Spithead Express
The Pre-War Island Air Ferry and Post-War Plans
Balfour, Christopher
Son of one of the founders ofthe Spithead Express, fhe author's childhood was spent clambering in and out of the ferry planes. He still vividly remembers the sights, smells and sounds of those pioneering years at Portsmouth and Ryde and recalls talking to the pilots, including Amy Johnson.
During the war the factory was a welcome respite from school and he was old enough to be able to help collecting the components from outlying workshops. He was at the aerodrome for the take-off and landing trials of the Aerocar prototype and, when there were still prospectsfor the company in India, he flew out to Jamnagar in the Schools Special Solent flying boat; the trip from Southampton to Karachi taking four days.
After these and the other traumatic experiences described in the book, the author opted for a less eventful life working as an officer, and later a councillor, in local govemment. This, his third book, fulfils a long-held ambition to record the story of the Spithead Express.
Hardcover, large format
96 Seiten / pages
many photos
very good condition
England - 1999 - Magna Press
Art.Nr. 16053
