Is this book any good? 'A Passion for Flying. 8,000 Hours of RAF Flying'
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Is this book any good? 'A Passion for Flying. 8,000 Hours of RAF Flying'
Just wondered if anyone's read the book 'A Passion for Flying. 8,000 Hours of RAF Flying', by Tom Eeles? If so, what are your thoughts?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1...21771844156885
The synopsis on Amazon just gives a brief biography of the author, and doesn't actually 'sell' the contents of the book, so I am a little hesitant to put my name down for a copy...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1...21771844156885
The synopsis on Amazon just gives a brief biography of the author, and doesn't actually 'sell' the contents of the book, so I am a little hesitant to put my name down for a copy...
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I flew with Tom for several years during my time on CUAS. He is a total gent and one of the most experienced aviators I've ever had the pleasure of being instructed by. Furthermore, he is capable of spinning a dit with the best of them, especially after a glass or two of the Macallans.
I think his answerphone message from my time at the sqn says it all: "You're through to Tom Eeles. I'm either flying, sailing, skiing or drinking with the students. Leave a message."
I've not bought his book, but only because this is the first i've heard of it. I'll be straight onto Amazon for a copy!
Blunty
I think his answerphone message from my time at the sqn says it all: "You're through to Tom Eeles. I'm either flying, sailing, skiing or drinking with the students. Leave a message."
I've not bought his book, but only because this is the first i've heard of it. I'll be straight onto Amazon for a copy!
Blunty
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Ewan,
I have just finished reading this book (I'll admit I was put onto it by the author's son, a good friend) and it is an interesting and often amusing trip through the career of an aviator of some 40+ years experience. I happen to know Tom, too, which added to my enjoyment of the book.
All in all, it's full of great tales and is a fascinating insight into the Cold War era from a Pilot's perspective. Buy it now!
AHV
I have just finished reading this book (I'll admit I was put onto it by the author's son, a good friend) and it is an interesting and often amusing trip through the career of an aviator of some 40+ years experience. I happen to know Tom, too, which added to my enjoyment of the book.
All in all, it's full of great tales and is a fascinating insight into the Cold War era from a Pilot's perspective. Buy it now!
AHV
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I met him when he was GCFT at Church Fenton. Was first back to the bar after a 'combat' change: he still had his green socks on! Top bloke!
Met him again in the UAS world; gave an excellent chat on his days on the Bucc (with the RAF and RN). If his writing is half as good as his presentation, this book will be well worth it.
I'm off to order my copy!
Duncs
Met him again in the UAS world; gave an excellent chat on his days on the Bucc (with the RAF and RN). If his writing is half as good as his presentation, this book will be well worth it.
I'm off to order my copy!
Duncs
8000 hours
Only 8000 - after 40 years experience !!
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This inject from buoy15 falls into the trap that so many people do in referring to time airborne as if it provided a yardstick to gauge experience by.
What one does with the time airborne is the true yardstick and time on fighters and fighter-bombers is worth at least ten times that spent on more mundane craft.
What one does with the time airborne is the true yardstick and time on fighters and fighter-bombers is worth at least ten times that spent on more mundane craft.
Two points:
1) I think you will find buoy 15 is a nav, so no 'hands on' hours at all in the true sense of the word! (I stand ready to be corrected)
2) In terms of buoy 15's maths, 8,000 hrs in 40 ish years equates to approx 200 hours per year according to me. So it is either 0.548 hrs per day (200 divided by 365), or 0.870 hrs per day if you only count working days (52 weeks minus 6 for leave equals 46 weeks, times 5 equals 230 working days). Either way buoy 15's figure of 1.825 is wrong.....
Of course if you multiply 365 by 40 you get 14,600 days. If you then divide 14,600 by 8000 (to give you days per flying hour - as opposed to flying hours per day!!!) then you get 1.825.......
Apart from that.......!!!
1) I think you will find buoy 15 is a nav, so no 'hands on' hours at all in the true sense of the word! (I stand ready to be corrected)
2) In terms of buoy 15's maths, 8,000 hrs in 40 ish years equates to approx 200 hours per year according to me. So it is either 0.548 hrs per day (200 divided by 365), or 0.870 hrs per day if you only count working days (52 weeks minus 6 for leave equals 46 weeks, times 5 equals 230 working days). Either way buoy 15's figure of 1.825 is wrong.....
Of course if you multiply 365 by 40 you get 14,600 days. If you then divide 14,600 by 8000 (to give you days per flying hour - as opposed to flying hours per day!!!) then you get 1.825.......
Apart from that.......!!!
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Talking of books and Buccs, has anybody 'read' The Buccaneer Songbook yet? It's an excellent collection of songs from the Bucc era and includes most of the rugby songs that you have forgotten too!
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Well, I just finished the book and have to say I was disappointed.
While it is excellent in parts (particularly with regards to the Buc), I didn't find the book particularly engaging and ended it feeling like I had read about the career of a man with 80 hours, not 8,000 in 28 different military aircraft.
There are one or two interesting stories, the occasional funny one, but on the whole the text is pretty mundane.
I'd certainly recommend it to anyone seeking a brief literary distraction (you can read it in half a day, it's so short) and who doesn't want to read anything too heavy, but for me it just doesn't live up to its potential. Shame, really.
While it is excellent in parts (particularly with regards to the Buc), I didn't find the book particularly engaging and ended it feeling like I had read about the career of a man with 80 hours, not 8,000 in 28 different military aircraft.
There are one or two interesting stories, the occasional funny one, but on the whole the text is pretty mundane.
I'd certainly recommend it to anyone seeking a brief literary distraction (you can read it in half a day, it's so short) and who doesn't want to read anything too heavy, but for me it just doesn't live up to its potential. Shame, really.
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It's a shame that you were disappointed by the book but it's just as well for us though Ewan that there are men around like Tom Eeles who have lived up to their potential. As has been so rightly pointed out by soddim and nipva on this thread, hands-on FJ time is worth it's weight in gold and cannot be compared to the bus driving that most of us end up doing to pay the mortgage post-mob. BTW. I for one found it gripping and a very interesting journey through the last few decades.
Last edited by Dan D'air; 9th Jun 2008 at 09:35.
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I don't think Ewan is knocking the author as an aviator.
I too had been looking forward to reading this book for a while but, having completed it in one session, I was a little dissapointed.
Forty years and 8000 hours raced by far too quickly for me and I was left with the feeling that maybe Tom's natural fear of 'line shooting' has caused him to damp down or even omit a lot of interesting experiences.
Perhaps I am being unfair in my expectations - I had just finished re-reading Bob Prests' book!
I too had been looking forward to reading this book for a while but, having completed it in one session, I was a little dissapointed.
Forty years and 8000 hours raced by far too quickly for me and I was left with the feeling that maybe Tom's natural fear of 'line shooting' has caused him to damp down or even omit a lot of interesting experiences.
Perhaps I am being unfair in my expectations - I had just finished re-reading Bob Prests' book!
Thread Starter
Dak
You are correct: Dan's got hold of the wrong end of the stick with regards to my post.
I think that Tom Eeele's accomplishments are phenomenal; the problem is that for a man who did so much, his book pales by comparison to others in the genre by men who achieved far less in their careers.
As a side note, and not anything Tom could control, the book is also not particularly well edited.
You are correct: Dan's got hold of the wrong end of the stick with regards to my post.
I think that Tom Eeele's accomplishments are phenomenal; the problem is that for a man who did so much, his book pales by comparison to others in the genre by men who achieved far less in their careers.
As a side note, and not anything Tom could control, the book is also not particularly well edited.