Need ideas for an aviation book!!

[Guest burbles1]

I recently got in touch with Peter Maiden, author of "The Sky Racers: The 1919 Air Race from London to Australia". He has emailed me back and would like to meet to talk about ideas for his next book. He lives in the Blue Mountains, a stone's throw from me, and will be calling in a few days.

 

Now with limited aviation experience, I need some ideas to pitch to him so that it's a good meeting. He is particularly interested in writing Australian history, especially little-known events (he has written four books), and has an interest in aircraft though he's not a pilot. I have suggested a history of the Catalina, but I think that's been done to death. I also thought that a book on John Duigan might be interesting, but David Crotty has published on Duigan.

 

Does anyone have any good ideas please??

 

 

[winsor68]

Easy...

 

The Schneider Story... They were probably the true fathers of recreational flying in Australia with their sailplanes. At least they always will be for me.

 

 

[old man emu]

Burbles,

 

Here's three topics:

 

Arthur Miller.

 

1930's pioneer who flew from England to Australia, solo. Of greater interest is his attempts to operate feeder airline services out ot Tooraweenah, (between Gilgandra & Coonabarabran) and serviceing the central and northwest of NSW & southwest Queensland. I have a little booklet about him in my office at Camden Airport.

 

Jim Hazleton.

 

Post WWll operator out of Cudal near Orange NSW. Apart from pasengers, he operated crop dusters and had an Ag pilots' school where he taught a lot of Chinese pilots how to spread their seed.

 

Fertilizer Bombers.

 

The story of post WWll aerial agriculture and its economic importance in the wool industry through pasture improvement. Could include a discussion of the economic effects of the superphosphate bounty on the rural industry, and on the Pacicif island of Neuru. Air Ag at Bankstown was a big operator, using DH Beavers, but lots of starters used ex RAAF DH Tiger Moths. And not to forget that there was the Ceres (a modified Wirraway), the Transavia AirTruk, and a couple of other Aussie designs.

 

Want any more?

 

Old Man Emu

 

 

[stanzahero]

Three suggestions

 

1. CAC - Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation from pre WW2 to Boomerang development (rarest production front-line fighter) to the Sabres and beyond.

 

2. The Boomer Boys in the Pacific theater.

 

3. Aerial Fire fighting

 

 

[facthunter]

Epic Aviation tales.

 

OME, do you mean Arthur BUTLER. (Comper Swift?.)

 

The story of Eddy Connellan. Connellan airways. ASP ad would make interesting reading. Nev

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

The title: 'As Useless As T#ts On A Bull'. The subject: Story of the history of Australian Aviation Reglatory Bodies

 

 

[Guest burbles1]

These are some good ideas - thanks. The Boomer Boys sounds intriguing.

 

Ozzie - great achievements of the regulatory bodies would be closer to a small leaflet than a book, surely?

 

 

[old man emu]

OME, do you mean Arthur BUTLER. (Comper Swift?.)Nev

Yeah, that's the bloke

 

OME

 

 

[Guest burbles1]

I'm meeting Peter Maiden on Saturday. There's some good suggestions here that'd fit Peter's writing style and his publisher's frontlist.

 

Thanks all.

 

 

[facthunter]

Connellan

 

Connellan operated a route structure in NT supposed to have a route mile total bigger than BEA, (British European Airways). Subsidised developmental operation. Nev