Resources:
Bibliography
My interest in Indian Civil Aviation, Tata Airlines, Air-India, Indian Airmails and Indian Rocket Mail and Indian Zeppelin Mail required that I learn more about the subject, and catch up on the years I missed out as I developed this interest only over the last 5 years. I have listed below some books that have been a delight to read, and invaluable to my study.
They are all relevant to the topic on hand, and also have a direct connection with India. Some are devoted entirely to one of these subjects in an Indian context, while others may have only have a few relevant chapters or listings. There are many more great books on Aviation and Airmails, but not directly relevant to India. I have avoided listing those.
The titles have been organised under specific lists, and then arranged chronologically according to year of publication.
- Books on Indian Civil Aviation
- Books on JRD Tata and Civil Aviation
- Books on Air-India
- Magic Carpet - The Staff Magazine of Air-India & other Air-India publications
- Books on Indian Airlines
- Books & Journals on Indian Aerophilately
- Books on Indian Rocket Mail
- Books on Zeppelin and Catapult mail (India listings included)
I have consulted these publications and a variety of other on-line resources to gather information used on my web-site.
- Here is a link to the database of the Indian Civil Aviation registry. (Source: www.warbirdsofindia.com)
- Here is a link to the database of all Civil Aviation Accidents in India (Source: www.aviation-safety.net)
Books on Indian Civil Aviation:
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. 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. 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. 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.
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. 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.
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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. 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. 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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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. 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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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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Books on J. R. D. Tata and Civil Aviation:
Aircraft and Engine Perfect by Murad Fyzee. Published in 1991. The story of JRD Tata who opened up the skies for his country. The Quiet Conqueror J.R.D. Tata Amar Chitra Katha by Anant Pai. Published by Penguin Book India, New Delhi 1992. This script is based on the book, Beyond the Last Blue Moutain - A Life of J.R.D. Tata by R.M. Lala.
Click here to know more. |
Great Britain Post Office Notices
Spring, 1931
Click here to know more |
Nov, 1934
Click here to know more |
Feb, 1938*
Click here to know more |
Books on Air-India:
The Story of an Airline, 1932 - 1953. Published in 1953, by Air-India International, this book gives an insiders view of the evolution of the group. Starting with Tata Air Lines, growing into Air-India and finally Air-India International. Rare photographs, and history recorded as it was happening. A must read for all Air-India collectors.
I am very grateful to the Tata Central Archives, Pune for providing me a B&W xerox copy of this publication. This book was never sold, and meant for distribution only. Not too many copies are known to survive. Air and Space age. Publised in 1956 by Maneckji. A Labour of Love. Text speech given by Mr. S.K. Kooka, Commercial Director of Air-India at the annual convention of the American Association of Advertising Agencies at Pebble Beach, California on November 3, 1965. Click here to know more |
Disaster in the Air: The Crash of the Kashmir Princess, 1955. Colonel A. K. Mitra's first hand account, Published in 2001, about the conspiracy to assassinate the Chinese premier, Chou-en Lai who was to fly the chartered Air-India Lockheed Constellation L-749, the Kashmir Princess from Peking to Jakarta. The author was the Military, Naval and Air Force Attache to the Embassy of India in Indonesia, and a member of the International Commission of Investigation into the Air Crash. While never proven, this was widely suspected to be a CIA plot.
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The Air India Art Collection published in 2008 by Air India is a compilation of important items in the huge collection the airline has built up over the years. This book have been curated by experts, Kalpana Desai, Gautam Hemmady, Ratnottama Sengupta and Jeet Thayil. JRD as Air-Indians Remember by M. S. Kohli. Published in 2010. A compilation of memoirs from various persons associated with the airline and rare photos and letters. |
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Magic Carpet - the Staff Magazine of Air-India & other Air-India Publications.
Vol 5. No. 11. Dec 1961
Click here to download: Magic Carpet - the Staff Magazine of Air-India |
Air-India Reports
Air-India Report Magazine No.8 London, June 1969
Click here to download: Air-India Report - London, Magazine dated June 1969. |
Air-India Report Magazine No.7 London, January 1969
Click here to download: Air-India Report - London, Magazine dated January 1969 |
Air-India Annual Reports
Air-India Telephone Directory
AI Telephone
Directory 1964 |
AI Telephone Directory
1975 |
AI Telephone Directory
1977 |
AI Telephone Directory
1978 |
AI Telephone Directory
1980 |
AI Telephone
Directory 1982 |
AI Telephone Directory
2003 |
AI Telephone Directory
2005 |
Flying High, Inflight Service Dept. Newsletter, Vol. 1.1, October 1996. You can download the pdf by clicking the link here Flying High, Inflight Service Dept. |
Air-India publications for internal use.
This is the cover of a stamp album manufactured in Italy in the 1960s. It has an Air India Boeing 707 on the cover, and perhaps was sponsored by the airline. Nothing inside is related to the airline. Air-India Employees' Service Regulations dated September, 1967. Air-India Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet Basic Information.
Air-India Cabin Crew, Air Corporations Employees' Union Agreement Flight Duty TIme Limitations dated 11th February, 1970. July 1975 "Twenty Points Economic Programme".
Air-India Employees' Service Regulations dated April, 1976. The Air-India Empolyee's Service Regulation were published in the Gazette of India dated October 19, 1963. Subsiquently the provisions of the Service Regulations were amended from time and these amendments were published in the Gazette of India.
Air-India Emoluments at Minimum and Maximum of each pay scale. In respect of Non-Technical, Technical, categories represented by IATA and Offcers cadre as on 1 April, 1980. Air-India Staff College, Training Programmes 1981-82
Air-India Employees' Medical Benefits Scheme Dated 12th February, 1982. Issued by The Chief Medical Officer, Santa Cruz (East), Bombay. Air-India Employees Service Regulations Dated March 1982. The Air-India Empolyee's Service Regulation were published in the Gazette of India dated October 19, 1963. Subsiquently the provisions of the Service Regulations were amended from time and these amendments were published in the Gazette of India. Agreement V between Air-India and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Chauffeurs, Warehousemen and Helpers of America. Reperesnting Clerical and related employees., Effective: September 20, 1983. Air Safety Focus Air-Indi. Vol.VI, No.2 dated April 1985. Issued by Dy. Director, Air Safety, Air-India, Santa Cruz. Air-India Airbus A310 Flight Safety Manual dated 1st November, 1989.
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Air-India Duty-Flight time limitations and Allied matters for Cabin Crew. |
Air-India Staff List
These are list of Officers and Staff in the grade of Rs. 640-1170, Rs. 910-1450 and above in the employ of the Corporation.
Issued by Personnel Department
These are list of Officers and Staff in the grade of Rs. 640-1170, Rs. 910-1450 and above in the employ of the Corporation.
Issued by Personnel Department
Books on Indian Airlines:
The Viscount and You (N.D.). Ok, so it is not really a book; more a promotional booklet from Indian Airlines Corporation when they introduced the Vickers Viscount into their fleet. With amazing graphics, the pride and excitement is evident in the Viscount story. I will certainly upload a pdf of this book very shortly.
You can download the pdf by clicking the link here Indian Airlines Corporation - Viscount. This is Indian AIrlines. Desinged & Produced by Mass Communication & Marketing Private Limited. |
Books & Journals on Indian Aerophilately:
Indian Air=Ways, Part I by Stephen H. Smith, published in 1926. Perhaps the first book on the subject and since it was written as history was being made, it no doubt captured information that was the source of rich information for future publications. Part of a 3 volume set which he wrote on the subject.
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Indian Air=Ways, Part III by Stephen H. Smith, published in 1930. This pretty much captured anything he missed out in the earlier two volumes, and also misted flights that took place after the last book came out. Part of a 3 volume set which he wrote on the subject. Detective Story: How the mail got from Burma to Athens in October 1932. Donald Malcolm, by 1932.
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All-Up Air Mail by John C. W. Field, published in 1978. A booklet form reproduction from the Aero Field, about this path breaking scheme which changed the way people from different countries communicated. At once the world shrank, and it also served as a model for the All Up scheme introduced in India for domestic Air Mails in 1949.
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Movement of Aircraft on Imperial Airways' African Route 1931 - 1939 researched and compiled by Peter Wingent. Published in 1991. Contains listings of all available information on every flight on the Imperial Airways African Route taken from The Times newspapers archives. Very useful for studying Indian airmails to and from Africa.
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La Service Postal Aerien dans les Pays D'Expression Francais by Pierre Saulgrain. Published in 1996, this catalogue in French records flights 1906 -1986 between French territories. This is the only modern listing I have come across for flights to French Territories in India and complements lists published by Muller almost 50 years before this.
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Imperial Airways' Empire Flying Boat Services 1936 - 1939 researched and compiled by Peter Wingent. Published in 1997. Largely compiled from the Southern Daily Echo, Southampton. All reported information on the service including the Australia route which naturally passed through India, and peppered with maps and philatelic material.
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Movement of Aircraft on Imperial Airways' Eastern Route, Volume 1, 1927 - 1937 researched and compiled by Peter Wingent. Published in 1999. Contains listings of all available information on every flight on the Imperial Airways Eastern Route taken from The Times newspapers archives. A must for studying Indian airmails of that era.
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The Royal Air Force Cairo - Baghdad Air Mail Service 1921 - 1929 by William C. Andrews. Published in 2000. The Cairo - Baghdad Air Service was taken over by Imperial Airways in 1927. This book gives the history before this change. The pioneering effort of the RAF and plenty of information on mail carried. of interest to Indian Aerophilatelists because this was the vital air link needed to connect India by air to the west.
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Movement of Aircraft on Imperial Airways' Eastern Route, Volume 2, 1937 - 1939 researched and compiled by Peter Wingent. Published in 2005. Contains listings of all available information on every flight on the Imperial Airways Eastern Route taken from The Times newspapers archives. A must for studying Indian airmails of that era.
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Bridging the Continents in Wartime by Hans E. Aitink and Egbert Hovernkamp. Published in 2005, and reprinted in 2013, this book has the most detailed information on flights covering all important airmail routes during 1939 - 1945. A must for anyone interested in studying routes and rates, of simply making sense of wartime mail to and from India during this period.
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Intercontinental Airmails, Volume Two, Asia and Australasia by Edward B. Proud. Published in 2009, this is Vol II which is the one relevant to Intercontinental Indian Airmail, of a three volume set he wrote with amazing detail about airmails; flights, schedules, postal rates, ship connections etc. From the start of airmails, and all the way through the war. Lots of information on wartime routes and rates as well.
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The Ross Smith Stamp & its Postal History by Tom Frommer. Published in 2011, this book has everything you want to about the stamp and mail on that flight. The author has tracked down and listed and illustrated to the extent possible every known mail article carried, including the very rarely seen mail to and from India.
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Books on Indian Rocket Mail:
A Specialised Price Catalogue of Indian Rocket Mails Stamps and Vignettes, compiled by Jal Cooper. Published in 1960. This is the book that re-kindled interest in collecting Indian Rocket mail, and pretty much lists all of Stephen Smiths rocket mail experiments in India and in Sikkim. Detailed listings with quantities and prices.
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Books on Zeppelin and Catapult mail (India listings included):
R. 101. A reprint of an article by Lieutenant-Colonel V. C. Richmond from the Royal Aeronautical Society Journal on the yet to be launched, and eventually ill-fated Airship. The R. 101 was on her maiden voyage from England to India, and unfortunately crashed and caught fire over a field in France, killing all on board. This book explains technical details of the airship while it was still under construction. This book published August 1929. |