This is the story of a maharaja's passion for aviation which led to the establishment of a flying club in the state of Jodhpur in the 1930s. Maharaja Umaid Singh was a keen aviator who gained his Pilot's Licence during graduation from RAF Cranwell. In 1931 he oversaw the establishment of the Jodhpur Flying Club. This popular club soon became an important stopover for keen adventurers of the 1930s including Jean Batten, Bert Hinkler and Lores Bonney and also contributed towards the establishment of early commercial air routes to South East Asia. By the Second World War, the club was set up as a RAF training base and played host to the RAF with the establishment of No. 2 Elementary Flying Training School to support the Allied war effort. Following on from Indian Independence in 1947 and the untimely death of the maharaja, the club closed by the early 1950s. Throughout there are photographs that document what life was like in Jodhpur and at the club. They also give insight into the maharaja's love of aviation and the collection of aircraft he amassed during the club's years in service including one of the first Lockheed 12A Electra to be owned in India. This highly illustrated book, authored by Peter Vacher, is a tribute to the Jodhpur Flying Club, the people who made it a success, and the birth of aviation in India during the early 20th century. It is also a candid look at the royal family and the influence of aviation in their lives. AUTHOR: Peter Vacher was born in London during the Blitz. Educated at Marlborough College, he began from an early age restoring vintage cars as a hobby, building up a small collection. He also travelled extensively in India, meeting the Maharajas whose families had imported Rolls-Royce and Bentley motor cars in the 1910s and 1920s. When his job changed and he moved to Australia, Peter and his wife, Polly, learnt to pilot light aircraft. They subsequently flew around the Australian continent before returning to the UK and acquiring a four-seater Piper Dakota. Polly flew the Dakota solo around the world in 2001 and again in 2003. Meanwhile Peter's interest moved from motor cars to restoring vintage aircraft. He is also the author of The History of the Jodhpur Flying Club, which includes rich detail on the RAF's training activities in India during the Second World War. Peter and Polly have three sons and the whole family is aero-minded!
