APRIL 1932
Volume
1 Number 1 (1 of 88)
This very first issue of Popular Flying magazine features the first ever publication of a “Biggles” story
The White Fokker
Contents
This issue runs from page 1 to page 64
(64 pages)
Page
3 – Contents Page
(The
co-author of Falcons of France has his name spelt wrongly here as “Woodhoff”
when it should be “Nordhoff”)
Page
5 – The Editor’s Cockpit – W. E. Johns
(W.
E. Johns first ever editorial for Popular Flying Magazine)
Page
7 – Aviation as a Career – Lord Wakefield of Hyde
Page
9 – My Most Thrilling Flight – Lt-Col. L. A. Strange
(This
was published in 1936 in the book ‘Thrilling Flights’ as the 2nd of
20 accounts)
Page
11 – More People are Flying – Sir Alan J. Cobham
Page
13 – Falcons of France – A Serial – Charles Nordhoff and J. N. Hall
Page
15 – Travel by Air – “Hannibal”
Page
17 – Flying Must be More Popular – Nigel Norman
Page 19 – The White Fokker – William Earle
(This
is the first ever Biggles story ever published anywhere and it continues on
pages 60 and 62.
The
illustrations are by Howard Leigh (John’s brother-in-law effectively).
William
Earle was, of course, a pseudonym for W. E. Johns, his first names being
William Earl (without the ‘e’ )
In
August 1932 this story was published in the first Biggles book – “The Camels
are Coming”
Page
20 – Women and Air – The Hon. Mrs. Victor Bruce
Page
26 – Growing Up in Aviation – Joy Muntz
Page
30 – Your Great-Grandson’s Aeroplane – Beech-Screw
(Contains
the quote “Oil may be getting scarce and dear by then”)
Pages
32 – 33 – Centre Page Photo Spread – British Flying Schools No. 1 Air Services
Training
Page
34 – Howard Leigh illustration of The De Havilland “Four”
Page
36 – Why not 1,000 Miles an Hour? – Flt-Lieut. H. M. Schofield
(In
1931 the air speed record was 407.5 mph.
By 1956 man had flown at 1,132 mph and in 1976 the record was set at 2,194
mph – although the Space Shuttle re-enters earth’s atmosphere at some 17,500
mph!)
Page
40 – See the World from the Air
Page
42 – Told on the Tarmac – Officer of the Watch
Page
44 – Gliding – J. R. Ashwell-Cooke
Page
46 – Fit to Fly – Dr. W. T. R. Chapman
Page
48 – Round the Clubs
Page
54 – Air Stamp and Flown Covers – Francis J. Field
Page
56 – Model Planes
Page
58 – Under the Wind Stocking – a space reserved for Readers’ Correspondence
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