Test
Pilot
My Extraordinary Life In Flight Author
- Tony Blackman Published
by - Grub Street Review by SHHAS
member Roger Hixon
Another
excellent book from
Tony Blackman. This one covering his complete flying career, and later
aviation related jobs. From his first air experience flight in an
Airspeed Oxford, to the mighty Vulcan, with so many other types between
and beyond, both prop. and jet. The section on the Avro 748 is very
interesting, recalling his time as a test pilot and salesman, and
stories of his involvement with Howard Hughes. Later he describes his
work in the aviation components industries, and with the CAA .
Finally
he gives some of his thoughts for the future.
A thoroughly enjoyable and interesting book, highly recommended.
Vulcan
Test Pilot
My Experiences In The Cockpit Of A Cold
War Icon
Author - Tony Blackman
Published
by - Grub Street
Review by SHHAS member Roger Hixon
A very
interesting and informative book, written by a man who should know the
subject
better than anybody. Sometimes a
bit technical, but not too much so, and only where necessary to explain
a situation. When one
reads this book, you realise the great technical leap forward this
project was in its time,
and the tremendous amount of effort required by everybody concerned to
overcome the
problems.
For anyone who has grown up with this aircraft,
saw its demise and resurrection,(XH558) cannot fail to
enjoy this story . Well done Tony
Phoenix Squadron
Author -
Rowland White
Published
by - Bantam Press
Review by SHHAS member Roger Hixon
PHOENIX
SQUADRON is by the same author as Vulcan 607. It is a very
well written story of the threat to British Honduras (now Belize) in
1972, by Guatemala, and the British response to that situation. For
Naval Aviation, Buccaneer and Phantom buffs, this is a must read. There
are lots of detailed information on the political as well as the
military side of the build up and execution of Operation Cadnam.
However it lacks the climax of Vulcan 607 because the show of force was
enoughto deter the potential aggressor.
I bought my copy from Amazon for £9.99
inc P&P (Hardback)
Vulcan 607
Author -
Rowland White
Published
by - Bantam Press Review
by
SHHAS member Malcolm Lee
VULCAN 607
is the gripping story of the men and machines involved in the first
“Black Buck” bombing mission to Stanley airport, in the
Falklands, during the 1982 conflict.
At the
time of Argentina’s invasion of the Falklands the RAF Vulcan force
was being wound down and the squadrons re-equipping with the Tornado.
When the Vulcan crews were tasked to fly a mission to the Falklands,
much work had to be done on the ageing aircraft to allow them to fly
from their forward operating base on Ascension Island. The air to air
refuelling system on the Vulcan had to be re-activated, after many
years of non use, additional navigation equipment, removed from ex-BA
VC 10’s, installed and an ECM pod installed on an under-wing pylon.
In addition the crews had to undertake training in air to air
refuelling and conventional bombing techniques, as none of the crews
were current with these skills.
During
the actual raid the extremely complex refuelling plan was constantly
being revised and recalculated, by the Victor tanker crews, to
overcome numerous technical problems and the unexpectedly high fuel
usage of the Vulcan, which was constantly flying over its AUW limits
for much of its journey south. To complete the first “Black Buck”
mission – “They had needed one Nimrod, two Vulcans, thirteen
Victors, nineteen separate in-flight refuellings, forty take-offs and
landings, forty-two 1,000lb bombs, ninety aircrew and over 1.5
million pounds of aviation fuel” All this effort contributed
to, at the time, the longest distance bombing mission, of nearly
8,000 miles, in history.
Rowland
White has written an exciting and fitting tribute to the courage and
professionalism of all those involved and when reading the final
chapters, on the raid itself, you will not want to put this book
down.
2007
will be the 25th anniversary year of the Falklands
conflict and with the real possibility of seeing a Vulcan in the air
again VULCAN 607 is a timely and highly recommended read.
