| Title | Publisher & Date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|
| The Fly Boys (Hardback) | Hart Davis, MacGibbon (01-Oct-1974) | 978-02461 08067 |
| The Fly Boys (Paperback) | Mayflower (15-May-1975) | 978-05831 22900 |
| The Fly Boys (Readers Digest Omnibus) | Odhams (01-Jan-1975) | 0 600 779378 |
| The Fly Boys (Kindle & Paperback) | White Marvel Books (21-Feb-2024) | 979-8878 307574 |
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MARKS OUT OF 10 FOR THE COVER
Hardback: Presumably this is the "nipple pink" they speak of and featuring a bag full of booze, bras and..erm..ties?! The other mystery being why the publisher decided against featuring semi-clad Air Hostesses. 5/10
Paperback: The cheeky looking air stew is only partially visible and she's blowing a kiss. I think you're supposed to assume that she is not wearing much below the line 8/10
The Odhams omnibus has a line drawing on the front sheet featuring 3 randy looking pilots and a rudimentary, slightly skew-wiff air hostess in the artist's depiction of the Glamour Airlines uniform. 5/10 for trying
PAPERBACK:
GET OFF WITH GLAMOUR AIRLINES
Glamour Airlines is a new experience in flying. Won in a poker game by a cantankerous American colonel, the airline is launched by a trans-world in-flight orgy for newsmen and celebrities in a nipple-pink jet. No expense spared.
The uniforms are silver lamé and sequins - and that's just the men...the hostesses are in candy-striped bikinis and see-through skirts. Glamour Airlines is the randiest, funniest, unlikeliest thing to hit the skies, and when you meet the crew you'll realise why.
There's Cock-up Rossiter, and indolent breeder of rabbits - among other things. Ramjet Rogers is as adept at touch-ups as touch-downs, James Crighton-Padgett specializes in aristocratic hanky-panky and Michael "Sugar" Sweetman is just a little AC-DC8. And your hostesses are the most obliging of dollies...on Glamour Airlines it's not just the altitude that's bad for your blood pressure.
Fly Boys is the first in a new series by the bestselling author of the Russ Tobin novels.
OMNIBUS:
'Glamour Airlines' is the new project of a cantankerous American colonel who is determined to make it a money-spinner. It is to be launched by staging a trans-world in-flight orgy for newsmen and celebrities in a nipple-pink jet plane. No expense is spared, and the crew is hand-picked for sex-appeal...
The men's uniforms are silver lamé and sequins; the hostesses are in candy-striped bikinis and see-through costumes - the most pneumatic, seductive dollies ever to take to the air. On 'Glamour Airlines' it's not just the altitude that affects your blood pressure! So fasten your seat belts...!
2024 KINDLE EDITION
Glamour Airlines is a new experience in flying.
Won in a poker game by a cantankerous American colonel, the airline is launched to a media frenzy with an globe-spanning trip for for newsmen and celebrities in a pink Boeing 707 jet, no less. No expense spared.
The uniforms are silver lamé and sequins - and that's just the men...the hostesses are in candy-striped bikinis and see-through skirts. Glamour Airlines is the funniest, unlikeliest thing to hit the skies, and when you meet the crew you'll realise why.
There's Captain 'Cock-up' Rossiter, indolent breeder of rabbits, First Officer 'Ramjet' Rogers, self-appointed president of the mile-high club and Second Officer James Crighton-Padgett, the aristocratic lord of the skies.
Air Steward Michael "Sugar" Sweetman is having the time of his life, and your hostesses are as obliging as they come...on Glamour Airlines it's not just the altitude that's bad for your blood pressure.
Fly Boys is the first in a new series by the bestselling author of the Russ Tobin novels.
DEDICATION
For Linda
With love and deep appreciation for her incalculable contribution to this and many other stories. From a very fortunate author.
One of the most gratifying aspects of writing is, in my experience, the heart-warming alacritywith which and author's plea for help is invariably received. Indeed I cannot recall a single occasion when the response to a request for technical or other assistance was less that immediate and whole-heartedly enthusiastic.
So acknowledging, I offer my appreciation to all, and in particular to the gentlemen listed alphabetically below, who so generously gave of their time, patience and professional guidance towards the making of this book.
Sqdn. Ldr. Alec Bristow, D.F.C, A.F.C, M.T.A.I, R.A.F. (Retd.)
Captain Gordon Cochran, B.O.A.C.
First Officer Mario Coutsoftides, Cyprus Airways
Captain Barry Hesketh, Cyprus Airways
First Officer Christopher Males, Cyprus Airways
Captain Trevor Marsden, B.O.A.C.
Captain Sam Melling, Cyprus Airways
First Officer Tony West-Padgett, Cyprus Airways
And finally, a special acknowledgment to DESMOND ELLIOTT, my special agent, who not only provided the seed for this story but, by encouragement, nurtured it to fruition.
OUR REVIEW
The start of a new series for Stan - the majority of the book is spent setting the scene and building the characters. The action is considerably more slapstick than the Tobin novels, and a lot of it seems to be written with visual gags in mind (perhaps a film version was on the cards at one point?).
Captain Cock-Up Rossiter steals the show with his lack of enthusiasm for the whole shebang and his constant attempts to use the launch and his position as Captain to extract bribes and blackmails from all and sundry. In general the problem with The Fly Boys series is that the books have to cover the activities (both in and out of the bedroom) of 5 or 6 central characters, whilst trying to focus on the story of the airline - hence The Fly Boys seems a bit disjointed with the action jumping around from scene to scene. A highly enjoyable romp though - but not a patch on the Tobins!
RATING ON THE MORGANOMETER
7/10 - A good introduction and plot build-up that lays the groundwork for the next in the series.