Faster Than the Sun

by Peter Twiss

This autobiography of Peter Twiss, the man who flew 1000mph for the first time in history, tells the story of the record-breaking Fairey Delta. It describes the vast organization necessary for the record bid, the political lobbying and the almost intolerable tension when the flights failed.

224 pages, Paperback

First published May 28, 2000

Reviews

[Jack Abbott · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit hard going at times — the writing has a casual, old-school retrospective tone, which made it a little dense to follow. That said, there are some fascinating and refreshingly honest reflections on life as a test pilot — not nearly as glamorous or well-paid as you’d imagine.

Twiss gives a brilliant account of testing the Fairey Delta 2 and his journey to becoming the first person to fly faster than 1,000mph — including the remarkable feat of crash-landing the prototype after an engine and hydraulic failure. The newer editions also include additional chapters on his war service in the Fleet Air Arm, which I found particularly interesting — especially his time flying night fighters.

A good read, but probably one for the serious aviation enthusiast.