So many great figures occupied those sheds before war broke up the party... Harry Hawker, A. V. Roe, Hilda Hewlett, Jack Alcock, Tom Sopwith, Fred Raynham... the list goes on...
19.02.2026 09:59 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0So many great figures occupied those sheds before war broke up the party... Harry Hawker, A. V. Roe, Hilda Hewlett, Jack Alcock, Tom Sopwith, Fred Raynham... the list goes on...
19.02.2026 09:59 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0Glad you managed to see it! And maybe seeds have been sown for the future....
19.02.2026 09:53 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Brooklands flying village (shown here c.1912) was a crucible of aviation innovation. Its alumni changed the world.
I'm giving a talk there on 18 Mar about The Big Hop - the first nonstop flight across the Atlantic.
You'll enjoy it. See you there!
www.brooklandsmuseum.com/membership/m...
Brooklands flying village (shown here c.1912) was a crucible of aviation innovation. Its alumni changed the world.
I'm giving a talk there on 18 Mar about The Big Hop - the first nonstop flight across the Atlantic.
You'll enjoy it. See you there!
www.brooklandsmuseum.com/membership/m...
While most would remember the flights of Lindbergh and Earhart, Alcock and Brown's flight across the Atlantic was very much on the minds of the later adventurers. @rooneyvision.bsky.social, author of The Big Hop, explains the significance of their 1919 flight.
Watch here: youtu.be/5OPUSy8ndHY
FARMAN,
Flying school.
Fixed price, all damage risks covered by the company.
Aeroplane rides from 50 francs.
Aircraft sales.
Poster from the late 1910s, early 1920s
✈️ New Episode✈️ In 1919, the Atlantic was finally flown. Author of 'The Big Hop', @rooneyvision.bsky.social, joins me at the @sciencemuseum.org.uk to discuss Alcock and Brown's epic flight with the Vickers Vimy they made their flight in.
📺 youtu.be/5OPUSy8ndHY
🎧 pod.fo/e/3889b2
#aviation #avgeek
Our fab Patreon supporters have access to our second interview filmed in the Flight Gallery at the Science Museum, where @rooneyvision.bsky.social tells the tale of Alcock and Brown, The Big Hop and their Vickers Vimy.
Join us here: www.patreon.com/posts/big-ho...
#aviation #avgeek #histbookchat
My pleasure, Matt. It was great to properly meet you both.
16.01.2026 15:48 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0Great pics! And great fun...
16.01.2026 10:46 — 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
Close up of the winged figure kissing one of the zephyrs atop the Schneider Trophy, which is on display in the Science Museum, London.
Amy Johnson's de Havilland DH.60 Gipsy Moth G-AAAH 'Jason', which she flew from Croydon (big props to Saff London) to Darwin, Australia over the course of 19 days in May 1930.
The lower fuselage centreline of the Supermarine S.6b S1595, which won the Schneider Trophy outright in 1931. Above S1595 is Hurricane Mk.I L1592, which is the oldest surviving Hurricane in the world. L1592 saw service in both the Battles of France and Britain.
Alcock and Brown's Vickers Vimy, in which they made the first non-stop trans-Atlantic flight on 14/15 June 1919. The linen in the port side of the aircraft has been removed to allow visitors to see the modiciations and extra fuel tanks that had been added to the aircraft.
We had a wonderful morning yesterday at the @sciencemuseum.org.uk filming with Doug Millard and @rooneyvision.bsky.social for our next episodes.
Huge thanks to the team at the Science Museum for letting us play in the Flight Gallery, home to one of the best aircraft collections in the country.
Looks like the meridian laser needs a bit of a tune-up...
30.12.2025 08:33 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
Happy Christmas everyone, from me and also from this little guy
(Hanswurst als frölicher Zecher (Hanswurst as a merry drinker), Austria, about 1820, in the wonderful Vienna Clock Museum)
Cheers!
Christmas Day lies dead ahead! Here are ten of our favourite history books published over the past year, with entries from @ianleslie.bsky.social, @drjoannepaul.bsky.social, @rooneyvision.bsky.social, @shafikmeghji.bsky.social, @highamnews.bsky.social and more👇
Happy Christmas, all! 🎄
Still looking for gifts? No need to brave the shops. Stay in, buy a few of these ("a joy to read" said The Times), now crack on with the cheese
www.amazon.co.uk/Big-Hop-Non-...
Still looking for gifts? No need to brave the shops. Stay in, buy a few of these ("a joy to read" said The Times), now crack on with the cheese
www.amazon.co.uk/Big-Hop-Non-...
It's today you gorgeous people
08.12.2025 08:23 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
🎅 Solve ALL your Xmas gifting THIS MONDAY 🎄
1. Come to my Big Hop talk at Goldsmiths Hall
2. Buy a book for everyone u know (it's a Times book of the week, they will love it)
3. I sign w/ personalised messages
4. Rest of Dec clear for parties etc 🥳
www.thegoldsmiths.co.uk/whats-on/his...
I really enjoyed discussing The Big Hop with Alex and Matt... please take a look... and remember, Christmas is coming, it's the perfect gift for anyone with a taste for adventure...
www.davidrooney.uk/the-big-hop
I'm talking about The Big Hop - "a true-life thriller" according to The Observer - at the Goldsmiths' Company on Monday, December 8th. It'll be fun! I'll be signing copies afterwards. I'm told only a handful of tickets remain so you might need to hurry. www.thegoldsmiths.co.uk/whats-on/his...
13.11.2025 16:49 — 👍 0 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
I'm talking about The Big Hop - "a true-life thriller" according to The Observer - at the Goldsmiths' Company on Monday, December 8th. It'll be fun! I'll be signing copies afterwards. I'm told only a handful of tickets remain so you might need to hurry. www.thegoldsmiths.co.uk/whats-on/his...
13.11.2025 16:49 — 👍 0 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0Just finished the fantastic The Big Hop by @rooneyvision.bsky.social about the first flight over the Atlantic. It’s one of those bits of history that I had no idea about. A gripping read. I grew up near to Brooklands and had no idea about the aviation history of the place too.
23.09.2025 17:26 — 👍 3 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0
THE BIG HOP is a Kindle Daily Deal today (at least in the UK). A mere £1.99! Well worth a punt I'd say, but you'll need to act fast...
amazon.co.uk/Big-Hop-Non-...
If you've already read it, would you care to leave an Amazon rating or review? It helps enormously!
I've just sent out the final post in this week's aviation series. After flying the Atlantic in 1919, what next for Jack Alcock?
There's often a price to pay for being first. We owe the pioneers a great debt.
I wish you safe travels...
rooneyvision.substack.com/p/after-the-...
We're 3/4 through this week's series looking at what happened next for the Big Hop competitors.
Today it's Ted Brown, the Vickers navigator.
If you haven't yet read The Big Hop, you know what to do! One of the most remarkable stories of the modern age.
rooneyvision.substack.com/p/after-the-...
We're 3/4 through this week's series looking at what happened next for the Big Hop competitors.
Today it's Ted Brown, the Vickers navigator.
If you haven't yet read The Big Hop, you know what to do! One of the most remarkable stories of the modern age.
rooneyvision.substack.com/p/after-the-...
The second of this week's 4-part series of aviation posts has just gone out!
Finished The Big Hop and want to know what happened after the contest was over?
Today's post: Harry Hawker and Mac Grieve of Sopwith. Please like & subscribe, and so on.
rooneyvision.substack.com/p/after-the-...
The second of this week's 4-part series of aviation posts has just gone out!
Finished The Big Hop and want to know what happened after the contest was over?
Today's post: Harry Hawker and Mac Grieve of Sopwith. Please like & subscribe, and so on.
rooneyvision.substack.com/p/after-the-...
It's a bumper week of aviation content on the newsletter this week!
If you completed The Big Hop and wanted to know what happened to the competitors after the contest was over, read on.
Today's post: the Martinsyde men.
Please like & subscribe, etc etc
rooneyvision.substack.com/p/after-the-...
It's a bumper week of aviation content on the newsletter this week!
If you completed The Big Hop and wanted to know what happened to the competitors after the contest was over, read on.
Today's post: the Martinsyde men.
Please like & subscribe, etc etc
rooneyvision.substack.com/p/after-the-...
