Book details

It is surprising how little has been written about some of the more surprising inner workings of the aviation industry. This hilarious collection of stories seeks to address that and presents the pick of many scandals and scams to have plagued the aviation industry (but amused everyone else!). It includes the Zambian man who attempted to beat world superpowers in the Space Race with the help of a fifteen-year-old girl and a 40-gallon oil drum; the Middlesbrough man who wanted to restart flights from Durham to London and believed his proposed airline was 'backed by God' - apparently it wasn't as he was jailed shortly afterwards for fraud; skydiving smugglers and their novel way of trafficking cocaine; and an account of the only unsolved US airline hijacking in history. So whether you're after a funny story, some aviation anecdotes or just love having a laugh at blatant blockheads, this book is for you.

Edward Pinnegar is an aviation enthusiast and historian. The Channel Islands hold a special place in his heart and his first book, A History of Aviation in Alderney, successfully combined these interests.