{"product_id":"the-road-to-biggin-hill-a-life-of-wing-commander-johnny-checketts","title":"THE ROAD TO BIGGIN HILL — A LIFE OF Wing Commander JOHNNY CHECKETTS","description":"\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left; background-color: #f7f8f9; padding: 20px; border-left: 4px solid #647382;\"\u003eBiography of Johnny Checketts, a WWII New Zealand fighter pilot who became Wing Commander. Shot down in 1943, he evaded capture with French Resistance help. After the war, he founded an aerial topdressing company in New Zealand.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"margin-bottom: 13px;\"\u003eCharacteristics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ctable class=\"table table-striped\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 187px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eISBN-10\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 331px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e0906393736\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 187px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBook cover finish(es)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 331px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHardcover ( round back binding )\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 187px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSpecial Features\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 331px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e• Dust jacket\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 187px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCondition\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 331px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLike NEW\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 187px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAuthor(s)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 331px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eVincent Orange\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 187px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublisher\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 331px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAirlife Publishing Ltd.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 187px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNumber of pages\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 331px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e192\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 187px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublished date\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 331px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1986\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 187px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLanguage(s)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 331px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEnglish\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 187px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSize\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 331px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e14.5 x 22 x 1.5 cm \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 187px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCategorie(s)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 331px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e• BIOGRAPHIES\u003cbr\u003e• AVIATION MILITAIRE\u003cbr\u003e• SECONDE GUERRE MONDIALE\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"margin-bottom: 13px;\"\u003eDescription\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJOHNNY CHECKETTS, one of the great fighter pilots of \u003cem\u003eWorld War II\u003c\/em\u003e, was born and brought up in \u003cem\u003eInvercargill\u003c\/em\u003e. In his youth he was considered by the local inhabitants to be a dare-devil motorcycle rider. It was natural, therefore, that in 1939 he should join the \u003cem\u003eRNZAF\u003c\/em\u003e, then in the throes of its rapid expansion to its wartime strength of 33,000 men.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlthough his New Zealand instructors did not rate him very highly, and in spite of being well over the average age for a fighter pilot, he turned out to be a great airman, tactician, and leader in battle. He achieved one of the highest scores of enemy aircraft destroyed during the air war over the \u003cem\u003eEnglish Channel\u003c\/em\u003e. He was shot down in September 1943 and avoided capture by the Germans with the help of the \u003cem\u003eFrench Resistance\u003c\/em\u003e. He subsequently rose to the rank of \u003cem\u003eWing Commander\u003c\/em\u003e and was personally decorated by the King, \u003cem\u003eGeorge VI\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter the end of the war, Johnny returned to \u003cem\u003eNew Zealand\u003c\/em\u003e to continue his service with the \u003cem\u003eRNZAF\u003c\/em\u003e, and when he finally left the service in 1955 he founded an aerial topdressing company in the \u003cem\u003eSouth Island\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eVINCENT ORANGE\u003c\/em\u003e tells this story in his relaxed and elegant style, carrying the reader along with Johnny's exploits through a unique period of human history never likely to be repeated in the future.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Vincent Orange","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53741790167386,"sku":null,"price":20.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0270\/3015\/9446\/files\/image1_d279195d-c576-4760-a07f-6c70d85ca318.jpeg?v=1772724710","url":"https:\/\/aviation.brussels\/products\/the-road-to-biggin-hill-a-life-of-wing-commander-johnny-checketts","provider":"aviation.brussels","version":"1.0","type":"link"}