MEDIA RELEASE
Vintage Aviators: Aircraft of the Great War
GAVIN CONROY
Published by Potton & Burton, September 15, 2023, RRP: $79.99
The military aircraft which flew in World War 1 paved the way for aviation as we know it today and leading aviation photographer and pilot Gavin Conroy captures them in all their glory in his stunning new book, Vintage Aviators.
Sir Peter Jackson’s company The Vintage Aviator Ltd (TVAL) has amassed one of the most significant collections of WW1 aircraft in the world – either restoring or reproducing them – and Conroy has spent nearly 20 years photographing them, both on the ground and in the air. In that time, he has taken over 80 flights and clocked up some 40 hours of flying time.
Inspired by the heroic pilots who flew these magnificent open cockpit aircraft, embroiled in the fight of their lives at altitudes of more than 10,000 feet. Conroy celebrates their derring-do and tells of aviators who flew without parachutes and crews who dropped bricks onto enemy aircraft during reconnaissance missions in the hope of bringing them down.
‘I have flown as a crew member in every type of two-seat aircraft that TVAL operates, and the experience is just magic. Taking first place was flying in a de Havilland Mosquito; its ability and performance is legendary. However, an equal first place goes to the F.E.2b. That machine really took me back in time. Standing behind the gun, the wind blowing right through me, I attempted to sight an adversary aircraft while the pilot tried to see around me. If you rotate the gun too far against the wind, hang on; if you accidentally let the gun get away, you could end up with a gun barrel imprint on your face, says Conroy.
Arranged into three sections: replica aircraft; reproduction aircraft built as they were during World War I and as if the production line had been reopened; and the original aircraft that have needed some work to get flying again but are based on original airframes, Vintage Aviators offers fascinating insights into a pivotal period of aviation history.
David McDonald’s historical text, which accompanies Conroy’s arresting photographs, details the rapid development of these aircraft between 1914 and 1918 from both sides of the conflict. There are also personal accounts from the pilots who now fly these vintage aircraft.
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER
Gavin Cornroy lives in Blenheim and is the General Manager of the Classic Fighters Airshow, held annually at Omaka in Marlborough. He has published two previous books featuring his aviation photography: Precious Metal and Fighters and Bombers, both published by Potton and Burton. Gavin has flown around 700 photographic flights, covering aircraft from around the world, and has amassed more than 220 magazine cover shots.
