I learnt a lot from this profusely illustrated book, and wondered where else would one have seen such a unique collection of civil aircraft photographs, if Holland-Avery had not taken them. Depicting his life in the industry, he entwines his autobiography with the development of British Airways aircraft over a 40-year span. The author’s voice has an easy and personal style. He writes clearly, with authority and passion. Alan Holland-Avery’s amazing survey of aircraft has much historical value.
The book is in 12 sections, each containing a diversity of dynamic and extraordinary photographs made in black-and-white, reflecting BA’s economies over the years, though to my mind working well in monochrome without the attendant distraction of colour.
But this is so much more than a record book on aircraft. The text of It’s Plane Magic is also a general interest autobiography and there are other quite surprising things along the way! From its opening pages, the progress of this “story” grabs one from the start. The book’s narrative is very involving (as all good autobiographies are).
A professional photographer, Fellow of The Royal Photographic Society, and with 30 years behind him as an aircraft engineer, Mr Holland-Avery’s engineering experience informs the photography. The photographs are exceedingly well captioned, and a whole-hearted dedication to the work shines through.
I read this book in one sitting, finding it professional to the core and the text “unputdownable”. I have returned to its contents many times since. It is a fantastic book. A unique collection which will reward anyone remotely interested in aircraft. The beauty of some of the planes as photographed by Alan Holland-Avery takes your breath away, as does the arduous pre-planning and thought behind many of the air-to-air photo-shoots (described in Chapter Eight).
In this photographer’s own words, he “had a job to do”. And how exceptionally well he did it. This is an immensely rewarding book, a real treat which I thoroughly recommend. Thank you Alan Holland-Avery!
With more than 30 years of experience as a freelance photographer, retired British Airways aircraft engineer Alan Holland-Avery has given us a wonderful gift in book form. It’s Plane Magic provides a photographic autobiography of a man who, as he states, “grew from poverty to financial stability with a little help from a camera.”
Called upon by British Airways (BA) management in 1984 to assist in motivating the carrier’s staff, Holland-Avery joined with a colleague to produce British Airways Engineering Magazine, which enjoyed a successful run of 10 years.
However, the author had already amassed a large collection of aviation photos by then, as evidenced by the contents of this book. Chapter One shows dramatic photos of BOAC 747-100 “Whiskey Echo” (G-ARWE) burning on the London-Heathrow tarmac after an emergency landing precipitated by an engine fire. Holland-Avery happened to be at the right place at the right time, and one of his pictures appeared on the front page of the London Daily Express, with the story and more pictures inside the paper. Another chapter deals with the loss of the British European Airways Trident G-ARPI in 1972.
However, most of It’s Plane Magic deals with more pleasant milestones, including a lengthy chapter showing some of the author’s early days, including a shot of a BEA DC-3 taxiing past a company Viscount. Vintage Breguet Provences and Sud Caravelles share space with BAC 1-11s and Comets. A favourite of mine is a trio of BOAC VC10 photos taken at the 1962 Farnborough Air Show.
A look at more modern times shows the early Boeing 747 operations at London’s Heathrow Airport, along with some excellent aerial photography of various British Airways types, some of them flying in formation. One embarrassing chapter details the recovery of a British Airtours L-1011 that ran off the runway at Leeds-Bradford Airport in May 1985.
For the military enthusiast, there are a few photos that will amaze even those with a casual interest in non-airliner types. A sequence of shots chronicles the engine failure of a Russian MiG-29 during a flying demonstration at the 1989 Paris Air Show. The pilot safely ejected only moments before the aircraft plunged to the ground and exploded.
This book is full of magic shots, including a portrait of six BA Concordes, taken on Boxing Day 1988. Holland-Avery’s takeoff and air-to-air pictures of Concorde are equally impressive. I can’t imagine a nicer autobiography for a photographer or his fans.
Printed by Ian Allan Printing Ltd. 11 × 8 inches, 148 pages, 250 black & white photos. Soft-bound. Available directly from the author at 8 Rosefield Road, Staines, Middlesex, TW18 4NB, UK. Price: £21.00 including postage. Add extra postage overseas.