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Chronicle of Aviation
"CHRONICAL OF AVIATION"
Aviation means flight within our atmosphere. Relative to our
own planet the atmosphere is only about as thick as the skin
on an apple. Yet this thin and quite fragile layer still provides
room for countless aircraft, of fascinating variety.
This book records the history of these aircraft, provided they
have wings and an engine. Except for legends, it covers everything
that flies. Young boys may be impressed only by such things
as Su-27 and F-22A, whereas micro drivers are happy with less
horsepower than they have in their car. To the great global
army of professional pilots - civil and military - aviation
is simply what pays the bills; and yet, unlike most jobs, it
offers more than mere money. You may have taken off 10,000 times,
yet on flight 10,001 I am sure every pilot continues to marvel
at the beauty or our atmosphere, and perhaps also at man's conquest
of it.
By most yardsticks the story of that conquest is not very long.
This entire book covers less than 100 years, yet its early pages
seem to belong to a differnt world, almost prehistoric in its
simplicity. Men all wore hats - cloth caps, bowlers or top hats,
depending on their class - and they threw them into the air
if any spluttering aviator should succed in getting his wheels
a few inches off the ground. It is not easy one's self to be
one of those excited observers, and to report the occation in
contempory words.
Yet that is what this book seeks to do. The "Chronicle
System" has achieved astonishing succes purely on the basis
of the eyewitness reporter. All over the world book are being
sold with Chronicle, Chronique, Kroniek or Kronika in the title.
There is an immediacy about this treatment which is compelling.
Thus on 2 may 1952 this book reports the departure of Comet
1 G-ALYP on the world's first jet service. The reporter is not
to know that, less than two years later, this same aircraft
will blow apart in the sky and turn the dream into nightmare.
Thus, to some degree, we learn how people thought at the time.
We are also able to relate one development to another, because
contempory events are all reported together.
There are Chronicle books on many subjects, but for the Publisher
this title was special, because he is himself an enthusiastic
pilot. The French-language "Chronique de l'aviation",
produced by a team in Paris headed by Editor in Chief Edouard
Chemel, former Chief Pilot, Concorde, of Air France, appeared
in 1991. Predictably, this was an instant best-seller, and to
follow with an English-language "Chronicle of Aviation"
was obvious. But it was clear that, to meet the needs of the
different market, it was necessary to create a new book entirely.
In doing this the editorial team of Chronicle Ltd in London,
responsible for Chronicle of Aviation, have had the co-operation
of their colleagues in Paris, who fortunately still include
Capt Chemel. Another who deserve special mention is Capt Mark
Pyle. He was thrust into the recod books on December 4, 1991,
when he flew the very last Pan Am Clipper (into Miami, where
Pan Am began). He has suddenly found a new career as an aviation
writer with limitless energy.
Many years ago I was a pilot myself. A friend recently told
me he had just passed the 30,000 hour mark. I asked how many
types he had flown, and he said, "Seven, if you include
training." So I told him "I have about 29,000 hours
fewer, but on 93 types." I have also written 308 books,
and have reached the stage where I remember wingspans but not
the names of my family. I am happy to accept responsibility
for the wingspans in this book, and I thank all who have helped.
Bill Gunston.
©2006
TREBOSC
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