Fly and Deliver

Hugh Bergel was one of many hundreds of men and women of all ages who, between the wars, joined a Light Aeroplane Club and learnt to fly, for fun, at their own expense. But to these very ordinary amateur pilots there came the chance to do some flying that by all peacetime standards was quite extraordinary, for they were given the opportunity to fly — still as civilians — all the aircraft that the R.A.F. used, from the smallest and slowest to the biggest and fastest. In short, they were offered the privilege of becoming Ferry Pilots in that unique experiment in extemporisation known as A.T.A. — Air Transport Auxiliary.
Bergel has written a personal story of his four-and-a-half years in A.T.A., delivering to the R.A.F. over 900 aircraft of 80 different types. While always stressing the sheer enjoyment that he found in the work, he does not hide the fact that it could be difficult and exhausting, and that it was not without its dangers.
The story is significant in that it demonstrates that in an emergency the amateur can take on a job that in normal times would be considered to be far beyond his capability, and that he can surprise everbody, including himself, by doing it well.




by Hugh Bergel
Published by Airlife 1982 1st edition. 126pp illustrated appendix. 15x22 fine, including d/j.




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Note:
"Long" descriptions, where shown, may have been taken from the book's dust jacket notes, and as such are relevant to the date of publication (e.g. any references to "new edition" "previously unpublished photographs" etc.) and not the present.