Book of the Month

摘要

This history of British South American Airways (BSAA) -subtitled The Rise and Controversial Fall of a Long-haul Trailblazer - tells of the political machinations, jealousies and problems which went on as Air Marshal Don Bennett, a wartime Pathfinder commander, sought to establish his airline.rnBennett's pre-war RAF service saw him flying Siskins and later Southampton flying-boats. He also gained navigator, ground engineer and wireless operator licences and his Instructor's Certificate and, in 1936, joined Imperial Airways on H.P.42s, but soon transferred to flying-boats. He also flew Mercury, the upper component of the Short-Mayo composite, and took part in the 1939 trials in flight refuelling.rnBennett's forthright style made him a number of enemies in the Establishment and BOAC, and difficulties with that airline were echoed years later when Freddie Laker was trying to set up his airline - and Richard Branson also had problems!rnIn spite of everything, BSAA was eventually up and running but suffered from bad luck.