Classic Gatwick Propliners, Paperback

Aviation photographer and author Tom Singfield, an ex-Gatwick Air Traffic Controller, has long dreamed of collating a book showcasing the glory days of Gatwick's classic airliners. Many aircraft enthusiasts preferred Gatwick to Heathrow because of its eclectic mix of new jetliners and old propeller airliners, and Gatwick's accessibility for enthusiasts, photographers and the general public in the 1960s/70s was superb. For a small charge, visitors could walk along two open 'fingers' that extended from the Terminal building to view airport activity up close without any restrictions, allowing aircraft photographers to capture nearly every arrival, and with a quick visit to the south side maintenance area in the days before high security, they could walk the ramp there for even more aircraft pictures. This full-colour book is the result of nearly 30 years of searching for the very best images out there.

Tom Singfield started work as an Air Traffic Control Assistant at Heathrow Airport in 1969 straight from Grammar school. He stayed there until 1978 when he trained to become an Air Traffic Control Officer. A devotee of aircraft 'spotting' at Gatwick, he went on to work there as an ATCO until 1992 when the Approach Radar service moved to the London ATC Centre at West Drayton. He retired after 37 years in 2005. A busy aviation writer and photographer with a collection of slides in excess of 50,000, he lives in West Sussex.