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A Pilot's Story
George Gatonby Stead DFC
The engaging story of a pilot's life from childhood in New Zealand, through a career in the RAF and commercial airlines to the jet age with BOAC. Included is a detailed account of flying Sunderlands with Coastal Command during the war and the opening of new flying boat routes to the Far East and South Africa. The adventure in 1933 of flying to India with Richard Shuttleworth to compete in the Viceroy's Air Race is true "Boy's Own" reading. His 40 years experience of over 50 different aircraft from the Tiger Moth to the Boeing 707 is a compelling and detailed autobiography of one man's life and his love of flying. Written by Captain George Stead, this book has now been published posthumously by his son Richard.
Read an extract from the book.
Read the forward.
Readers' comments.
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READERS' COMMENTS...
"Great record of an amazing life"
"Read your fathers book, probably the best aviation autobiography I've read. What a most interesting life he had. He made flying sound so simple and matter of fact, particularly his flying to India, which must have been anything but. This book rates 10/10. Anyone who reads it will be mighty pleased you persued the matter."
"It is certainly a ripping yarn and for anyone with an aviation bent, it is an excellent read."
"I have just finished your father's woderful autobiography, what a wonderful read. He was so experienced compared with his fellow captains and the cover photo is just how I recall him. Thanks again for publishing his wonderful life story."
"It's a cannot put down book. What an interesting man."
"I had to write to tell you how much I've enjoyed reading your father's story. What an amazing career he had. Clearly explained, the tale moved at a cracking pace with no padding. The flight to India with Richard Shuttleworth was particularly interesting. I was most impressed with how he coped with the engine failure in the Gull in 1935. To dismantle an engine, take off a cylinder and de-coke a valve is beyond the capabilities of most people but your father did it with minimum tools, under a burning sun as if it were just a routine maintenance job."
"One of the best aviation books I have ever read and I read a few. He just about covered all aspects of flying that I could imagine."
"Congratulations on having the book published it would have been a terrible 'loss' if it had not been."
"I've read A Pilot's Story and enjoyed it very much. What an extraordinary and varied career George Stead, DFC had, constantly crossing paths with a virtual Who's Who of Aviation along the way."
Extract
1941 204 FLYING BOAT SQUADRON
"The biggest problem was the return to a base when the weather was bad especially when it was dark. We might leave Sullom Voe and return to Oban or Bowmore on the Isle of Islay, depending on how short of fuel we were or the weather conditions. It was freely admitted by all the captains and crews that they were at times terrified when approaching the coast on a dark night with rain, sleet or snow after ten hours at sea below cloud with no proper fix. Trying to find an island with a very low powered light on a headland when perhaps flying at 200 feet was not funny, especially when we were trying to make Oban which meant flying quite a distance through the quite high off shore islands. It required not only skill but a lot of luck as well. Icing we took in our stride. The leading edge of the wings had what we called "Political Paste" on them as it was of really very little use, and allowed the ice to form further back making the situation worse. For the carburettor we had an alcohol spray in the intake and a drip-feed for the blades of the props. The only person I knew who got into trouble was not from our squadron and who found himself flying up a valley one night and could not turn round, so as he reached the cloud level, he pulled the throttle back and just sat down and slid up hill to a stop and all the crew stepped out."
Forward
CAPTAIN GEORGE GATONBY STEAD DFC 1911 - 1985
George Gatonby Stead was born on a sheep station in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand on September 8, 1911. He was educated at Christ's College, Christchurch from the age of 14 and soon became interested in mechanical things. A relative, who happened to be the Commanding Officer of Wigram Air Force Base, introduced George to aviation by giving him his first flight. Aviation, coupled with a love for all things mechanical lured George away from college and he learnt to fly at a newly formed flying club at Hastings. He soloed after only eight hours dual, but had to wait until his 17th birthday before he could take his flying test. At the time he was the youngest pilot in New Zealand.
Desperately wanting a career in the RAF, George sailed to England aboard the Mataroa in 1929. He was accepted into the RAF but first took his “B” licence (commercial pilot's licence) at the London Aeroplane Club at Stag Lane in north London, home of the embryo De Havilland Aircraft Company. Whilst there he assisted Amy Johnson with her navigation studies, not long before her epic flight to Australia.
George joined the Royal Air Force in June 1930 and began pilot training, though without informing the authorities that he had already amassed more than 100 hours solo flying experience. The result was that George went through six months training in two days. He was posted to No 7 (Bomber) Squadron to fly Vickers Virginias, the RAF's largest bomber of the period. It was during this time that he and a number of RAF pals purchased an old Fokker F.III airliner, for £35, and used it for a weekend runabout. Because the large aircraft was unlicensed it was an embarrassment to the RAF and George's CO told him to get rid of the Fokker.
It was during this time that George became friendly with a young millionaire, Richard Ormonde Shuttleworth who had recently inherited £2 million and had a consuming interest in aviation and all things mechanical. George not only helped Richard with his flying but also acted as part-time mechanic when he raced at Brooklands and elsewhere.
In May 1932, George was posted to 18 Squadron to fly Hawker Harts. During the winter of 1932-33 he took a long leave in order to fly a tiny single seat Comper Swift to India and back in company with Richard Shuttleworth, who flew a similar machine. In 1933 George was posted to Amman and in July 1934 he left the RAF to embark on a 30 year career in civil aviation.
George's first civil flying job was with Indian National Airways, based at Calcutta, where he was to meet Marjory, whom he married in September 1935. There followed a move to England, where George joined Imperial Airways, the forerunner of BOAC and today's British Airways. But after a very short period George switched to a smaller but better paid job with British Continental Airways, based at Croydon Aerodrome. The flying was varied and on several occasions George was entrusted with flying gold bullion across to the Continent. In 1937 the Steads returned to New Zealand where George joined Cook Strait Airways at Nelson. Following an argument over safety standards George returned to England and flew for a small charter company called Wrightways, based at Croydon. This job carried on until the early months of the war when, in April 1940, George rejoined the RAF as a Flying Officer.
Initially Flying Officer Stead flew top brass around on communications flights, but was soon transferred to 204 Squadron where he began a long association with flying boats, first on Short Sunderlands flying long sea patrols of 11 hours and more over the North Atlantic, looking for U-boats. In January 1941 he was given his own Sunderland command and later he was promoted to Wing Commander and became chief instructor at an Operational Training Unit, teaching young pilots to fly Sunderlands operationally. Later George was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for “completing more than 6000 hours of flying, of which 800 were operations”.
Eventually George was seconded to the Royal New Zealand Air Force to command a Catalina squadron, based on the island of Fiji. Later he was seconded to BOAC to fly Sunderlands from Poole harbour for the last months of the war until the late forties, flying on Far East routes. In 1949 after 8,000 hours flying off water, George was put on to the four engined Handley Page Hermes airliner. In 1954 he was granted his Master Pilot's Certificate. Later he was put on to Boeing Stratocruisers, flying the North Atlantic and in 1957 he moved on to Bristol Britannia’s. In 1959 George was selected to fly HRH The Duke of Edinburgh from Nassau to Bermuda and on to London.
In 1962 George entered the final phase of his flying career and became one of BOAC's first Boeing 707 Captains. In September the following year, he took early retirement from the Corporation and left with a total of 17,000 hours in his flying logbooks, the equivalent time of nearly two years spent in the air!
He retired to Poole, a stone's throw from where he had been based as a BOAC flying boat skipper. He now had plenty of time to take up his consuming interests of sailing, model making and fishing. But George was restless for New Zealand and finally in 1979 he returned to the old country for the last time. In February 1985, George lost his battle with cancer and died in the land of his birthplace.
Richard Riding Editor - Aeroplane Monthly