ISBN: 0-553-23949-X
Publisher: Bantam Books
Pages: 339
The Sky Beyond is Sir (Patrick)Gordon Taylor's sixth book andstarts with the outbreak of World War 1. He describes how he started flying with the Royal Flying Corps and relates some of his combat experiences, especially his sickening experience watching the tail gunner jump to his death, rather than burn, from the flaming Rumpler that Taylor had shot down. He had experienced much death and destruction before but this death seemed to have a more personal connection to it.
After the war, he returned to Australia and flew one of two Airco D.H. 6's from Point Cook
to Sydney, a distance of only 500 hundred miles but which took ten days to complete. On the first day of the journey in the D.H. 6, they actually flew backwards due to the low speed flying characteristic of the D.H.6. and the strong winds at the moment of the attempt. Taylor decided to call it a day and just managed to get to the runway by nosing the aircraft down to increase speed.
Taylor then went on to work for Australian National Airways, formed by Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and Charles Ulm, as a first officer, and after only three months, as a pilot-in-charge. With the crash of the A.N.A. Southern Cloud and the financial turmoil of the early 1930´s, Australian National Airways ceased operations.
He subsequently made many trips as Kingsford Smith's navigator in the aircraft Southern Cross. During the last flight of the Southern Cross, in 1935, another trans-Tasman flight, Taylor has to leave the aircraft cabin, several times, onto the wings, to transfer oil from one engine to the other that was leaking and in danger of overheating. This, along with Kingsford Smith's abilities as a pilot, saved them from crashing into the sea.
Much of the rest of the book sees Taylor flying the Consolidated PBY Catalina. He flew the Central Pacific Exploratory Flight during World War II from Bermuda to Sydney, via Clipperton Island, Bora Bora and Tahiti. After the war, in 1951, he completes the first Australia to South America flight and the return flight to Australia.
All in all the book covers the first 35 years of Sir Gordon Taylor's flying career and is an incredible account of the early days of flight.
A list of the aircraft mentioned in this book and corresponding page numbers. Many types are given only a passing mention, however the historical context in which they are referred to, their geographic location or just their action could be of interest to any researcher in aviation or AvGeek in general.
AIRCRAFT TYPE (INC. VARIENT) | Page number |
---|---|
Airco D.H. 6 | 18,19 |
Airspeed Envoy - “Stella Australis” | 60 |
Albatros D.III Scout | 9-11,15 |
American Flying Boat N.C. 4 | 20 |
Avro | 1 |
Avro 618 Ten, "Faith in Australia" VH-UXX | 59 |
Avro 618 Ten “Southern Cloud” of A.N.A. | 35, 36 |
Avro 618 Ten | 27, 35-36 |
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress | 138 |
Consolidated B-24 Liberator | 127, 214, 218-219 |
Consolidated B-24 Liberator B.Z. 873 | 128 |
Consolidated C-87 Liberator Express | 216 |
Consolidated PBY Catalina | 106, 123,124-126,141, 152, 156, 219, 226, 227-285 |
Consolidated PBY Catalina “Frigate Bird II” | 227-285 |
Consolidated PBY Catalina “Guba” | 106 |
Consolidated PBY Catalina “Manutara” FACH No:405 | 240, 243, 244-256, 269, 273, 294 |
Consolidated PBY Catalina 603 | 156 |
Consolidated PBY Catalina J.X. 275 “Frigate Bird” | 152 |
Consolidated PBY Catalina of the Dutch Navy | 125 |
de Havilland DH.88 Comet | 46 |
de Havilland Mosquito | 13 |
de Havilland Moth twin float seaplane | 23-26 |
Douglas C-47 Dakota | 172,206 |
Douglas D.C. 3 | 210, 287 |
Douglas D.C.3 of Colonial Airlines | 210 |
Focke-Wulf FW-200 Condor | 139 |
Fokker FVIIB-3M “Southern Cross” | 26, 27, 219 |
Lockheed Altair VH-USB | 38,45,55,81,201,202,205,219 |
Lockheed Hudson | 124 |
Maurice Farman Shorthorn “Rumpety” | 2, 4, 8 |
North American B-25 Mitchell | 298 |
Percival Gull | 38, 82, 90 |
Percival Gull with Gypsy Six Engine | 90 |
R.Y.3 (Liberator Express Transport or Privateer (U.S.Navy) | 209-211 |
Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 | 13 |
Rumpler | 12-17,279,331 |
Sopwith 2 seater Scout | 9, 12 |
Supermarine Spitfire | 90, 211, 220-224 |
Douglas D.C.7 of United Airlines | 208, 218 |
Zeppelin | 1 |
AIR FORCES AND GROUPS | Page number |
43 Squadron Royal Flying Corps | 12 |
45 Atlantic Transport Group (R.A.F.) | 125-126,150,171,209 |
66 Squadron Royal Flying Corps | 10,12 |
A.F.C. Central Flying School, Point Cook | 18 |
Australian Flying Corps (A.F.C.) | 2,18, 227 |
Central Flying School, (R.F.C.) Upavon | 8 |
Chilean Air Force flying boat base, Quintero | 280, 284 |
R.A.F. Transport Command | 149,151,172, 211, 298 |
Luftstreitkräfte German Air Force (WW1) | 9,13 |
New Zealand Air Force | 204 |
Royal Air Force | 13, 120, 126, 127, 141, 149, 150, 151, 152, 206, 208 |
Royal Flying Corps | 1,2,6,12,18,36 |
AIRLINES | Page number |
American Airlines | 210 |
Australian National Airways | 27,28, 31, 32, 35-37, 126, 210 |
B.O.A.C (British Overseas Airways Corporation) | 216 |
Barrier Reef Airways (Brisbane) | 330 |
British Commonwealth Trans-Pacific Air Service | 209 |
K.L.M. (Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatscappij N.V.) | 121 |
QANTAS (Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Service) | 121, 124, 204 |
Royal Netherlands Indian Airways KNLIM | 125 |
South African Airways | 121 |
United Airlines | 208 |
Comments will be approved before showing up.