It's a pleasure to join you on the journey!

🥳🥳

I am indeed - hope you enjoy it in due course!

A montage of two inset photos over the front page of the newspaper with the headline « Britons First in Non-Stop Hop Across Atlantic » (📸 Inset, upper left: « Ted Brown's electrical installation underway at the Brakpan Mine, Johannesburg, 1911. Image courtesy of the Common Room. » Inset, bottom right: « Sir A.W. Brown & wife » courtesy Library of Congress. Background: Published as part of « Chronicling of America », courtesy Library of Congress.)

Ever wonder who Brown was *before* he was part of Alcock and Brown? We hadn't, but we wish we had when we spotted @rooneyvision.bsky.social's delightful « Ted Brown's African Adventure. » It's a perfect, long-form weekend read. (📸 See ALT) | 🛩️ 🥇 | 🧵 1/2 | 🔗 rooneyvision.substack.com/p/ted-browns...

Ted Brown's African Adventure How electrical engineering, the American inventive urge, and a taste for gold and diamonds made one of the world's most celebrated aviators

I've just sent out my latest Substack post (sorry it's been a while!)

Ted Brown's African adventure

How electrical engineering, the American inventive urge, and a taste for gold and diamonds made one of the world's most celebrated aviators...

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I need to pull my finger out and write some posts... more soon, i promise! 😄

Wonderful...

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...

Glad you managed to see it! And maybe seeds have been sown for the future....

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

The Vickers Vimy That Conquered the Atlantic In 1919, four British teams arrived in Newfoundland to attempt to be the first to fly across the Atlantic non-stop, the Big Hop, and claim the Daily Mail's £10,000 prize. Author David Rooney joins us…

✈️ 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.

Great pics! And great fun...

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...

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!

Our favourite history books of 2025 - Unseen Histories Looking for a history book this Christmas? Here's a list of our favourites.

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

History at The Hall – The Big Hop: Adventures in the Workshop and the Air — The Goldsmiths' Company On the evening of Monday 8 December 2025, join writer, historian and museum curator David Rooney for History at The Hall – The Big Hop: Adventures in the Workshop and the Air.

🎅 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

History at The Hall – The Big Hop: Adventures in the Workshop and the Air — The Goldsmiths' Company On the evening of Monday 8 December 2025, join writer, historian and museum curator David Rooney for History at The Hall – The Big Hop: Adventures in the Workshop and the Air.

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...

History at The Hall – The Big Hop: Adventures in the Workshop and the Air — The Goldsmiths' Company On the evening of Monday 8 December 2025, join writer, historian and museum curator David Rooney for History at The Hall – The Big Hop: Adventures in the Workshop and the Air.

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...

Just 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.

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!