Books

Airline Scams and Scandals - May 2012. 160 pages, The History Press.

Introduced by a boisterous foreword from Pam Ann, this book documents some of the more amusing scams and scandals in the aviation industry (there are many), work on this book is now finished and it is due for release on 1st May 2012. This hilarious collection of stories presents the pick of many scandals and scams to have plagued the aviation industry (but amused everyone else!). It includes the Zambian man who attempted to beat world superpowers in the space race with the help of a fifteen-year-old girl and a 40-gallon oil drum.

Then there was the Middlesbrough man who wanted to restart flights from Durham to London and believed his proposed airline was 'backed by God'; skydiving smugglers and their novel way of trafficking cocaine - and an account of the only unsolved US airline hijacking in history. So whether you're after a funny story, some aviation anecdotes or just love having a laugh at blatant blockheads, this book is for you.

Available for pre-order here.

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A History of Aviation in Alderney - August 2010. 128 pages, Amberley Publishing, Stroud.

'Entertaining, absorbing and written in an inimitable style - efficient & witty... this wonderful and unusual book is singularly fine... give that bloke a knighthood!' - The Carthusian, June 2010

'A remarkable book... one cannot give higher praise than to say that his age does not show!' - Aeroplane magazine, November 2010 (rated 4 stars, which is classed as 'excellent' - for full review see here)

'Incredible' - Alderney Journal, August 2010

This book takes an affectionate look at a previously neglected topic: the lifetime of powered flight on this Channel Island. Packed with information, characters and anecdotes, it covers the period from 1919 to the present day, encompassing the Nazi occupation, the birth (and death) of various airlines, and all the major accidents and incidents that the island and its waters have seen.

Commemorating the past but also looking to the future – and championing Alderney Airport in its 75th year – the book is not solely aimed at the aviation enthusiast or the Alderney resident. It also looks at connections with the other Channel Islands of Guernsey, Jersey and Sark, touching on their own aviation stories, and it considers the many benefits that air links have provided to these island communities. Illustrated throughout, both in black and white and in colour, A History of Aviation in Alderney takes flight and reveals its charm.

It is available to buy in most Channel Islands bookshops as well as both Alderney and Guernsey airports and a number of other shops and newagents throughout the islands. In mainland Britain, it is available in a number of retailers (your local bookshop can order it in) and online. If you would like a signed copy, please email.

You can find the cheapest buy (inc. P&P) on Google Product Search.