An inspiring read...

[NT5224]

Hi all

 

I've recently read a personal memoir that I found both fascinating and inspiring, and a damn good read for those with aviation interest... Its written by a bloke called 'John Young' who I'd never previously heard of (he's clearly not much of a self publicist!) . He had a background in aeronautical engineering and a stint in the navy before signing on as a NASA astronaut. John went on to have a 42 year career with NASA, through the Gemini and Apollo programs. He then piloted the the Space Shuttle on two missions -and he went to the Moon. Twice! (One landing and one practice landing to test the Lunar module). Old John and his two offsiders still hold the record for the fastest speed achieved by man when they threw open the throttle on Apollo 10 to get home a day early....

 

But aside from the extraordinary adventures, the account offers some amazing behind the scenes glimpses into the early days of the astronaut corps and some of the personal friendships, animosities and rivalries that existed. Clearly there was quite a bit of the 'wrong stuff' amongst all the 'right stuff' they mustered into the space program. I'll say no more.

 

A fascinating read: 'Forever Young' by John Young.

 

Cheers

 

Alan

 

 

[IBob]

Hi allI've recently read a personal memoir that I found both fascinating and inspiring, and a damn good read for those with aviation interest... Its written by a bloke called 'John Young' who I'd never previously heard of (he's clearly not much of a self publicist!) . He had a background in aeronautical engineering and a stint in the navy before signing on as a NASA astronaut. John went on to have a 42 year career with NASA, through the Gemini and Apollo programs. He then piloted the the Space Shuttle on two missions -and he went to the Moon. Twice! (One landing and one practice landing to test the Lunar module). Old John and his two offsiders still hold the record for the fastest speed achieved by man when they threw open the throttle on Apollo 10 to get home a day early....

 

But aside from the extraordinary adventures, the account offers some amazing behind the scenes glimpses into the early days of the astronaut corps and some of the personal friendships, animosities and rivalries that existed. Clearly there was quite a bit of the 'wrong stuff' amongst all the 'right stuff' they mustered into the space program. I'll say no more.

 

A fascinating read: 'Forever Young' by John Young.

 

Cheers

 

Alan

Thanks for that, Alan, I shall find a copy.

 

I am currently rereading Ernest K Gann's Fate Is The Hunter: it's been a few years, but still a terrific read, I think.

 

And I have on order Weekend Wings, Frank K Smith's account of a lifetime love of flying. I'm hoping that still has it's shine too!

 

It seems to me that, while aviation is full of wonderful characters, it is not so full of wonderful writers. And perhaps the tradition of downplaying difficulty and danger when it occurs inhibits the painting of the complete picture?

 

 

[Methusala]

"Frigate Bird"(1953), Captain P.G. Taylor , "Carrying the Fire", NASA astronaut Michael Collins. Regards Don

 

 

[IBob]

I'm not big on war books, but Robert Mason's Chickenhawk about flying Hueys in Vietnam is a helluva read...in more ways than one...

 

 

[FlyingVizsla]

Finished reading "Fate is the Hunter" for the first time, re-read "The Man Who Saved Smithy" Rick Searle (about Bill P.G. Taylor). Part way through "Absolute Altitude, A Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Sky" Martin Buckley and have found an old copy of Gann's "Flying Circus" up next.

 

 

[IBob]

Thanks all for the titles. Taking notes here.

 

I was remarking at the Aero Club here (yep, we still have one!) recently about how good flying books were a bit thin. And I was citing, for instance, the Canadians, who by all accounts are great bush pilots, but who write stories that go '..........so then I landed it in the gorge, up a tree over the river.

 

The End.

 

And I the reader really want to know how that went, and how did they get home and did they get the aircraft out, and what about the bears, and all that stuff.

 

But a topdressing pilot at the club said nope, that's how I would end it too: landed in tree. The End.

 

Which maybe makes for admirably understated pilots....but not such good books???

 

 

[M61A1]

I found a copy of "Cross Eyed Spitting Cobra", which was harder than anticipated as the author's wife had removed the book from sales after his death. Written by an Australian pilot, Noel VonHoff, it tells about his experiences flying in Africa mainly, including some time as a mercenary pilot.

 

A very interesting story, but as seems to be the theme, not so well written.

 

 

[IBob]

Air America by Christopher Robbins. Nonfiction: the almost unbelievable size and scope of CIA aircraft ownership and operations, starting at Flying Tigers in China and on into the 70s.

 

Duplicate aircraft regos? Unmarked aircraft parts? That's just the start of it. Until, finally a new CIA director (1973?) asked how many aircraft they actually own...and they have no idea, so go away and start counting....well...read the book!

 

Some months after I read it, a 747 freighter in full black Flying Tigers livery pulled alongside at Auckland airport.

 

Okay, I thought...still at it???

 

 

[Oscar]

Two real-life Australian aviator heroes:

 

https://www.amazon.com/Sidney-Cotton-Last-Plane-Berlin/dp/0733615163

 

Into the Midst of Things. The Autobiography of Sir Richard Kingsland | Kristen Alexander | Australian author

 

 

[JEM]

Hi

 

Also how about "the Hero Maker" A new book about Paul Brickhill - An Aussie who was in Stalag Luft for the Great Escape and he wrote that book and also Reach for the Sky and The Dam Busters with info from the participants..

 

 

[Yenn]

From memory John young piloted the spacecraft with Buzz Aldrin, died in the spaceship which blew up on the spacepad.

 

 

[NT5224]

Hi Yenn

 

You might be confusing Buzz with 'Gus Grisson' who Young flew with on Gemini 3, and who was subsequently killed in the Apollo 1 launch pad fire.

 

Alan

 

 

[Peter Anson]

For a great wartime memoir I'd recommend Don Charlwood's "Journeys into Night" about his experiences as a Navigator on Lancasters. It is very well written. He had earlier recounted his experiences in "No Moon Tonight" but the later book covers his life leading up to the war and the training period. Only six of the twenty men in Charlwood's navigation course in Canada survived the war and he obviously wrote the books as a memorial to his lost friends. "No Moon Tonight" is available through Amazon but the later "Journeys into Night" might be harder to find. I bought my copy at the RAAF museum at Point Cook and must have read it at least 5 times making it pretty good value. Incidentally, when Arthur Browett (Shag), the English rear gunner in Charlwood's crew died at the age of 90 in 2011, the RAF honoured him by flying a couple of modern jets over his funeral.

 

Peter

 

 

[Hargraves]

Thanks all for those titles which I will hunt out and puruse on kindle, for a book that encompases early stick and rudder and unbelievabley heroic flying as well as a completly differant (view) of WW1, I think Sagitarious Rising would be top of my list and absolutley worth the read, cheers Hargraves

 

 

[FlyingVizsla]

I am reading Michael Molkentin "Fire in the Sky; The Australian Flying Corps in the First World War" about 400 pages, well researched. From the first cadets in a Bristol Boxkite who only got to solo (such was the disorganisation and disinterest in Aust) before being sent back from whence they came, to the frenetic pace interspersed with days of leisure and thence to the developing seriousness of war as aircraft turned to a weapon, not just eyes in the sky.

 

The larrikin Aussies shot up anything they saw, like Arabs with their goats and camels. They had to be reminded that when the engine quit they would need these guys on their side. Engineers / maintainers outnumbered pilots by about 22 to 1, but pilots died frequently - a lot lost in training.

 

An interesting read. Next up is "Outback Airman" - Harry Purvis with Joan Priest - picked up at a travelling book exchange.

 

 

[farri]

I`m currently reading this book and I`m enjoying it......Cedric Flood, kindly offered to send it to me.