Book Review: The Sky Beyond by Sir Gordon Taylor
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this account of Taylor’s pioneering long-distance flights, notably across the Pacific. But 50 pages in, I was completely sold on his jaw-dropping over-water adventures.
I’m always up for first-hand aviation history but “Bill” Taylor’s often dense, flowery prose meant it took me a little longer than usual to get into The Sky Beyond. The turning point was when, midway across the Tasman Sea during the 1935 mail flight, he repeatedly climbed out of the Southern Cross to top up the port engine oil tank. At that point, I realized that Taylor and I have pretty much nothing in common.
Bound for New Zealand, the Fokker F.VII had already lost the starboard of its three engines and the crew, led by Charles Kingsford-Smith – one of several other legendary Australian aviators who crop up in Taylor’s narrative – had jettisoned most of the cabin’s contents and a lot of fuel in a bid to reduce weight and make it back to Australia. There were no lifejackets nor a life raft on board.
When the port motor started to smoke, the author calmly began the first of six oil transfers from the stricken starboard side to the ailing port one, each time climbing out of the cabin and edging along the wing strut to collect or refill the oil, with the ocean just a few feet below.
The Southern Cross and its crew survived to tell the tale, although Kingsford-Smith perished soon after during a flight from India to Singapore. Taylor received the Empire Gallantry Medal (later the George Cross) for his bravery.
It was far from his only brush with death in the 35 years of flying covered by the book – an early chapter covers combat over the trenches of Europe in World War I – but within the context of the times, Taylor comes across as a methodical planner and deep thinker who did more than most to minimize the risks he took. The passages when he describes his navigation techniques – he designed new navigation aids to assist during long flights over the sea – are especially illuminating.
Taylor first published his memoir in 1963, three years before his death and 12 years after the last of his epic flights, in the Catalina Frigate Bird II from Australia to Chile. It’s great that his family were able to make his incredible exploits available to a new audience with this 2017 edition.
The Sky Beyond
by Sir Gordon Taylor
Steemrok Publishing, 2017. ISBN 9781520412221
Find it on eBay
I’m always up for first-hand aviation history but “Bill” Taylor’s often dense, flowery prose meant it took me a little longer than usual to get into The Sky Beyond. The turning point was when, midway across the Tasman Sea during the 1935 mail flight, he repeatedly climbed out of the Southern Cross to top up the port engine oil tank. At that point, I realized that Taylor and I have pretty much nothing in common.
Bound for New Zealand, the Fokker F.VII had already lost the starboard of its three engines and the crew, led by Charles Kingsford-Smith – one of several other legendary Australian aviators who crop up in Taylor’s narrative – had jettisoned most of the cabin’s contents and a lot of fuel in a bid to reduce weight and make it back to Australia. There were no lifejackets nor a life raft on board.
When the port motor started to smoke, the author calmly began the first of six oil transfers from the stricken starboard side to the ailing port one, each time climbing out of the cabin and edging along the wing strut to collect or refill the oil, with the ocean just a few feet below.
The Southern Cross and its crew survived to tell the tale, although Kingsford-Smith perished soon after during a flight from India to Singapore. Taylor received the Empire Gallantry Medal (later the George Cross) for his bravery.
It was far from his only brush with death in the 35 years of flying covered by the book – an early chapter covers combat over the trenches of Europe in World War I – but within the context of the times, Taylor comes across as a methodical planner and deep thinker who did more than most to minimize the risks he took. The passages when he describes his navigation techniques – he designed new navigation aids to assist during long flights over the sea – are especially illuminating.
Taylor first published his memoir in 1963, three years before his death and 12 years after the last of his epic flights, in the Catalina Frigate Bird II from Australia to Chile. It’s great that his family were able to make his incredible exploits available to a new audience with this 2017 edition.
The Sky Beyond
by Sir Gordon Taylor
Steemrok Publishing, 2017. ISBN 9781520412221
Find it on eBay