Vintage Aviators - Aircraft of the Great War

Many New Zealanders do not realise that New Zealand is home to one of the most significant collections of World War One aircraft in the world. This is the work of Sir Peter Jackson’s company The Vintage Aviator, who restore and build replicas and reproductions of Great War aircraft from their Wairarapa base. New Zealand’s leading aviation photographer, Gavin Conroy, has spent many years photographing these aircraft, and these remarkable images form the heart of this book. Most of these planes were built from just canvas and wood, whose brave pilots often took these flimsy machines up to 15,000 feet, even in winter and sometimes without parachutes. With historical text by David McDonald detailing the rapid development of these aircraft between 1914 and 1918, and representing both sides of the conflict, there are also personal accounts from the current pilots who fly them. ‘Vintage Aviators’ is a fascinating insight into a pivotal period of aviation history, and anyone with any interest in the early days of flying, or the Great War, will want to own this book.

ISBN 9781988550565

DIMENSIONS 340 x 235 mm

BOOK TYPE Hardback

AUTHOR Gavin Conroy

AUTHOR BIO Gavin Conroy started photographing WWI aircraft in 2005 after reading about the heroic pilots who flew them. He began photographing them from the ground before moving to air-to-air photography in 2006. Since that time, he has completed over 80 flights and around 40 hours of flying time in WWI aircraft. Alongside this work Gavin has flown around 700 photo flights covering aircraft from around the world and has amassed more than 220 magazine cover shots. He is the General Manager of the Classic Fighters Airshow held at Omaka in Marlborough, while the rest of his time is taken up with photographic work. Gavin has published two previous books featuring his aviation photography, 'Precious Metal' and 'Fighters and Bombers', both published by Potton and Burton.

NUMBER OF PAGES 274