I am, of course, a total nerd, as anyone knows, and while I never quite sunk to the level of being a trainspotter (freaks!)
I was, for some time, a plane spotter. No, you’re right: I never had a girlfriend, and at this point am unlikely ever to. But I’ve always been interested in aircraft, from the days of my childhood when my family would go out for the day to nearby Dublin Airport, and one of my earliest memories is of going out onto the viewing balconies (long closed now) and inhaling the sweet smell of aviation fuel. I tell you, it was my drug. And when I got older I of course then gravitated towards the hobby, this getting even better for me when I started working at the airport.
But you don’t care about my obsessions. Or me. The only reason I tell you the above is to preface the opening of this, yet another journal. Even the most stoned or drunk among you (which probably covers most of you) will have realised by now what it’s about, and if you don’t then here’s a clue:
Slightly different this time around. Another history journal, yes, but in this one I’ll be combining a timeline with other entries, a little like, I guess, my to-be-returned-to
History of Classical Music. I realise that, like many of my journals, this one will be of interest to few if any of you, unless Batty drops in to throw down some snide mic-dropping moments, which I’m sure he will, but I don’t care. Aviation is one of my hobbies, or was, and I always loved aircraft. So, like the doctor in Family Guy says: we’re doing this, whether you like it or not.
What are we doing, exactly, you say? Are you still here? Well that’s surprising. Ah, I see: door stuck, is it? Well, while you try desperately to pry it open, let me annoy you by explaining what will be happening here.
I’ll be talking at stultifyingly boring length about my favourite aircraft, famous and less famous, airlines, airports, aircraft manufacturers, perhaps even air crashes - anything to do with aircraft or flying. Running alongside that will be the chronological history of flight, from the very beginning up to now.
Legend would have us believe that the ancient Greek Icarus was the first man to attempt to fly. Unsuccessfully, it must be said, though he made some progress before he flew too high, got too close to the sun and the wax holding his makeshift wings to his body melted, leaving him to fall helplessly from the sky, plunging into the sea where, to nobody’s shock, he died.
Which event gives us that famous Greek phrase: “Always buy your wax from Honest Aristotle’s Mega Wax Emporium, just a short chariot ride from this forum.”
I’m going to kick this off as I mean to go on, with no regard for anyone else (as nobody is likely to be reading it) and to satisfy my own dark desires about aircraft. I suppose there’s some vague possibility that one or two other people might enjoy these articles, but I don’t expect a flood of replies or comments. Be nice if there were people here interested in aircraft who wanted to talk (cue NERD! Meme from Batty) but I’m not holding out much hope on that front.
Before I get into the history of aviation, then, an article or two. Russia has always been a boastful country, which is to say, its leaders have always been going on about how great their country is, how wonderful Communism is/was, and how Russians do everything so much better than the West.
Well, in this case, they’re right.