I ♥ AVIATRICES
CALL THEM aviatrices, female flyers or airwomen (this last term making its debut in the 1910 Oxford English Dictionary). Women active in aviation hold a special place in its history. … Continue reading
A PILOT’S VIEW, EPISODE 3
THE FIRST airline passengers were as hearty as their pilots, both residing in open cockpits. But maybe wind in the face wasn’t a necessary part of the experience. And before … Continue reading
TRANSPORT MEMORABILIA, 1995 (AND TIMELESS)
I LOVE auction catalogs. They contain a wealth of information. Printed on fine stock, they are typically a bibliophile’s delight. Christie’s catalog for a Transport Memorabilia and Models auction is … Continue reading
A PILOT’S VIEW, EPISODE 2
THE FIRST pilots moved levers forward and aft, wiggled their hips or shoulders this way or that and gripped wheels, only some of which steered. (See http://wp.me/p2ETap-2aF.) Before long, however, controls … Continue reading
THE PILOT’S VIEW, EPISODE 1
THE EARLIEST aeroplanes were less than open-cockpit, for they had no cockpits at all. Orville or Wilbur Wright initially lay prone on a padded cradle on the bottom wing of … Continue reading
MONOSPAR WINS 1934 KING’S CUP
IT MAY have been only a handicap race appealing to club pilots flying any old aircraft, but the King’s Cup originated by His Majesty George V in 1922 brought forth … Continue reading
ROTARY ENGINES: HOLD THE CRANK, SPIN THE REST
I’M TALKING about a rotary engine in the traditional sense, its crankshaft firmly fixed to the frame, its engine block with radially aligned cylinders spinning around and producing power. (By … Continue reading
MILES AIRCRAFT LTD AND ITS M.57 AEROVAN
THE BRITISH Miles Aircraft Ltd was a family business, and what a family it was: See http://wp.me/p2ETap-24M. The varied talents of F.G. Miles, his wife Blossom and his brother George … Continue reading
BLOSSOM MILES—AIRCRAFT DESIGNER
I WAS researching the Miles M.57 Aerovan, but got sidetracked by romance. Maybe you’ll share my enthusiasm for F.G. Miles and his wife Blossom as well as their aircraft, about … Continue reading
JUNKERS G-38
Passengers in today’s jumbo jets travel encapsulated in alloy tubes, but those in the 1930’s Junkers G-38 had more interesting choices: Eleven sat in upper or lower levels, four had … Continue reading
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