Pilot: A Tale of High Adventure

In a flying career that lasted 32 years ]oe Patient piloted the remarkable total of over eighty diiferent Marks or types of aircraft. (The distinction is not pedantic; the Mosquito Marks I - IV, for instance, were by no means identical but were of the same make.) The gusto and ebullient good humour which brought Joe from a humble background in the East End of London to end the war with rank of Squadron Leader and on to an action-packed career in the civil aviation world in the post-war years is admirably conveyed in this unashamedly outspoken account of the exploits of a man who clearly preferred to live life in the fast lane. His wartime career, though certainly not without its hair—raising moments, obviously was not going to leave this intrepid airman with anything as new—fangled as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Supported by his obviously tolerant and loving wife Lucy, and supporting a growing band of children, he flies on, mostly around the Middle East and Africa, cheerfully taking damsels and disasters in his stride. Sit behind a desk all your life and retire on a comfortable pension or take every chance you are offered and live life to the full? To this question it is only too clear that Ioe chose the latter option. His diverting story is more than an autobiography, for he has also much to say about the aircraft he flew which will be of interest to all who study the history of flying in the mid-century.…