You’ll never think of flying in South Africa in the same way again.

This is an insider’s tale of the South African airline industry over the past thirty years, as told by Glenn Orsmond, and particularly the story of the dramatic collapse of Comair in 2022.

Orsmond, who was twice the CEO of Comair and the founder CEO of 1time, takes the reader on a wild ride through the ultracompetitive sector of low-cost airlines that boomed in this country after South African Airways’ stranglehold on the skies was loosened in the 1990s. Comair – which operated both Kulula and British Airways – and 1time were at the forefront of this new wave of airlines that saw domestic flying and tourism take off.

But after some incredible highs and lows, Comair crashed under Orsmond’s watch despite the company’s 75-year unblemished profit history. The pandemic’s impact, the grounding of aeroplanes after a questionable regulator investigation and poor management decisions all contributed to its downfall.

You can expect tales of industry legends and innovation but also of competitors trying to gut each other, battles between pilots and accountants, unions and bosses at loggerheads, and warfare between shareholders and directors in boardrooms.

The RFC used the Ramsgate site for emergency landings during December 1914, but it was not developed until the 1930s when Ramsgate councillors proposed an airport be established, and flying commenced in June 1935. Popularity was increased by Sir Alan Cobham's National Aviation Day which was held on 1 August 1935, and a Flying Flea Rally took place in 1936. Crilly and Hillman Airways moved in, but suspended services very soon afterwards. The airfield was extended in 1936, and Flying Holidays took place. On 3 July 1937, Ramsgate Airport Ltd reopened the airport, and the following year the Royal Auxiliary Air Force held summer camps there. Thanet Aero Club joined the Civil Air Guard scheme, and Southern Airways operated a service across the Thames Estuary during the summer, but this all came to a close when war was declared on 3 September 1939. The airfield reopened in 1940 for military use and during the Battle of Britain, Ramsgate, along with nearby RAF Manston, was bombed on 24 August 1940. Following this, and with invasion fears at their height, the airport was obstructed, not reopening until 27 June 1953. Air Kruise Ltd operated on a lease from Ramsgate Cooperation, flying to Europe, and Skyphotos and Skyflights 1950s took over until the summer of 1958. Chrisair started joyriding in 1960, and following their departure in 1963 little happened until East Kent Air Services formed in 1967, but they were not commercially successful and Ramsgate Airport finally closed during 1968. Developers took over and the Art Deco Terminal/Clubhouse was demolished. This book is witness to Ramsgate Airport, now sadly gone.

In July 1962 Brian Smith joined British European Airways (BEA) as a steward. In 1991 he retired as a Senior Training Captain with British Airways. Brian describes this remarkable development, recalling some of the many hurdles and adventures along the way. The title of the book, Straighten Up and Fly Right, seems to describe his ambitions. The adventures start with his desire to learn to fly. His working life as a Training Captain with BOAC and British Airways is described in detail. He manages to capture in print what life was like during what many call 'The Golden Age of Flying'. The book gives a detailed account of these adventures. They may appear to follow one after the other in rapid succession, and that is exactly what happened. Each chapter is laced with humour. The adventures are all true, but you might detect a slight exaggeration of one or two of the characters. If this makes you smile, he'd be happy. There were two significant adventures that he recalls as if they happened yesterday. The first was as a Flight Controller in the Control Centre for the Breitling record-breaking balloon flight round the world in 1999. He describes the experience 'like holding your breath for three weeks'. The following year he was back in the role of Flight Controller for David Hempleman-Adams' record-breaking flight to the North Pole by balloon. As you can imagine, anyone involved with these adventures is familiar with the 'Swan Effect' - serene and calm on the surface, but pedalling like mad underneath! The adventures took mainly two forms: Aircraft flying - as a first officer on a BOAC B707 that had to land at Heathrow without a nosewheel - helping restore and fly an Albatross, a 70-year-old amphibian aircraft - a spell of bush flying in Rhodesia. Hot-air balloon flying - becoming an instructor and examiner - flying in France, Holland, Austria, Ireland, USA, the Artic Circle, Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa, across Australia and across the English Channel. Brian also shares details of his latest venture - building and operating a Spitfire simulator in his barn in West Sussex, to raise money for the RAF Benevolent Fund. To date GBP100,000 has been raised. Brian has decided to donate 10% of any profits from the sale of this book to the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund. The chapters have many photographs and cartoons drawn by the author.

The Spitfire a " there have been many hundreds, maybe even thousands, of books written about this beautiful R.J Mitchell designed, elliptically winged areoplane. But there has yet to be a book published, which has focused solely on the lesser-known two-seat variant of graceful Spitfirea |Until now! In two-seater spitfires, Greg Davis, John Sanderson and Peter Arnold trace the history of this iconic aircraft a " from its initial design through to those still taking to the skies today.

Unlocking the Sky tells the extraordinary tale of the race to design, refine, and manufacture a manned flying machine, a race that took place in the air, on the ground, and in the courtrooms of America. While the Wright brothers threw a veil of secrecy over their flying machine, Glenn Hammond Curtiss -- perhaps the greatest aviator and aeronautical inventor of all time -- freely exchanged information with engineers in America and abroad, resulting in his famous airplane, the June Bug, which made the first ever public flight in America. Fiercely jealous, the Wright brothers took to the courts to keep Curtiss and his airplane out of the sky and off the market. Ultimately, however, it was Curtiss's innovations and designs, not the Wright brothers', that served as the model for the modern airplane.

What do those flap things on the wings do? How many flights can a pilot operate in a day? What is "fly by wire"? What is a "Low Cost" Airline? What are those numbers at the end of the runway for? The answers to all of these, and many other frequently asked questions are in this book Although much has been written about the airline industry by aerodynamicists, engineers and industry watchers there is very little written by the pilots themselves who go and fly the aircraft every day of their working lives. Peter Sneller explains in simple terms how a modern airliner works and also a little about the airline industry. Take-off! is a fascinating read for anyone who has ever wanted to ask the pilot a question.

'A soaring gift of a book' Owen Sheers 'Remarkable' Mark Vanhoenacker, author of Skyfaring 'Stunning . . . a love letter to nature' Cathy Rentzenbrink, author of The Last Act of Love The day she flew in a glider for the first time, Rebecca Loncraine fell in love. Months of gruelling treatment for breast cancer meant she had lost touch with the world around her, but in that engineless plane, soaring 3,000 feet over the landscape of her childhood, with only the rising thermals to take her higher and the birds to lead the way, she felt ready to face life again. And so Rebecca flew, travelling from her home in the Black Mountains of Wales to New Zealand's Southern Alps and the Nepalese Himalayas as she chased her new-found passion: her need to soar with the birds, to push herself to the boundary of her own fear. Taking in the history of unpowered flight, and with extraordinary descriptions of flying in some of the world's most dangerous and dramatic locations, Skybound is a nature memoir with a unique perspective; it is about the land we know and the sky we know so little of, it is about memory and self-discovery. Rebecca became ill again just as she was finishing Skybound, and she died in September 2016. Though her death is tragic, it does not change what Skybound is: a book full of hope. Deeply moving, thrilling and euphoric, Skybound is for anyone who has ever looked up and longed to take flight. Shortlisted for the Edward Stanford Travel Writing Award 2018.

This groundbreaking book offers a critical and wide-ranging assessment of the global air transport liberalization process over the past 40 years. This compilation of world experts on air transport economics, policy, and regulation is timely and significant, considering that air transport is currently facing a series of new challenges due to technological changes, the emergence of new markets, and increased security concerns. The book initially explores liberalization within various geographical markets such as the United States, Australia, Ireland, the European Union, China, India, Latin America, and Africa. It expands upon this by addressing the main concerns that were initially leveled against air transport liberalization, including those involving safety, social services, market concentration, and the domination of hub airports as well as market instability. This analysis of air transport and its regulation will be of interest to aviation professionals, regulators, researchers, and students who are taking courses in air transport, economic regulation, and contemporary transport history.