PerArduaAdAstra
Airman
- 13
- Jan 28, 2010
I have just started reading a new book I bought online on flying in the British Army Air Corps and just wanted to give a recommendation on it to anyone interested in an usual subject.
Called "Think like a bird, An Army Pilot's Story" by Alex Kimbell, it is the autobiography of a Beaver pilot in the 1960's and covers his Army career as a pilot flying fixed wing aircraft in the Army Air Corps. Beavers and Austers? Not very exciting maybe, but this covers an era that I think is probably not familiar to many people and that is the British forces during the Aden Emergency in the early 60's fighting communist and rebel tribesmen in a difficult war in South Arabia. The book opens with the author crashing a Beaver in the mountains of Aden with passengers on board after being shot up on take off from a forward base.
This book is well written and follows his decision to leave his regiment in the "walking army" (as he puts it) and his selection for the Army Air Corps and his basic flight training up to his operational flying career. Right now I am about a quarter of the way through it and it is one of those flying books I have to just keep reading. Great book!
If you want to read more on this action in the 60's (and other "small wars") here's a great website:
Britains Small Wars
Called "Think like a bird, An Army Pilot's Story" by Alex Kimbell, it is the autobiography of a Beaver pilot in the 1960's and covers his Army career as a pilot flying fixed wing aircraft in the Army Air Corps. Beavers and Austers? Not very exciting maybe, but this covers an era that I think is probably not familiar to many people and that is the British forces during the Aden Emergency in the early 60's fighting communist and rebel tribesmen in a difficult war in South Arabia. The book opens with the author crashing a Beaver in the mountains of Aden with passengers on board after being shot up on take off from a forward base.
This book is well written and follows his decision to leave his regiment in the "walking army" (as he puts it) and his selection for the Army Air Corps and his basic flight training up to his operational flying career. Right now I am about a quarter of the way through it and it is one of those flying books I have to just keep reading. Great book!
If you want to read more on this action in the 60's (and other "small wars") here's a great website:
Britains Small Wars
