British Airports Then and Now

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{detailed description}It is a sobering thought that, around the world, over 1,000 million passengers are boarding scheduled airline flights every year and the figure is constantly increasing. Added to this are millions of charter passengers as well as others on private or business flights and all of these have one thing in common—they will begin and end their flight at an airport. Those with an interest in aviation affairs will inevitably concentrate their attention on the aircraft themselves, perhaps the most exciting machines ever invented by man, but from the very earliest days aviators have always been dependant on support from the ground. Of course, their original demands were few, any reasonably flat area would do for taking-off and landing and a few gallons of fuel could be easily carried in cans. However, early aircraft were fragile and at the mercy of the elements and so some sort of weatherproof shelter soon became a necessity. As aircraft got larger and heavier, they needed longer take-off and landing runs and so aerodromes became larger, although still very small by modern standards.
Since the early years technical improvements in aircraft design have forced airport authorities to provide better facilities such as longer runways, larger terminals. radar, runway and approach lighting, and instrument landing systems.
This book attempts, through the medium of photographs, to show some of the history of our airports and how they have grown and developed over the years. While all the major airports have been covered in varying detail. an effort has been made to include a large cross section of the many smaller or less busy airfields which, nevertheless, play an important part in the communities they serve. As far as possible aerial photographs have been used as these best show the airfield layout and are useful for comparative purposes.
{Author / Publisher / Date}by Leo Marriott
Published by Ian Allan 1993 1st edition. 160pp profusely illustrated, appendices, bibliography. 18x24
{condition}fine, including d/j.
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