Fast Jets to Spitfires: A Cold War Fighter Pilot's Story

Ron Lloyd

ISBN 10: 1526759063 / ISBN 13: 9781526759061

Published by Airworld, Barnsley, 2020

About this Item

Have you ever looked up at that aircraft passing overhead and wondered what it would be like to actually fly one? That stately airliner, the noisy military jet, or the busy light aircraft can all evoke curiosity and thoughts of adventure for many. Ron Lloyd has flown powerful Cold War fast jets as well as iconic propeller-driven fighters from the Second World War. In 1968, whilst training fast jet pilots in the Folland Gnat, he was selected to fly Spitfires in the making of the famous feature film The Battle of Britain. In this fascinating book he takes the reader into the cockpit to share what it feels like to fly and operate the early jets, or climb into the cockpit of a Spitfire, start up its Merlin engine and take to the skies. He uses his extensive experience as a flying instructor to set out how a pilot acquires his unique skills and how they are applied in peacetime and in war. Ron s operational role after training on Provosts, Vampires, and Hunters was as an interceptor pilot flying the Gloster Javelin, the mainstay of Britain s air defence in the 1950s and early 1960s. On exchange with the USAF, he was then selected to train American pilots to fly the Convair F-102, a similar job but with very different experiences. In this book, Ron sets out to share his passion for flying as a pilot with those who have not had that opportunity. He describes working with students at flying clubs, where preparation to fight is replaced by the personal challenge simply to get airborne in control of an aeroplane. Those who have flown as a pilot can relive their own encounters, which are brought back to life by Ron s stories all of which he tells with the humour and pragmatism characteristic of aviators worldwide. Packed with unique photographs of a golden age of aviation, Fast Jets to Spitfires brings the recent past back to life and allows readers to experience, through Ron s graphic accounts, the pure joy of being airborne and in control of flying machines that have helped forge this nation s history. Size: 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

Seller Inventory # 162556

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Fast Jets to Spitfires: A Cold War Fighter Pilot's Story
• Publisher: Airworld, Barnsley
• Publication Date: 2020
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1526759063
• ISBN 13: 9781526759061
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition.
• Condition: New
• Dust Jacket Condition: New
• Book Type: Book

About this title

Synopsis

How often have you glanced skywards at the sound of a passing aircraft and wondered what it would be like to fly one of those gleaming metal machines? Or admired the skill and the daring of the fighter pilot swooping down upon his enemy in the awe-inspiring, unrivaled elegance of a Spitfire? Ron Lloyd has had the experience of flying the majestic propeller-driven aircraft of the Second World War as well as the roaring, sound-barrier-breaking jets of the Cold War – and in this exciting book, he places the reader in the cockpit, describing what it really feels like to be sitting at the controls of a fighter aircraft.

Ron Lloyd joined the RAF after the Second World War. During his early service he was selected to be one of the pilots to fly the wartime aircraft in the famous feature film The Battle of Britain, being fortunate to fly a Spitfire and even a Messerschmitt Bf 109 during the six weeks of filming.

His role with the RAF, on the other hand, saw him on the front line in the Cold War, piloting de Havilland Vampires, Hawker Hunters, Gloster Javelins, Lightnings and Phantoms. He also served on exchange in the USA where he flew Convair F-102s, Convair F-106s and Lockheed T-33s.

Ron wanted to share the thrills and the dangers of flying such aircraft with those who have not had such privileges – as well as relive such moments with those who have. Packed with unique photographs of the golden age of British military aviation, Fast Jets to Spitfires brings the recent past back to life and allows readers to experience, through Ron Lloyd’s graphic accounts, the pure joy of being airborne, alone and in control of the great flying machines that have helped forge this nation’s history.

About the Author

Having been evacuated during the Second World War as a young child, RON LLOYD was educated at Wandsworth Grammar School in London under the guidance of superb, inspiring school masters who enabled him to qualify for Cranwell entry. During his subsequent RAF career, he has lived in Cyprus, Scotland, Wales, Texas, Canberra, and, latterly, Oxford. A contributor to Aeroplane Monthly and Flugzeug, Ron wed at the age of 23 and is still happily married to Anne.