Bøger af Malcolm Fife

A pictorial history of the working life of Edinburgh and it's people over the last century and more.

In the decades leading up to the 1970s, passenger air transport was the preserve of the well-to-do who flew on airliners driven by propellers. Over the next few years all this was about to change. The passenger air transport industry underwent a great transformation with the introduction of many innovations that established the foundations for today. The state airlines, BEA and BOAC, were merged to form British Airways in 1974. Throughout the decade they were far and away the most important operator of scheduled services in the country. To provide competition, however, the independent carrier British Caledonian was created. The first Boeing 747 jumbo jet was delivered to BOAC in 1970. This wide-body airliner enabled fares to be reduced and opened up air travel to many people who could not previously afford it. Laker Airways pioneered the concept of the low-cost airline. It was the first British independent airline to operate wide-bodied jets in the form of DC-10s, which entered service in 1972. Most of the other British independent airlines had to make do with a motley collection of old airliners, many of them turboprops. The charter and holiday market was the main market for a large number of these carriers. They were regular visitors to the main airports throughout Britain, particularly at weekends. There were, however, few scheduled passenger air services to foreign countries from airports other than Heathrow and Gatwick. Almost all were either flown by British Airways or a state-owned carrier from another country. Overseas independent airlines, like their British equivalents, generally only served the holiday market. In this book, Malcolm Fife uses his excellent collection of colour photographs to illustrate the airliners in commercial use that could be seen at airports during the 1970s.

The 1970s were a decade of great change for Britain's military air arms. The RAF handed over the role of operating Britain's nuclear deterrent to the Royal Navy in 1969. Its primary role once again became that of providing battlefield and tactical support. For this, new aircraft in the form of Jageurs and Harriers joined the ranks of the RAF. Nimrods replaced Shackletons in guarding Britain's seaways. Several older types were phased out of service including the Belfast, Britannia and Comet. Many other aircraft, however, which were in service in the 1960s lingered on throughout the following decades. The world of the RAF also grew smaller with the withdrawal of the forces east of Suez. The Royal Navy also had its wings clipped in the 1970s with the retirement of its last large aircraft carrier for fixed wing aircraft. In its place the vertical take-off and landing Sea Harrier was delivered to the Fleet Air Arm. Helicopters now had a more dominant role. Sea Kings and Wasps operated from nearly all the Royal Navy's warships. Unlike the other two air arms, the Army Air Corps saw its role expanded in the 1970s. It changed from purely providing support to a role of an offensive nature. Large numbers of new helicopters equipped in squadrons in the form of the Lynx and Gazelle which were capable of being armed. A small number of fixed wing aircraft were also on strength. The Americans who first established air bases in Britain in the Second World War still retained a large number of combat aircraft in the country. Phantoms and the larger F-111 countered a potential Russian threat when the Cold War was at its height. In this book, Malcolm Fife uses his wonderful collection of photographs to display many of the military aircraft types that could be seen in British skies during the 1970s.

A history of aviation in Scotland in the 1920s and 1930s related through its airfields and landing grounds. All aspects of flying are covered including seaplane operations and gliding. There is also a chapter on aerodromes that were planned for a number of towns but never built. All the topics are illustrated with numerous photographs and plans.

In the late 1930s the RAF constructed a new airfield, near the village of Acklington, Northumberland, to train aircrews. With the outbreak of hostilities, it was hastily converted to a fighter station, deploying Spitfire and Hurricane squadrons against German bombers, and continued to host night fighters long after the Battle of Britain was won.

A comprehensive history of RAF Drem, a Fighter Command airfield during the Second World War. Located east of Edinburgh it was responsible for protecting the naval base at Rosyth. Its Spitfires participated in some of the first air battles fought over Britain and along with Hurricanes they continued to patrol the skies until the end of the war.

The First book to examine the bases that British airships flew from in detail

A history of Scottish aerodromes of the Second World War