Books of Indian Civil Aviation
- Here is a link to the database of all Civil Aviation Accidents in India (Source: www.aviation-safety.net)
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From London to Australia by Aeroplane by Sir Ross Smith K.B.E. Published in the National Geographic, March 1921 issue this is a personal narrative of the first Aerial Voyage half around the world. A major leg of his flight was through India and makes for informative reading. |
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Report by the Civil Aviation Advisory Board of Britain, published in 1922. This lays out the plan to develop an air service from England to India, starting with the Cairo – Basra service, and then eventually the London – Karachi service. |
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Seeing the world from Air. National Geographic, March 1928, carried a lengthy article with 38 illustrations by Sir Alan J. Cobham about his historic flight to Australia. Describes in detail his journey and experiences while flying to and across India. |
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India by Air by Sir Samuel Hoare. Published in 1927, this flight laid the foundation for the Imperial Airways service from Croydon to Karachi that was introduced in March 1929. The Aerial Conquest of Everest by The National Geographic Magazine, August 1933.
Special Map supplement of the world by The National Geographic Magazine, December 1935 Travellers Guide in India by S. Reuben, published in 1939. I have downloaded some pages with useful information on ocean steamers, railway services, airline schedules, postal rates etc.
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Air Transport Command. India – China Division. Published during the later part of WWII (C. 1942-1944), this book was for restricted circulation to USAF personnel only. It describes the challenges of flying ‘over the hump’, and also practical tips for American Pilots while in India. Government of India. Memorandum on Post-War Development of Civil Air Transport in India, dated February 1944. |
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Government of India. Memorandum on Department of Posts and Air, dated April 11, 1944. The Story of "The Hump" - the world's most dangerous overland air route. Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation. August 19, 1944.
Indian Bradshaw, by W. Newman & Co. Ltd. Published in July 1945. A guide for railway travellers in India, Ceylon and iraq. Air Transport in India. Lucknow 1946, by Dr. D. Pant. Victory week Air Display - Souvenir Program Saturday 9th March 1946, Willingdon Airport, New Delhi. Victory week was celebrated in the Nation's capital with a fine display of military aircraft. Willingdon Airport was later renamed as Safdarjung Airport, New Delhi. Indian Travellers Take to the Air, Air Transport, May 1947. By J.K. VanDenburg Jr. A fact filled article about the state of Indian Civil Aviation in pre-Independence India. The War had finally come to an end, and aircraft requisitioned for military purposes had returned to civil duties, and a large number of military surplus C-47's were bought at throw away prices for civilian use as Dakota DC-3's Indian Skyways. The Aviation journal of India. Dated April 1948, Editor, Zabak Kureishi. Air Transport in India by S.K. Irtiza Naqvi and Published by Kitab Mahal Allahabad & Bombay in 1948. |
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Indian Skyways. The Aviation journal of India. Dated April 1951. Beecham's India Air Guide, Vol.II, No.4, April 1948 Air Britain Register, Pakistan and Ceylon August 1953. |
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Air Britain Register, India September, 1953. Civil Aviation in India by Capt. Mustafa Anwar. Published in 1954, this book has sixteen chapters covering into all aspects of the subject. a good account of post-war aviation in India. Air Britain Register, Pakistan October, 1956. World Aviation Register. Indian Civil Aviation Aircraft Register, December 1957. |
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The Story of Indian Air Transport by J. R. D. Tata. The Sixteenth British Commonwealth Lecture at the Royal Aeronautical Society, London on 18 November 1960. JRD tells it like it is in his own distinctive style, and oh, what a story!. Click here to see pdf version of this lecture. 1961 World survey of Civil Aviation - Southwest Asia. The series discusses aircraft fleet composition and commercial and general flight operations. Click here to know more |
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Annals of British and Commonwealth Air Transport by John Stroud. Published in 1962, this has 30 pages of detailed information on the history of Civil Aviation in India. Indian Aircraft Manual. A compilation of the legislation and rule governing Civil Aviation in India. Revised edition corrected up to 30th June, 1971. Printed by the Manager Government of India Press Simla for the Manager of Publications Civil Line, Delhi 1971. |
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RED TAPE HERE TO SAY WHY FIGHT IS? by S.K. Kooka. Text of speech delivered at IATA Ficilitation Seminar at Singapore January 20-21, 1976. |
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Qantas Empire Airways (Western Operations Division), Indian Ocean Service 1943-1946 by Barry Pattison and Geoff Goodall. Published in 1979 by the Aviation Historical Society of Australia, the book deals with the unique long range Qantas Indian Ocean Operations between 1943 and 1946 and the nineteen Catalina delivery flights from America to Sydney in 1941. Very useful to collectors of Wartime mails from India, for routes, schedules and other invaluable information. |
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Round the World Flights by Carroll V. Glines. First published in 1982, this is the third edition dated 2003, and covers some noteworthy flights that passed through India. Of particular importance is the 1924 American Flyers flight considered the first round the world flight. |
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Towards Excellence in inflight cuisine and service. First Network Catering and Cabin Service Conference February 19-21, 1992. |
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Indian Bradshaw, by W. Newman & Co. Ltd. Published in December 1993. A guide for railway and airway travellers. |
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Airlines of Asia since 1920 by R. E. G. Davies. Published in 1997. Very detailed and informative sections on Indian Civil Aviation. |
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Aviation in The Hyderabad Dominions by P. Anuradha Reddy, published by the author in 2001. A wonderful compilation of much needed information about the early days of aviation in Hyderabad, especially among the first flights in the country, and the great work being done by the Nizam State Railway (N.S.R.) which operated early air services, and later by Air Deccan. Books like these help fill gaps on information which is not published elsewhere. |
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History of Aviation in India by Pushpindar Singh. Published in 2003, this is the most comprehensive record of India's aviation history, with rare and delightful photographs. |
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British Airways, An Airline and its Aircraft, Volume 1: 1919-1939. The Imperial Years by R. E. G. Davies published in 2005. Wonderful book with photographs, drawings, maps and a whole lot of information of Imperial Airways' aircraft, many of which were used to carry passengers and mail to India. |
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The Imperial Airways Fleet by John Stroud. Published in 2005, around the time Davies published his book on the subject. Contains a lot of photographs and fleet information on aircraft that among many other things were used to carry passengers and mail to India. |
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The History of the Jodhpur Flying Club and The Royal Air Force in Princely India by Peter Vacher. Published in 2008. Jodhpur played a major role in development of air routes in India and was an essential stop on the eastward growth of the London - Karachi route. Maharaja Umaid Singh played a pivotal role in this endeavor. |
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Airwork. A History, by Keith McCloskey. Published in 2012. Has a wonderful chapter with a lot of detail on Indian National Airways (INA) which started in 1933, just a year after Tata Airlines, and played a major role in the development of Civil Aviation in India, both before and after WW II. |
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Imperial Airways Aircraft 1924 - 1940. Published by Geoffery Smith in 2012. Hundreds of large format photographs of aircraft used by Imperial Airways. |
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Victor Tango by Vijay Seth. Published in 2012, this is for anyone with an interest in modern aviation photography. |
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London Philatelist – September 2015, has a very informative article by Pradip Jain on pioneer Air Mails, and development of this air route.
Post-War Airlines of India by Maurice Wickstead. Published in the Propliner Annual 2018 and 2019, this is a two-part feature tracing the history of several airlines that operated in Post-War India until nationalization in 1953, and then the early years of Indian Airlines. Such a comprehensive and informative summary was long overdue, and it is only someone like Wickstead, one of the leading authorities on civil aviation history, who could do justice to this fascinating subject. Click below link to know more ""The following (above) article is reproduced by kind permission of Tony Merton Jones, editor of Propliner Annual, a publication devoted entirely to propeller-driven airliners. Copies, priced £12 GBP plus postage, may be obtained through www.propliner.co.uk" List of First Flight of Tata Sons, Air-India, Indian Airlines and Other Airways, compiled and prepared by Ashok K. Kora, Mumbai. |