The Golden Age of Flying Boats: The planes that rivalled the great ocean liners

by Peter Pigott

Until the 1950s, when land-based airports became commonplace, the flying boats of Pan American and Imperial Airways took passengers to the corners of the globe in luxury that rivalled the great ocean liners. Peter Pigott, Canada’s foremost aviation author, has tracked the history of these extraordinary aircraft and their unrivalled levels of exclusivity and comfort. Lavishly illustrated with more than 100 pictures in colour and mono.

352 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2020

Reviews

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Talk about an enthralling and intriguing book! The amount of knowledge I gained is phenomenal...as a frequent international traveler I will never view flying the same way again, nor take it for granted. Not only does the author detail and describe the earliest flying boats (my assumption about runways in that era was wrong) but also the inventors' genius (and courage!) behind them. These adventurous men were risk takers as flights often ended in tragedy, many of which are described here. I cannot fathom stepping aboard what seems rickety to current sensibilities without seatbelts or life jackets let alone navigational systems in place (pilots flew short flights, very low and used visual landmarks!). How would others know if the plane crashed into the ocean? Smoking rooms were a necessity. And yet people during the war desperately needed something new and inventive to look forward to and focus on. It opened up a brand new world. Flying boats were to be luxurious like their ship counterparts and allow breathtaking glimpses from the air. This was the Golden Age of flying.

The many photographs are remarkably interesting, especially the massive luxury flying boats complete with wood-panelled dining rooms, glassware and fine china, stupendous food menus (would radio in orders which were ready at the next stop...flights were initially short for many reasons which are outlined in this book) and sleeping suites. I learned about the "step" of the F-Boat, the "Red Wing" and "White Wing" biplanes, cash incentives to build the best and longest flights, commercial aviation and Thomas Cook and Pan American, Dole Derby deaths, celebrity pilot Ed Musick (which appalled him), prefab hotels, introducing Africans to chewing gum and ice cubes and that pigs really can fly!

Anyone even slightly interested in aviation and/or aeronautics ought to read this book. For me it is as enlightening as learning a new language or about a newly-discovered animal species with so many lightbulb moments. It made such an impact on me that I told several people about it today.

My sincere thank you to SunRise Publishing Ltd. and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this wondrous and thought-provoking book!

[S Czich · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a absolutely fascinating book, taking the reader from the first flying boats to the Saunders Roe Princess & the only jet powered flying boat fighter. It covers the development of flying boats & some of the major airlines that pioneered their use on the early long-distance air routes. The bravery of these pioneers is only exceeded perhaps by the exploits of the crews who continued to fly through out WW2.
There are some diary extracts that confirm my thought that flying has not been the same since Imperial Airways stopped using flying boats. Today Heathrow to Cape Town is around 12 hours flying. But there are no over-night stops in historic cities or by remote African Lakes, no circling an active volcano to see lava or diverting to watch herds of elephant.
The book is well illustrated with pictures of the flying boats, airports & other buildings along the way. There are also some wonderful old airline posters. I think the layout could be improved to make in clearer when the tale has moved on, but an excellent book. Highly recommended for anyone interested in flying boats, airline & general history.

[Malcolm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a vague recollection from my very early years of seeing a flying boat on the sea just offshore, whilst building sandcastles. Perhaps it was a dream; who knows?

Thankfully, Peter Pigott’s book brings the age of flying boats to life in so many ways. Anecdotes from passengers and crew alike, together with plain historical facts, mean you’ll never be wanting for imagery or detail.

Despite Covid restrictions limiting visits to sources of subject matter, the author clearly managed to undertake an enormous amount of research. I doubt there’s a more comprehensive work on this topic that entertains as well as informs.

Next time I visit the Solent Sky Museum in Southampton, I’ll see their superb Short Sandringham S.25/V in a new light and take more time enjoying that exhibit with knowledge gained from this great book.

As with all hardback books from SunRise, it is well produced using quality materials. Should you prefer though, an eBook version is available. Their website is easy to navigate, ordering straightforward and that’s backed up by speedy delivery.

[Dr William N Gardner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating account of the history of flying boats

Although written in small print this is an enthralling and carefully researched account of all flying boats from 1910 up to the present