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(More customer reviews)Called up for National Service in the RAF in 1948, the author decided to stay in the Service and become a pilot. In 1952 he went to the 2nd Tactical air Force in West Germany, flying Gloster Meteors and de Haviland Vampires and also gaining time on sundry other types. Then, in 1954, he began training to become an RAF test pilot and subsequently went to Boscombe Down, testing bombers and transport aircraft (and again getting his hands on a variety of other aircraft). In 1956 he joined A.V.Roe at Woodford as a test pilot, putting in many hours on Vulcans and demonstrating/selling the Avro 748 in the Third World countries, which sometimes demanded a degree of resourefulnees from the company's team. In 1973 he had the rare experience of flying in England with Howard Hughes in both the 748 and and the HS 125. Then after 22 years with A.V.Roe, he went on to the Aerospace Board of Smiths Industries, becoming involved in the rapidly evolving field of Avionics.
This book is packed with insights into test flying, aircraft characteristics and development programmes, and aeronautical adventures. The episodes with the Vulcan, especially the tests to carry the Skybolt air-launches ballistic missile, are absorbing and the author was able to fly the Boeing B-47 and B-52 while he was at Edwards Air Foce Base. The chapter devoted to the Howard Hughes Flights (and the frustrating negotiations undertaken to bring them about) is equally absorbing, while informal comments and assessments greatly enhance the book. For such a cornucopia of entertaining information the price is low.
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No aircraft is absolutely safe. This book is about Aviation, from learning to fly, becoming a test pilot, flight testing, demonstrating on some of the third world's worst airfields, then specializing in Avionics and finally joining the Board of the UK Civil Aviation Authority, helping to formulate the regulations that the author had spent so many years living by. Many stories are told, including flying with the legendary Howard Hughes when the world thought him a mad recluse, and testing many aircraft including all three V Bombers, an almost unique experience. The book, well illustrated, makes the point that flying is inherently risky, that regulations always try to quantify acceptable risk, that safety is a cost, and that test pilots have to sell their aircraft and should not try to make an aircraft safer than the rules require. It emphasizes the almost unbelievable changes in aviation in one working lifetime, whilst painting a picture of a much simpler world, now gone beyond recall.
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