Forty-Seven Years Aloft

“A journey through 47 years of aviation history through the memories of one pilot. From . . . ‘antics’ in jet fighters, and civil aviation to retirement.” —Vintage Airfix   It all began for London-born Brian Burdett, as it has for so many, with the Air Cadets, flying Tiger Moths at the age of just fourteen. He obtained his civil license at the age of seventeen, and six months later he was accepted into the RAF. The year was 1954. It was to fly Hunters that Brian was posted to 257 (Burma) Squadron at Wattisham in Suffolk, where the jets were frequently scrambled to intercept Soviet intruders in the dark days of the Cold War.   His RAF career developed further with a transfer to Transport Command where Brian could fly the planes he loved the best—the big jets. After training on Handley Page Hastings, Brian was given the chance to fly the famous de Havilland on long-distance routes between the RAF bases around the world, through the Middle East, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and down to South Africa and Australasia. He eventually turned to the commercial world, flying Falcons, VC 10s, Tristars and every type of Boeing 747, for a variety of airlines.   His adventures are legion. From a double engine failure on takeoff and still managing to land safely, to losing control in cloud and leveling off feet from the ground, to a midair near miss with an American aircraft that no-one knew was there, to spotting a strange object that remains unidentified to this day.   “A fascinating career in military aviation and commercial aviation spanning 47 years . . . Highly Recommended.” —Firetrench