The inspiration for this brilliant anthology is the ‘I Learnt About Flying from That’ articles that first appeared in the RAF Flight Safety magazine Air Clues in the 1940s and continues to feature in the magazine to this day.
Flying Through the Ranks gets a five-star start with an extraordinary tale from a Marshal of the Royal Air Force and continues in the same vein. Men and women of every rank – pilots, navigators, engineers, an RAF Regiment officer and airmen too – reveal similar intriguing experiences in both war and peace. Exciting, amusing, poignant too at times, their stories say as much about the development of the RAF and the making of the Cold War warrior as they do about the individuals themselves.
It’s impossible not to be moved by these rousing stories of courage and leadership, risk-taking and pressure, invention and adventure. Starkly exposing human fallibility at times, they highlight the skill and improvisation central to the flying business. Other common themes across some uncommon accounts are the sheer exhilaration of flying, the role that luck plays in everyone’s life and the unspoken bond of respect that binds aviation professionals together.
Strap yourself in for a top flight experience!
Black Robertson
Air Marshal G.A. ‘Black’ Robertson CBE BA FRAeS FRSA was born in Woodford, Essex, and educated nearby at Bancroft’s School. He earned his wings in 1966 after three years at the RAF College Cranwell. With postings worldwide, he flew all the RAF’s front …
Andrew Thomas, Britain at War magazine (October 2024) –
“This well-produced book is a fascinating cornucopia of RAF service from the 1950s to the present … Its strength is in its variety, making it an entertaining holiday read or a companion on a dull flight.”
HistoryBookChat –
“Air Marshal ‘Black’ Robertson, has brought together a fabulous selection of contributors who served in a variety of roles, all willing to share very different stories from their time in service, often with a touch of humour. It has been a real treat to read more stories from people so deserving of our admiration and thanks. I’m sure any reader buying this book will also find themselves flying through the pages.”
Aeroplane (October 2024) –
“Flying through the Ranks succeeds as an instructive compendium of flying stories, and one the reader can dip in and out as they see fit as such, recommended.”