Tag: aviation

Books from Te Pātaka: Aviation stories of New Zealand

Xinxin

Read these fascinating stories of New Zealand’s legendary people in aviation. For example, a New Zealand pilot who searched the truth behind the MH370; the chief pilot of the former Air New Zealand who had a not so well-known world’s third fastest flying record; an aviation enthusiast who searched Devonport’s North Head for the world’s first two Boeing aircrafts; and the Westport’s pilot who founded the first commercial New Zealand airline. These true stories will let your imagination fly!

The truth behind the loss of Flight 370 / Wilson, Ewan
“New Zealand pilot Ewan Wilson and top journalist Geoff Taylor presents compelling evidence about MH370, some of it based on new interviews with family members of pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah. This book takes us to Kuala Lumpur International Airport on March 8 and brings together the lives of passengers and crew who should’ve been a routine flight to Beijing on a well-respected airline operating a state-of-the-art airliner with a near faultless record.” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

Sundowner of the skies : the story of Oscar Garden the forgotten aviator / Garden, Mary
“On 16 October 1930, Oscar Garden taxied his tiny Gipsy Moth across London’s Croydon aerodrome and took off. His plan was to fly to Australia, which was sheer madness as he only had a mere 39 flying hours under his belt. He landed at Wyndham 18 days later. He was the third fastest after veteran aviators Bert Hinkler and Charles Kingsford. He then became the Chief Pilot of Tasman Empire Airways, former Air New Zealand.” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

Tunnel vision : unearthing the secrets of North Head / Butler, Martin
“On 12 October 1918, the New Zealand Flying School took possession of the first two Boeing aircraft ever made. Almost a century later aviation enthusiast Martin Butler search of any remnants of these famous planes. His journey takes him to North Head, Devonport’s famous military landmark, which has rumours about sealed-up tunnels. After twenty years of research and investigations, Butler uncovers a trail of deception and cover-ups as he attempts to unravel the mystery of what’s beneath North Head.” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

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Aviation and boat disasters

Xinxin

This blog collects stories of aviation, boat and railway disasters and tragedies that have happened in the New Zealand and Australian history, some of which caused huge political turmoil, as well as environmental catastrophes. Through talking with captains, families and people involved, these authors seek the truth behind what happened to cause these disasters.

  • Towards the mountain : a story of grief and hope forty years on from Erebus / Myles, Sarah
    “On 28 November 1979 an Air New Zealand plane, crashed into the lower slopes of Mount Erebus while on a sight-seeing trip to Antarctica, killing all 257 souls on board. This was New Zealand’s greatest and shocking peacetime tragedy. The Royal Commission of Inquiry found the airline was at fault rather than the pilots. Author Sarah Myles has researched extensively into the recovery and identification process that brought her grandfather and so many others home.” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

Weeping waters : when train meets volcano : the truth about New Zealand’s Tangiwai disaster at last / Le Vay, Benedict
“Weeping Waters: When train meets volcano is a meticulously researched and almost forensic reconstruction of one of the 20th century’s worst rail disasters – largely forgotten outside New Zealand – that comes up with a compelling new theory as to why the 151 people on that train died. Bringing the people and railways of 60 years ago back to life, the author works towards the nail-biting crescendo of the Tangiwai disaster.” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

Black tide : the story behind the Rena disaster / Julian, John
“The Rena, a 236-metre-long container ship, carrying 1368 containers along with 1700 tonnes of heavy fuel oil and 200 tonnes of marine diesel headed from Napier towards Tauranga. On 5 October 2011 It impaled on a pinnacle of rock at Astrolabe Reef. And by 9 October, fluids and lubricants seeping from her ruptured hull had formed a 5 km slick, making a major economic and environmental catastrophe.  BLACK TIDE looks at the ship and her crew and tells what was happening on the bridge that night; Maritime New Zealand’s version of events, and salvors and the people of the Bay of Plenty. ” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

QF32 / De Crespigny, Richard
“On 4 November 2010, a flight from Singapore to Sydney came within a knife edge of being one of the world’s worst air disasters. Shortly after leaving Changi Airport, an explosion shattered Engine 2 of Qantas flight QF32 – an Airbus A380. Hundreds of pieces of shrapnel ripped through the wing and fuselage, creating chaos as vital flight systems and back-ups were destroyed or degraded. In other hands, a supremely experienced flight crew, led by Captain Richard Champion de Crespigny, managed to land the crippled aircraft and safely disembark the 469 passengers after hours of nerve-racking effort. ” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

Flight, model aircraft, drones and more

Xinxin

Flight and our ability to put ourselves up in the atmosphere is both an inspirational topic, but also one that can allow for such a mastery and level of skill that it intrigues expert hobbyists. If you are this hobbyist, the list of books below can help you take your hobbies to a new height, or even turn your abilities to a new challenge.

Whether your passion is constructing model plane kits, crafting your own radio control plane, drone photography or even model rockets — there’s something here for every flight hobbyist. And if you’d like to watch your plane taking off and gliding in the air, compete with  professional RC racers, or just find some like-minded flight enthusiasts, make sure to also visit the website of our local Wellington Model Aeroplane Club.


Model aircraft aerodynamics / Simons, Martin
“Presents standard aerodynamic theory, as applied to model flight, in a concise and practical form. An excellent introduction to aerodynamics not only for model flying enthusiasts but also for those concerned with full-scale light and ultralight aircraft and sailplanes, remotely piloted surveillance and research aircraft, wind surfers and land yachts, and the designers of wind turbines. Revised and updated to reflect significant developments in model aircraft. 4th ed.” (Catalogue)

Modelling scale aircraft / Green, Brett
“Brett Green, one of the hobby’s leading names, provides a comprehensive introduction to all of the basic techniques and materials needed to build scale aircraft, from opening the kit box to displaying the finished model, all in one clear and easy-to-follow expert guide. The many detailed photographs with step-by-step captions and the accessible and informative text cover every aspect of aircraft kit construction, from initial preparation through all stages of assembly to detailed finishing. This is an essential resource for any aviation modeller.” (Catalogue)

Drones : teach an Arduino to fly / McGriffy, David
“Make: Drones will help the widest possible audience understand how drones work by providing several DIY drone projects based on the world’s most popular robot controller-the Arduino. The information imparted in this book will show Makers how to build better drones and be better drone pilots, and incidentally it will have applications in almost any robotics project. Why Arduino? Makers know Arduinos and their accessories, they are widely available and inexpensive, and there is strong community support. Open source flight-control code is available for Arduino, and flying is the hook that makes it exciting, even magical, for so many people. Arduino is not only a powerful board in its own right, but it’s used as the controller of most inexpensive 3d printers, many desktop CNCs, and the majority of open source drone platforms.” (Catalogue)

Modelling the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A, F and G / Coughlin, Geoff
“The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 is regarded as one of the best fighters of World War II. Designed by Kurt Tank, it first saw combat in the summer of 1941 and went on to be produced in several variants. It remains a hugely popular subject for aviation scale-modellers. This book, the first of two to cover the Fw190, provides a detailed, step-by-step guide to modelling the Fw 190’s A, F and G variants in 1/72, 1/48, and 1/32 scale. Key aspects such as creating mottled camouflage patterns, undercarriage and cockpit detailing, final weathering and finishing, and diorama bases to display your models are covered.” (Catalogue)

Above the world : earth through a drone’s eye.
“Very rarely does a new technology level a playing field in an art form, allowing unknown talents to share headlines with established artists. Drones are one of these great equalizers. With this book, we are shining a spotlight on some of the world’s best aerial photography. The subjects of those showcased range from a volcanic eruption to the abstract patterns of fish farms as seen from above, and from never-before-seen views of Patagonia to powerful impressions of the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland. Above the World is an ode to the beauty of the aerial image as it can be seen and captured by anyone. Let yourself be inspired.” (Adapted from Amazon.com)

The Airfix book of scale modelling / Mock, Jonathan
“Produced in full collaboration with Airfix and Humbrol, this book explains how to build scale models to suit all levels of modelling skill. With full colour photography throughout, different kits in a range of scales are reviewed and evaluated, along with a comprehensive overview of the paints and accessories that are available.” (Catalogue)

Great to share with family:

The flying machine book : build and launch 35 rockets, gliders, helicopters, boomerangs, and more / Mercer, Bobby
“Shows readers how to turn rubber bands, paper clips, straws, plastic bottles, and index cards into amazing, gravity-defying flyers. Each project contains a material list and detailed step-by-step instructions with photos. Mercer also includes explanations of the science behind each flyer, including concepts such as lift, thrust, and drag, the Bernoulli effect, and more”–Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

50 model rocket projects for the evil genius / Harper, Gavin D. J
“Plans, diagrams, schematics, and lists of parts and tools for model rocket projects.” (Catalogue)