Flying Boats: Air Travel in the Golden Age sets out to do justice to a time of glamorous, unhurried air travel, unrecognisable to most of today’s air travellers, but sorely missed by some.During the 1930s, long-distance air travel was the preserve of the flying boat, which transported well-heeled passengers in ocean-liner style and comfort across the oceans.But then the Second World War came, and things changed. Suddenly, landplanes were more efficient, and in abundance: long concrete runways had been constructed during the war that could be used by a new generation of large transport aircraft; and endless developments in aircraft meant they could fly faster and for further distances. Commercial flying boat services resumed, but their days would be numbered.
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About the Author
CHARLES WOODLEY is a lifelong aviation enthusiast. He is the author of several books and many magazine articles on historical aviation subjects, including the successful Heathrow: The First 50 Years and BOAC: A History for The History Press. A long-time member of Air-Britain, he founded and ran for over ten years the Grampian Airtouring Society, the local aviation enthusiasts’ society for the Aberdeenshire area. He lives in Aberdeenshire.
Description:
Flying Boats: Air Travel in the Golden Age sets out to do justice to a time of glamorous, unhurried air travel, unrecognisable to most of today’s air travellers, but sorely missed by some.During the 1930s, long-distance air travel was the preserve of the flying boat, which transported well-heeled passengers in ocean-liner style and comfort across the oceans.But then the Second World War came, and things changed. Suddenly, landplanes were more efficient, and in abundance: long concrete runways had been constructed during the war that could be used by a new generation of large transport aircraft; and endless developments in aircraft meant they could fly faster and for further distances. Commercial flying boat services resumed, but their days would be numbered. **
About the Author
CHARLES WOODLEY is a lifelong aviation enthusiast. He is the author of several books and many magazine articles on historical aviation subjects, including the successful Heathrow: The First 50 Years and BOAC: A History for The History Press. A long-time member of Air-Britain, he founded and ran for over ten years the Grampian Airtouring Society, the local aviation enthusiasts’ society for the Aberdeenshire area. He lives in Aberdeenshire.