Hi all
well, it’s happened twice in a week.
I’ve been proved wrong.
Firstly JDK, Damien and Gnome challenged me to review and deconstruct ‘Fighter’ by Len Deighton after I said some particularly nasty things about it on this very forum and I’m now within thirty pages of the end and I can’t find anything fundamentally wrong with it, even though I’ve half filled an exercise book with notes, most of which I’ve checked against other references and double and triple checked.
Now, today my wife took me to see ‘The Aviator’ and to be honest I loved it.
Much, much better than I ever expected. I’ll give it 9.5/10–which is damn good.
Am I worried that I’ve been wrong, publicly twice in a week.
No, couldn’t care less, this is the way we learn.
So, watch this space for the book review (I’ve got to write it now) and go see the film.
Later
Andy
By: Melvyn Hiscock - 10th February 2005 at 22:26
Now you’re scaring me Melv. . .
That’s where it starts getting fun . . .
By: Andy in Beds - 10th February 2005 at 22:24
Can’t see for the hair . . .
Now you’re scaring me Melv. . .
By: Melvyn Hiscock - 10th February 2005 at 22:18
Blisters on the palms of the hand Melv?
Can’t see for the hair . . .
By: Andy in Beds - 10th February 2005 at 22:16
Someone lend me a plaster, I think I split my sides.
Blisters on the palms of the hand Melv?
By: Melvyn Hiscock - 10th February 2005 at 22:12
At least I know my left from my right. 😀
Someone lend me a plaster, I think I split my sides.
By: Andy in Beds - 10th February 2005 at 22:11
At least I know my left from my right. 😀
Has Melv got thumbs?
Glad you like Winged Victory.
A…
By: Manonthefence - 10th February 2005 at 22:01
At least I know my left from my right. 😀
By: Melvyn Hiscock - 10th February 2005 at 21:58
A quarter of the way through Winged Victory . . .
Having trouble with the long words are we?
By: Manonthefence - 10th February 2005 at 21:56
A quarter of the way through Winged Victory and it just keeps getting better
By: Tim Mills - 4th February 2005 at 04:52
Sorry for the delay, Andy, been away doing grandparent duties! Rothmans Team 1974, just for one enjoyable year flying No 3, then thought I ought to get a proper job, so on to Falcon 20 and HS125 for the remainder of my productive flying.
Seem to have hijacked your humble pie thread for personal reminiscences, sorry. But agree with trying to get Victor Yeates to widest possible readership. But I still like talking Spitfires too!
Tim
By: Andy in Beds - 2nd February 2005 at 22:39
But you were certainly right in your 1000th post, Andy; Winged Victory is a marvellous book, and well worth the magic number. So I don’t think humble pie is warranted in the slightest!
I first read it in paperback many years ago, when I thought I was a bit clever flying the Pitts with the Rothmans Aeros Team. That book very quickly put me back in my place, with a proper perspective on things. Now I have fairly recently found a well thumbed and tatty hardback edition in our local library here in Oz. I want to buy it, but they say it is still in demand, and my argument that I am the chap who keeps taking it out, which is why it is still in demand, cuts no ice. So I am tempted to ‘lose’ it, the enormous fine will be worth every cent!
Good luck with the plaque, a great idea.
Tim
Tim
In what years were you flying with the Rothmans team?
I saw them many times in the early to mid seventies. First with Stampes and later with Pitts.
Any pictures from back then you’d care to post.
Cheers and thanks for the kind words about V.Yeates.
Andy.
PS. Nick I’m glad you’re enjoying the book too. I really want the story of the author and news of how good this book is to spread.
It might get us talking about something other than Spitfires all the time.
By: Manonthefence - 2nd February 2005 at 22:18
Andy
Just started Winged Victory, its excellent so far.
Custard with your pie sir?
By: Ashley - 31st January 2005 at 15:30
So I am tempted to ‘lose’ it, the enormous fine will be worth every cent!
Good luck with the plaque, a great idea.
Tim
Hmmmmm…sounds like me at uni…the library there had three very rare aviation themed books that I was rather fond of…all of which I was the first to borrow in the 30+ years they had all lived in the library…I tried everything I could think of to find copies of these books to buy, but had no luck what so ever. In the end, the library copies made a mysterious disappearance which cost me (what seemed like at the time, given I was a student 😉 rather a lot of money)
It was worth it though 😀
By: Tim Mills - 31st January 2005 at 07:28
But you were certainly right in your 1000th post, Andy; Winged Victory is a marvellous book, and well worth the magic number. So I don’t think humble pie is warranted in the slightest!
I first read it in paperback many years ago, when I thought I was a bit clever flying the Pitts with the Rothmans Aeros Team. That book very quickly put me back in my place, with a proper perspective on things. Now I have fairly recently found a well thumbed and tatty hardback edition in our local library here in Oz. I want to buy it, but they say it is still in demand, and my argument that I am the chap who keeps taking it out, which is why it is still in demand, cuts no ice. So I am tempted to ‘lose’ it, the enormous fine will be worth every cent!
Good luck with the plaque, a great idea.
Tim
By: Smith - 30th January 2005 at 19:18
There’s an interesting point dhfan. Thing is of course Andy that what you have done is “put up” when others might/could have taken the easy path and sat on the sidelines taking pot shots. You volunteered to go back over your knowledge and see if you were right (passage of time and all that). Not a lot of people would necessarily have done that. dhfan is right. I’m impressed and I know a lot of others are too. When we meet (in 2088) it’ll be my shout. regards, Don
By: old eagle - 30th January 2005 at 19:14
Having seen the earlier thread it is interesting to note your post reading comments ….. whilst in no way an expert on WW2 I always had the impression that Deightons aviation books were pretty well researched, so it’s good to hear a modicum of agreement from you !
I used to wonder who did the research on the bird in the face ???
Change of subject, anyone read Gavin Lyall books – fiction with good aviation content but probably a bit out of date today ?
By: dhfan - 30th January 2005 at 16:51
Humble Pie is entirely unnecessary, award yourself a beer instead. 😀
By: turbo_NZ - 30th January 2005 at 04:05
Admitting that you’re wrong takes a bit to do.
Well at least my missus (to be ) tells me I should learn anyway… 😀
TNZ
By: Smith - 30th January 2005 at 01:45
Well said Andy – we are always learning. gnome
By: JDK - 30th January 2005 at 01:18
No crow, Andy’s a lot bigger than some of us (no, no, not size, in heart…) and prepared to admit he’s wrong. – Good man.
What bothers me is when someone says – “Oh, Xxxx. Not very good. I heard that Yyyy.” And everyone goes “Ah, yes.” Give a dog a bad name and hang him. No thanks, provide the evidence.
Cheers, Andy. Good bloke.
Sign In
January 30, 2005 at 12:32 am