Cardiff Airport began life as wartime satellite airfield RAF Rhoose, officially opening on 7 April 1942, and has grown to become one of the UK's major civil airports. Home of Cambrian Airways and used by a varied mix of international airlines, the airport has been continually upgraded since civilian flying began in 1952. Aircraft maintenance has always been a vital part of the airport's activity and BAMC is one of the largest buildings in South Wales and can accommodate four Boeing 747 'jumbo jets' at one time. It is not only aircraft that comprise this airport's lively history; many people have shaped it including workers, travellers and even rugby celebrities. The supporters' 'air lifts' to and from matches are legendary. 2012 was the 70th anniversary of the first operations at this sleepy Vale of Glamorgan airfield. Little did those wartime pilots realise that one day their 'satellite airfield' would resound to the sounds of Concorde, Jumbo Jets and every contemporary aircraft imaginable.

Ethiopian Airlines was founded in 1945 by the Ethiopian government with the assistance of Western airlines. With a fleet of war-surplus Dakotas, the airline took to the sky. At first, only domestic and regional destinations were served, forcing the airline to build makeshift airstrips. However, in 1957, Douglas DC-6s and a Lockheed Constellation were obtained and flights to Europe commenced. In the 1960s, Ethiopian entered the jet age with the purchase of Boeing 720s, later supplemented with 707s. Despite various political, economic, and social obstacles, Ethiopian Airlines continued to invest and grow, expanding to other African countries and further abroad. As passenger transport has declined, as a result of the global pandemic, it currently utilizes its cargo business to transport medical supplies. Illustrated with over 100 images, this book shows how Ethiopian Airlines has remained the powerhouse of African aviation.

Essex is not known for being the cradle of British aviation, but perhaps it should be. From the establishment of Britain's earliest aerodrome to its dogged defence of London during two world wars, Essex can rightly stake its claim to a place in British aviation history. Yet it has largely flown under the radar. Essex's aviation heritage is commemorated by the UK's largest known surviving group of Royal Flying Corps buildings; meanwhile, its future is led by the UK's fourth busiest airport - a place once built by foreign hands. In between, its soil has been crossed by now-invisible runways and dotted with little-known memorials. For more than a century, England's eleventh largest county has played host to some of the country's most ground-breaking aerial moments. Essex: A Hidden Aviation History uncovers the concealed landmarks that tell the remarkable story of one county's special contribution to British aviation.