Some Pilot: From Balsa Wood Models to Constellations, Comets and VC10s

Nigel Harrisson always wanted to be a pilot. From an early age he built balsa wood models, flying them from the grounds of the Alexandra Palace, and he joined the wartime RAF as soon as he was old enough. He was trained in South Africa and later became a flying instructor on Harvards, first in the RAF and later for the civilian operator Airwork. In the 1950s he joined BOAC as a Second Officer on Constellations, later flying Britannias and Comets, before gaining his command on the iconic VC10. Upon retirement from BA, he flew for the royal family of Abu Dhabi. In this moving, frank and deeply personal account he tells not only of the delights of flying during the Golden Age of travel, but also of the ups and downs of a long haul-pilot’s family life and the tragic loss of a much-loved son from a sudden heart attack.