A new early aviation history book

Published this month is the 184-page first volume of my trilogy A Passion For Flight - New Zealand aviation before the Great War, Volume One, Ideas, first flight attempts and the aeronauts (1868-1909). The book features over 100 illustrations

Four of the 8 chapters feature detailed coverage of the New Zealand activities of balloonists/parachutists, including Americans Tom Baldwin, sisters Millie Viola and Leila Adair (their stage names), and Sydney Barnes, and Australian Charles Jackson, in addition to New Zealanders Charles Lorraine (aka David Charles Mahoney), Noah Jonassen and Bob Murie.

Chapter 8 includes recently rediscovered early newspaper reports about Richard Pearse, including his first known flight attempt and a long interview with the Waitohi inventor, a large part of which is in the first person, and all of which answers once and for all the controversy as to whether Pearse flew or hopped off the ground in a powered aeroplane before the Wright brothers.

A flyer, order form and a copy of the 'people' index can be emailed to anyone interested upon request.

Errol