Books for reading over the xmas break

[Guest Maj Millard]

Thumper, great name that, what do you work in, an emergency ward or something ?. Anyway dug out one of my Amelia books on the weekend. It's called 'Last flight' which is paradoxical as the one she writes about, was. Small book with a great drawing on cover of Amelia in flying suit, standing next to a metal propeller. Haven't read the book in years, but as I recall, she had married George Putnam, the moneyed -up magnate/owner/publisher of Putnam Books.

 

It was probabily a one sided marrage of convience, as Amelia needed his money to finance her forth coming adventure, and he needed publishing rights to her storys. I seem to have read that she agreed to the book under duress, before he financed her exploit. It appears that she sent the manuscript to him, during the flight, as the last writing by her is from Lae PNG July 2nd. The following day she went missing. the book is finished by George Putnam himself., and the last page is a poem written by her, entitled ' Courage'.

 

There appears to be a lot more to the story than meets the eye initally. A newsman in San Francisco was fascinated by it all, and wrote a couple of well reserched books on the disappearance. He died in the eighties, and I don't recall his name. his books would still be out there. As I recall the following was known (from his books). The Electra was fitted with larger engines just prior to the flight, at Oakland CA. Then ,and now called North Field. These engines were at the time for military use only, but some how she got them. One gentleman swore that he witnessed truck- loads of boxes of pingpong balls being delivered to the hangar, at night. This would suggest that at least the wings, and possibly other areas of the fuselage were filled with these. This may suggest that they planned to intentionally ditch the aircraft at sea. Pingpong balls weigh nothing, but provide good floatation.

 

The Japs at the time had the upper hand in the SW Pacific, and it was believed that they had a secret naval/sub base at Howland Is. which in fact they did. This was the last Island she flew over before disappearing. The US cutters 'Itasca' and 'Ontario' both with the latest radios on board, just happened to be sitting out there at the time. They were the last one's to hear her last radio transmissions, as she tried to find those ships, or somewhere to land, before the fuel ran out. She had torn off a critical radio antennae on take off at Lae. It is believed by many that her flight once it left Lae, was America's first organized aircraft spy mission, and that navigator Fred Noonan had been trained and equipped, to photograph jap installations at Howland and possibly other places.

 

I believe that was probabily the case and that she got lost because of the broken antennae. It is believed by some that she ditched the Electra just off shore from a Jap occupied Island, and that they survived, and came ashore. Fred would have been excuted right there and then as a spy, and she was put into capativity. The Japenese did not recognize woman as worriers, and did not exucute them. She is believed to have died from acute disintery whilst in prison.

 

I worked at Oakland Airport for two years in the late nineties. This is where all her aircraft preparations were made. She stayed on the airport, in what was then ,a nice single story art -deco style hotel, but which is now, the airport terminal of sorts. I took some flying lesson out of that building from a flying school, and I always thought about her when I was in the building, it just seemed to suit her style somehow. Just outside at the front, is a monument noting that this is also where Charles Kingsford Smith left in the Southern Cross, on his flight across the Pacific. Cheers Ross.

 

 

[Guest rxbrumby]

two good books Ive just read abount aviation are FLAK and FLY by Michial Veitch. Has first hand stories from aircrew that flew in ww2. Another good one is Flight of Passage by Rinker Buch, I downloaded that one from i tunes as an audio book. Its about two brothers that flew an old piper cub across America in the late 60's.

 

Scott

 

 

[Guest Pop-top]

wow, thank you for all that info. I'll have to try to track down the book. But it sounds very interesting.

 

...what on earth leads you to believe I work in an emergency ward? I'm actually a trainer at an ISP, so couldn't be further from what I do.

 

"Thumper" is kind of like a Goose/Maverick code name, if I was ever to go into the RAAF, which I don't think is a possibility for me any longer. so now it's just an online name.

 

But I'll definitly track down that book and maybe one day go to Oaklands and have a look. Thanks! :)

 

 

[Deskpilot]

Hey Jodie, why can't you going into the RAAF now? You're not that old are you?

 

 

[Guest Juliette Lima]

Hi Ozzie,

 

'Takeoffs and Landings' .....The Cruicial Maneuvers and Everything in Between

 

by Leighton Collins

 

One of the most informative books I've ever read on flying in 30 years....although I suspect it would only compliment your knowledge.

 

Happy Christmas.

 

JL

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Yes not sure why Emerg dept came to mind, must have been the wine that time of night. Used to run with a guy in California who was an F-14 Tomcat pilot/Instructor,

 

and also a weekend skydiver. Last name Drummond, a US Navy Leut. and his Goose/Maverick name was 'Drummer'.. He was just a little guy (very fit), but just didn't seem big enough to fill the cockpit of a Tomcat somehow. You'r name 'Thumper" is a good one unless you'r landings become consistantly bad !.....

 

 

[Guest Pop-top]

Hahahaha....no it's a bit of a lame story where I got Thumper from. But I'm very proud to say that I've mastered my hold-offs and smooth landings to a certain degree... as much as you can for a student whose only flown 30 hours so far.

 

I study early mornings as I often work at the office late, in my pjs which happen to feature Bambi's 'Thumper' (not my choice got them from a relative) and I'm often found sitting on the couch "mind flying" my next nav and practicing radio calls with a tiny model cessna in my hand....no where near as cool as Maverick and Goose's storey but you can see how it became my joke callsign.

 

 

[Guest hatrack]

"Propellorhead" easy reading about a pom learning to fly a Thruster in Pommyland.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Hi Thumper, nice to hear that you'r landings are smooth, and speaking of being smooth, how about a photo of you in you'r Bambi PJs ?.

 

 

[skeptic36]

Nicky Barr

 

Hi all,

 

A bit late for Xmas 2008 and 2009 but 2010's coming up fast!

 

I have just finished Nicky Barr an Australian air ace:nicky barr, Books, Military Divisions items at low prices on eBay.com.au

 

I found it a good read.

 

Regards Bill

 

 

[Spin]

Well done on resurrecting this thread, sceptic36 I'm also always looking for a good read and if it revolves around aircraft, so much the better. I've added a couple to my list from here; one I enjoyed but doesn't seem to have been mentioned, is " Sock it to em baby" - by Garry Cooper, an Aussie who flew FAC for the Yanks.

 

Something which really riles me is an author who pretends an expertise he/she doesn't have, whether it be cars, firearms, boats or aircraft, all things I have a working knowledge of. One who has impressed (mostly) is Stuart Woods who is apparently a fairly experienced pilot and has raced a yacht across the Atlantic. Wish he'd asked someone to help him write about flying a chopper though - he made a real dog's breakfast out of that story!

 

 

[poteroo]

Spitfire: A Test Pilots'Story by Jeffrey Quill,1983

 

An interesting read of the career of a real pilots' pilot - two DSO's and 3 DFC's. Test pilots in those days were a breed apart - and their careers were usually short. Quill is one of the unsung heroes of the development of the mighty Spitfire, he also saw operational duty in WW2. An aircraft design which spawned 52 different operational variants, and of which 22,759 were built over a 12 year period is worthy of many a book.

 

Wings of Destiny by Charles Page, 2008

 

The biography of W/Cdr Charles Learmonth RAAF, who was killed off Perth in 1943 while test flying a modified Beaufort bomber. Learmonth saw several tours of duty in New Guinea,featuring lots of low level strafing. He lead several squadrons in the famous Battle of the Bismarck Sea off Lae - where Allied airpower totally destroyed 80% of a large Japanese invasion fleet - the 1st time in history that airpower defeated seapower. If you've been in PNG - the places and mountains will that Learmonth and his crews fought over will grab your attention.

 

Charles Kingsford-Smith and Those Magnificent Men by Peter Fitzsimons, 2009

 

A great read. Smithy was an incredible pilot, had a magnetic salesmans personality - but was a hopeless businessman. The book delves into just what drove him to such feats of endurance, as well as the loyal, often unappreciated people who supported him. The author describes Smithy honestly - warts and all as the saying goes. Fitzsimons also has another worthwhile book in his Kokoda, 2004.

 

Retribution: The Battle for Japan, 1944-45 by Max Hastings, 2007

 

Hastings has produced a 550 page masterly story of the military and political background to why the Allies systematically firebombed Japans cities in those years. Some great insights into what drove the US determination to punish Japan for the years of atrocities perpetrated in Asia. The events, including the kamikazi attacks on the US fleet, leading up to the decision to use atomic bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima make fascinating reading.

 

happy days,