Flying to the Sun

The end of the Second World War not only brought peace to a war-weary population but also delivered a plethora of surplus transport aircraft, crew and engineers, which could be easily and cheaply repurposed to 'lift' the mood of the British population. The dream of sun-drenched beaches in exotic places suddenly became a reality for thousands of pioneering tourists taking advantage of the air-travel revolution of the 1950s. From their humble beginnings flying holidaymakers to campsites in Corsica in war-surplus Dakota aircraft to today's flights across the globe in wide-bodied Airbuses, Flying To The Sun narrates the development of Britain's love-hate relationship with holiday charter airlines. Whilst many readers today will be more familiar with names like Ryanair and Easyjet than Clarksons or Dan-Air, this charming book serves as a fond reminder of those enterprising airlines and companies that ushered a new age of travel.

Auteur

Charles Woodley is a lifelong aviation enthusiast who first visited Gatwick in 1958. He is the author of several books and many magazine articles on historical aviation subjects, including the successful Heathrow: The First 50 Years and BOAC: A History for The History Press. A long-time member of Air-Britain, he founded and ran for over ten years the Grampian Airtouring Society, the local aviation enthusiasts' society for the Aberdeenshire area.