Gladstone Media
Golden Age of Flight
2008 Calendar
[Calendar Cover]
[Calendar Spread]

By Walter J. Boyne

The Golden Age of Flight™ Calendar showcases that special era when propeller-driven aircraft ruled the skies. Detailed captions by aviation expert and author Walter J. Boyne accompany stunning, ready-to-frame color photographs of these venerable warbirds, including the P-51 Mustang, B-17 Flying Fortress, P-40 Warhawk, F6F Hellcat, Supermarine Spitfire, and the A6M Zero.

Photographs by Britt Dietz, Eric Dumigan, Max Haynes, Philip Wallick, and others.



$13.99
Size 11¾" x 18"
26 full-color photographs
16-month format begins September 2007



To buy by phone call 800 834-4177.




Errata correction for March

The pilot and owner of The Grace Spitfire featured in March was incorrectly stated as Ed Russell. Carolyn Grace is the pilot and owner of The Grace Spitfire ML407. Additional photographs and information can be found at http://www.ml407.co.uk

The Grace Spitfire was originally built at Castle Bromwich in early 1944 as a single seat fighter, and served in the front line of battle throughout the last twelve months of WWII, with six different Squadrons of the RAFs 2nd Tactical Air Force, all in all flying 176 operational combat sorties. It was delivered to 485 New Zealand Squadron on the 29th of April 1944 by Jackie Moggridge, one of the top lady pilots of the ATA, where it became the mount of Flying Officer Johhnie Houlton DFC who was accredited, whilst flying ML407, with the first enemy aircraft shot down over the Normandy Beach head on D-Day.

In December of 1944, ML407 was transferred to 341 Free French Squadron, becoming the aircraft of Sergeant Jean Dabos. It then moved on through 308 (Polish ) Squadron, 349 (Belgian) Squadron, 345 (Free French) Squadron, 332 (Norwegian) Squadron, and back to 485 (New Zealand) Squadron, before being remodelled as a 2-seat trainer for the Irish Air Corps where she flew until 1960. She was used for the film 'Battle of Britain' and was then sold to the Strathallan Museum from where she was acquired by engineer Nick Grace in 1979.

Nick spent five years meticulously restoring the Grace Spitfire to flying condition as a 2-seat Spitfire, and completed this incredible project in 1985, when, on the 16th of April, the Grace Spitfire flew again, with Nick's capable hands at the controls. Nick went on to fly it at many air displays and for filming, including 'Perfect Lady' and 'Piece of Cake'. A cruel twist of fate occurred when Nick Grace was tragically killed in a car accident in 1988, and his widow Carolyn Grace took on the task of learning to fly the Spitfire, which you can find documented in the film 'Going Solo'. Carolyn, as can be seen in the film, successfully completed her training by 'going solo' in the Spitfire in 1990, and hasn't looked back since, getting her Display Authorisation in 1991, and adding Aerobatic and Formation qualifications to that since.

The Spitfire is based in the east of England and is maintained by Chief Engineer Steve Kingman and Richard Grace who now also is flying ML407. Carolyn flies the Grace Spitfire at many airshows, both public and private all over the UK having also flown, much to her credit in no less than five record-breaking Spitfire formation flypasts between 1996 and 2006.

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