myself.

The other idea is to put it all on a DVD. At the moment, I favour this idea for it really would be much easier all round. One of the great advantages is that I could incorporate lots of colour photographs and size would not be so much of a problem.

It also means that I can run off copies very easily - as many as I want for the cost of a blank DVD.

Anyway, what I need now is time!

[JohnReid]

Everyone can be a publisher today ! Just get it down and out in cyberspace somewhere and it will get picked up.:ok:

[The AvgasDinosaur]

Thank you everyone who has contributed to this thread. Please pass on its sentiments to anyone you know.
Be lucky
David

[PAXboy]

Fortunately, my father DID do this. In his retirement he wrote about his war in night fighters with Serrate and AI, happily it was then published in 1997. (details on request)

The family learnt things about him and the war we had never known and also about his parents. We did known them as they got the chop by a V2, since my paternal grandfather was RFC on SE5a, it would have been grand to have known him.

So - get talking or writing. If you don't know how to distribute it - then your children or grandchildren will!!

[ICM]

This thread hit a spot with me. About three years ago, realising late in life how little I knew about my maternal grandfather, killed in the withdrawal from Le Cateau some two weeks into WWI, I started to write a Memoir, based on my Logbooks, something that one day might mean something to my daughters and granddaughters. I reckoned that it would therefore need a good deal of context to have meaning and significance in years ahead, and that led me down a number of paths - for example, scanning a simple Airplot diagram to help explain the basics of navigation as we learned it in the 60s; explaining what the Transport Command Cat Scheme was; and so on. (Just mentioning these suggests that they are already 'history.')

I also felt I had to mention background political developments - things like Rhodesian UDI and the events attendant upon our withdrawal from Aden, which happened to have a significance in my personal narrative. And what I found was that my memory of dates and chronology was not as sure as I had spent many years thinking - broad detail was fine, but checking things via Google showed that not everything could have happened quite as I had allowed myself to imagine. Just a thought to pass on to others who feel the need to put finger to keyboard.

I left the result of it all on my hard disk and, on looking back at it recently, I now realise that there are bits and pieces that need to be corrected. So, if there is a message anywhere in this, it might be that the sooner you get a first draft written down, the better. Your memory does not improve with the passage of the years!

[windriver]

I have published a number of books recently through Lulu recently and consider it an option worth considering. Quality is excellent.

Don't be afraid to have a go as there are no up front costs and there is an option to "publsih privately" - ie for the cost of a preview copy you can see what your book might actually look like - and handy for editing and proof reading prior to "going public"

Once public you can still update/amend your master copy so corrections/updates/new info may be easily incorporated.

Lulu provides downloadable templates for appropriate book sizes - "US Trade" could prove a good option.

Colour images possible - but grayscaling or selecting grayscale keeps print costs sensible - quality excellent.

One secret of success is to choose appropriate formatting "styles" for use in Word / Open Office - eg Title 1st Para DropCap paragraph bullets footnotes.... Hint look at a book from your bookshelf - it will help you deceide on style issues. (But remember to stay within your Lulu template rulers)

Lulu also scores well on the aggregators (ie getting books onto Amazon etc) -

Whilst you're at it you may want to publish an Electronic version as well as a physical version. - Amazon now accepts .Epubs so it's now quite simple to get stocked in the iStore and Amazon. Theres an inexpensive Ebook creation software programme called Jutoh - it's very capable.

Also check out the free Ebook reader and conversion software called Calibre.

All the above is for info only - there's any number of approaches to getting into print - but I do agree with the OP that there must be some great books just waiting to be written.

[Observer1940]

Hello innuendo

I was most interested in your recent post:-

"I have a "Royal Air Force Flying Training Manual,
Part 1-Landplanes"
Air Publication 129, revised 1937,
reprinted 1939 with pen and ink revisions in 1940."

I have the same 1939 copy, but I don't have the 1940 revisions.

I would be most interested in the 1940 revisions, especially revisions relating to:-
Chapter 2 "Aerodrome Procedure" section, paras 106-113
Chapter 2 "Night Flying Equipment" section, paras 116-132 and
Chapter 3 "Instrument Flying" para 173 Entering cloud and para 175 "Use in VHF approach and landing"
Chapter 3 "Flying in Bad Weather" para 182
Chapter 3 "Forced Landing" paras 310-325
Chapter 3 "Night Flying paras 335-354
and
Appendix I; II and VIII and the Control Areas map

Any 1940 revisions in these sections would be greatly appreciated? Thanks
Mark

[The AvgasDinosaur]

Three years on already.
Does that surprise you?
Come on folks none of us are getting any younger !!
Be lucky
David

[philbky]

Some twenty or so years ago I was a regular visitor to an aviation group, the members being predominantly ex BEA and BOAC staff from all areas of the companies, many of whom had joined immediately post WW2.

They had some really interesting stories to tell. At the same period I had contact with a good number of WW2 aircrew as well as some very senior people who had served many years with various aviation authorities.

Most people were willing to be interviewed and their stories placed on tape. I approached the BBC, the National Archive and a well known transport publishing company to see if there was any interest in recording the memories these people had with a view to both possible publication in broadcast, written and archival form and permanent availability to historians.

I was met with total disinterest, not from lower echelon management but from very senior people in each organisation.

Most of the potential interviewees are now long dead and their stories went with them.

Given the antipathy and even downright discouragement of interest in aviation today on the very spurious grounds that any interest is potentially with terrorist intent, I would doubt any approach today would meet with anything other than aneven more disinterested response.

[PPRuNe Pop]

That is just not true! There have been many instances since I first started this forum those many years ago. In that time many people from BoB pilots, to past and present senior Captains in the big airlines, not to mention the many training Captains, who frequent this space. 'Airclues' is such a person.

'Centaurus' is another who spent many thousands of hours in the south east Asia area in Oz and Kiwi land. He wrote a book too that tickled the imagination to bursting point at times.

We are lucky to have test pilots who drop in frequently, like the gentleman John Farley who spent his time and energy, AND his brilliant skills in developing the Harrier. Indeed, had it not been for him and those undoubted skills there would NOT have been a Harrier at all.

We have ETPS pilots like Lomcevak who today still works and tests at Boscombe Down and is one of the pilots who regularly flies one or more of the Duxford warplanes at their shows.

The nature of this forum is that it can be anonymous or open, it is the choice of people as above. But make no mistake there is and always has been the same interest in passing on their tales. Also, of course, they like the BoB pilots (The Few) are getting fewer. One of the most recent was Tony Iveson, who fought in the BoB and then changed to bombers and was engaged in the sinking of the Tirpitz in a Norwegian fiord. A man of modesty but one of exceptional flying skills.

So, we do share much interest in the daring dos of many of our ace pilots. And so it goes.

The fact remains, however, we live in a time of diminishing returns on the amount of pleasure they bring in relating their stories to us. Letting us know what life is like in the airline world or the military world. Flying is one of the most safest forms of transport there is and it is all due to the skills that man and men brought to the likes of us. Remember, the bravest of the brave will never pass this way again. But there will always be something for us to savour.

Enjoy it.

[philbky]

PPruNe pop, if your post is in response to mine, you have totally misunderstood my post and who the people I approached were. If it is the case, I suggest you re-read the post.

[LesleyP]

At the risk of getting shot down by the old and the bold (it happens all the time!), my late husband's log books were microfiched at IWM Hendon and copies of certain photographic slides were done, then copies sent to Cosford as well. The kick-off was mention of XD818 when I was nattering to somebody or other at an aviation gathering and the whole thing gathered speed from there. Sorting out all RTH's album's, loose photographs, books from Halton days, etc., and trying to get them in order, has been sorely trying at times. However, the whole caboodle, including his blue flying suit from the Cold War, will be on display at Newark Air Museum - again (third time!), on 17/18 May this year. I look forward to meeting and talking to anybody who cares to stop and have a shufty - however brief. I have yet to put pen to paper re Richard Twyman Hayward's archival material as I'm being pressured (ever so lightly, but determinedly) to do my own service career for the WRAF archives.

[Jackw106]

Gen John Miln talking about 7 VC's at Le Cateau the RAF gets a mention towards the end

[http://youtu.be/pzY721pyk_Y]

[ExSp33db1rd]

Started my autobiography earlier in the year, not really interested in publishing, but my grandchildren requested it.

[Duchess_Driver]

Just picked up this thread and it made me think....

The 30th anniversary of my first solo flight slipped by, unnoticed, last year. Where has time gone? Sobering.

Perhaps, for personal reasons, I should start writing things down before all the people who can cross reference things are no longer around to help. No interest in publishing, but Duchess Junior may decide to be interested one day!

[Bergerie1]

Or you can try writing short stories. I've done twelve so far based on the amusing, bizarre and sometimes downright frightening things encountered in airline life during the 1960s and 70s. Like some other Prune Posters, I started writing for my grandchildren but then progressed (regressed?) to short stories. Even if they are never published (most unlikely) it is great fun recalling those past events, embroidering them and then researching suitable backgrounds.


And it keeps the little grey cells active!

[Discorde]

For self-publishing, Amazon KDP is a user-friendly set-up. I've published five novels using this facility. I also converted Gordon Taylor's (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Gordon_Taylor) excellent 'The Sky Beyond' into KDP format (using Mobipocket Creator) but have been unable to publish it as I cannot find the current copyright holder. It's a fascinating account of trans-oceanic air navigation before and during WW2 in Catalina flying boats. If anyone can help in this regard I would appreciate it mightily.

[teeteringhead]

The 30th anniversary of my first solo flight slipped by, unnoticed, last year. Blimey D_D - you must be one of the newer chaps (chapesses?)

Just looked mine up - 'twas 46 years ago last August :(

That was powered flight, + 3 years on that for the glider first solo launch .:(:(

[ExSp33db1rd]

Just looked mine up - 'twas 46 years ago last August

58 years ago for me, Harvard Mk II. Got airborne in a Harvard 50 years to the minute later, wouldn't lend it to me for a solo flight tho'. Funny that.

[Bergerie1]

Just over 55 years ago in a Tiger Moth

[mcdhu]

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

[FANS]

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.

[Vercingetorix]

Brian 48 nav

Possibly knowledge of the inner workings of units such as Sopley, Boulmer, Watton, etc. plus certain bits of EGTT as it then was.

:ok:

[Brian 48nav]

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!

[Fantome]

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.

[rjtjrt]

PG TAYLOR's books are a wonderful read.
I particularly like his WW1 book SOPWITH SCOUT 7309.

[MrSnuggles]

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!)

[Alex Crawford]

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

[arthur harbrow]

Presently reading from Essex to Everywhere, an airline pilots life.
Written by David Willmott.Very interesting reading, as David spent a lot of time on the D/C 8.

[Norm Sanson]

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.

[The AvgasDinosaur]

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

[barry lloyd]

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.

[The AvgasDinosaur]

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.

Perhaps those who like Barry have taken the plunge could enlighten us with title and ISBN number so that we may enjoy the fruits of your labours ?
I hope this doesn't incurr the wrath of the advert police
Be lucky
David

[Helix Von Smelix]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wings-Sale-Worldwide-Experiences-Aircraft/dp/1846831806/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494406375&sr=8-1&keywords=%27Wings+for+Sale%27

[The AvgasDinosaur]

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

[JW411]

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.

[vapilot2004]

Good on you AvgasDino. :ok:

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.

[Steve Bond]

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.