B O O K R E V I E WS Book reviews Our pick of the best flight-related tomes this issue Straighten Up and Fly Right By Captain Brian Smith Brian Smiths older brother was involved in air-sea rescue launches with the Royal Air Force (RAF) during World War II, and Brian followed his sibling into the RAF in peacetime. Because of his lack of education, however, he did not join as a pilot, but as a physical training instructor. Brian then makes a quick jump to civil aviation and goes through his training days, from living in a caravan in White Waltham, to joining BEA as a steward in 1962 while he completed his private and commercial pilots licences. He started out as an FO on a Heron 2E, afterwards flying a variety of planes, including the Bristol Freighter B170, carrying cars to France from Lydd for day trips, and a B707 with BOAC. Following the merger of BOAC and BEA, Brian had a stint bush flying in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), before returning to the airlines and gaining the left-hand seat in a 737. After retiring from BA, he concentrated on his hobby of ballooning and was involved in round-the-world records. This is a great read about the ups and downs of Brians generation, and ends with a fascinating tale about a now defunct museum, which makes you think about what lies beyond the human boneyard! Straighten Up and Fly Right is available direct from the author for 10 paperback and 15 hardback, plus P&P. briansmithair@unclub.net Review by Matthew Martin, Log Board member From the Flight Deck the diary of an airline pilot By Nigel Knot (published by Nerthus. ISBN 978-0-09955034-3-4) Nigel Knots engagingly self-effacing style constantly amuses, while often shedding light on the vagaries of short- and long-haul operations, its crews and passengers. His first airliner was the L-1011 Tristar. Aspiring pilots trained in an empty airframe. The consequent rapid acceleration and steep climb attitude encouraged trainees awaiting their turn to fly to toboggan race on food trays down the twin aisles. Such levity ended on the authors very first line landing with a full aircraft; his thumping arrival caused oxygen masks to drop. From this controlled crash, he learned about night landings and reduced air density, concluding how far training and supervision have improved since then. Knot captained short-haul Airbuses and the mighty Boeing 777, and compares the lifestyles of each fleet. Little escapes his wry observational humour: the eccentricities of some airports, caterers, ATC and crews of various nations, lack of crew rest facilities, awful hotels, and the unofficial behaviours of some senior colleagues down route. Knots experiences include EFTO, suicidal and drunken passengers, a groundcrew approaching dangerously close to a 777 engine, and learning that its impossible to play bagpipes at altitude! A very amusing and informative read for professional pilots and the travelling public. Review by Clive Roberts, Log Board member Would you like to review a book for The Log? If so, wed love to hear from you. Simply email TheLog@balpa.org 51 THE LOG Spring 25 pp50-51 Book Reviews (1).indd 51 17/03/2025 14:27