Overview

"""Airship of Dreams"" is a true story that can be read by itself, although it is also Book #1 of the VALIANT HEART trilogy. It describes William Palstra's extraordinary life, which ended in 1930 when His Majesty's airship R101 exploded in flames, changing the world forever. An Air Force pilot and decorated hero, Palstra returns to Australia in 1919, at the end of the First World War. Then follow his marriage and family, his role in the early years of Melbourne University, and his rise through the ranks of the newly-formed Royal Australian Airforce (RAAF). The decade of the 1920s was the Golden Age of Airships and zeppelins. The stuff of dreams, these enormous, cigar-shaped aircraft glided slowly and majestically across the skies, like fantastic creatures from legend. The British Empire's R101 was the world's biggest airship at that time. She was fitted out so luxuriously that she has been called The Titanic of the Skies. And like the Titanic, her maiden voyage was doomed. ""Airship of Dreams"" tells of this fatal flight, and the repercussions of the tragedy that rippled through time and continues to this day."

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""". . . an emotional read. . . a heartfelt tribute to those lost in this national tragedy seen from the other side of the world including much new material not previously published."" Peter Davison, BA(hons) AMRAeS. Independent Consultant at the Airship Heritage Trust, UK. Airship of Dreams describes the extraordinary life of William Palstra from his return to Australia in 1919 at the end of the First World War, to his untimely and tragic end in 1930 when His Majesty's airship R101 took a steep dive just outside of Beauvais, France, and exploded on the ground. The book is a well-written biography of William Palstra, with information and photos from family records, albums, and diaries. It follows William from his enthusiastic homecoming, the romance of meeting his future wife, his time with the newly established Melbourne University, and his experience and promotions in the newly-formed Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). It also follows the production and development of the British airship 101, known as the 'Titanic of the Seas' due to its luxurious fit-out and sheer size, being the largest airship of its time, and ultimately its doomed maiden voyage. Airship of Dreams is quite an emotional read, punctuated with snippets of personal letters and newspaper articles. This gives the reader a unique experience, not only of getting to know the personal life of William Palstra, but also an insight into the golden age of airships and the aftermath of the tragic events of that fateful day in 1930. Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) History and Heritage Branch '. . . There are three topics running through this volume: A biography of Squadron Leader William Palstra M. C., B. A. RAAF, based upon family records and diaries, all well-illustrated with family photos. an abbreviated history of airship R.101 which I believe the reader will find touching many cogent points and, again, well-illustrated with vintage photos and illustrations. A fascinating collection of stories and articles from Australian newspapers and periodicals of the era about both of the subjects above. These articles are an informative addition to the larger story in the form of then current anticipation of progress and expectations of future service. 'A simple biography of a military officer who died in a peacetime aviation accident would be a book of interest to a limited audience. Because of the author delves into the details of the R.101's development and its tragic end; and because of the unique Australian perspective, as seen in contemporary news reports, ""Airship of Dreams"" should find a larger, appreciative audience.' ""I found the story of a man who started out a Salvation Army officer and ended up a RAAF Squadron Leader, and his family, a fascinating read."" C.P. Hall, book reviewer for the US Naval Airship Association."

""". . . an emotional read. . . a heartfelt tribute to those lost in this national tragedy seen from the other side of the world including much new material not previously published."" Peter Davison, BA(hons) AMRAeS. Independent Consultant at the Airship Heritage Trust, UK. ""I found the story of a man who started out a Salvation Army officer and ended up a RAAF Squadron Leader, and his family, a fascinating read."" C.P. Hall, book reviewer for the US Naval Airship Association. 'Those of us interested in lighter-than-air flight both modern and historic tend to have, at least, a limited knowledge of the 1924 Labor Airship Program. Just as Hindenburg is better known than Graf Zeppelin, so is R.101 better known than R.100. Specific to R.101's final flight, the persons on board fall into three categories: The flight crew, Officials of the Royal Airship Works, Cardington, and Passengers. Of the six listed as passengers, four have rated some degree of biography in the available literature while two are, often as not, names on a list on the third page of Appendix 14. They are, Squadron Leader W. H. L. O'Neill (Deputy Director of Civil Aviation, India) and Squadron Leader William Palstra RAAF (Representing the Australian Government). '""Airship of Dreams"" aims to correct this regarding the author's grandfather, Squadron Leader William Palstra M. C., B. A. RAAF. There are three topics running through this volume: A biography of William Palstra based upon family records and diaries, all well-illustrated with family photos. an abbreviated history of R.101 which I believe the reader will find touching many cogent points and, again, well-illustrated with vintage photos and illustrations. A fascinating collection of stories and articles from Australian newspapers and periodicals of the era about both of the subjects above. These articles are an informative addition to the larger story in the form of then current anticipation of progress and expectations of future service. 'I believe that it was Dr. Robin Higham who observed that RAW personnel going to the colonies were admonished not to get hopes up regarding how soon airships would arrive and service commence. Here are suggestions in the press that R.101 could arrive as soon as next year! Contrarily, there is candor to be found as well. The standard line was R.101's accommodations 'rivaling the luxury of an ocean liner'. The special correspondent of the Sydney Morning Herald described his impressions made during the Press tour of R.101. He speaks well of the main Lounge and promenades, however, ""Corridors are narrow, the sleeping cabins are small, the rooms where the wash basins are installed are not large enough to be comfortable . . . It was impossible to understand how 50 passengers could ever live for a fortnight in these quarters . . ."" Of course the point of airship service was not to spend a fortnight in route from the UK to Australia. The only way that one could spend a fortnight on an airship is, if it were propelled as pictured in Higham's ""The British Rigid Airship"" Illustration no. 71. 'A simple biography of a military officer who died in a peacetime aviation accident would be a book of interest to a limited audience. Because of the author delves into the details of the R.101's development and its tragic end; and because of the unique Australian perspective, as seen in contemporary news reports, ""Airship of Dreams"" should find a larger, appreciative audience.' C.P. Hall"

""". . . an emotional read. . . a heartfelt tribute to those lost in this national tragedy seen from the other side of the world including much new material not previously published."" Peter Davison, BA(hons) AMRAeS. Independent Consultant at the Airship Heritage Trust, UK. ""I found the story of a man who started out a Salvation Army officer and ended up a RAAF Squadron Leader, and his family, a fascinating read."" C.P. Hall, book reviewer for the US Naval Airship Association."

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