LIFE ON MARS
Proudly adorning the cover of a special 148-page FlyPast November 2024 issue is one of the world’s most awe-inspiring aircraft – the incredible Martin Mars flying boat which recently flew into retirement at Canada’s British Columbia Aviation Museum. We spoke to the people behind the venture that has seen this giant preserved in an appropriate setting - an ambitious undertaking and a fitting finale for an aviation colossus

ACES AND THEIR AIRCRAFT
In a special section of this extended edition, we profile several fighter ‘aces’, ranging from the Great War to the jet age, and including the Spitfire king - the late AVM ‘Johnnie’ Johnson - with exclusive colour artwork from Andy Hay and others

GOING SOLO
New T-6 Harvard pilot Megan Bowden shares her thoughts on taking the controls of World War Two’s most famous trainer

MOSQUITO MISSING
Ian McLachlan relays the story of an RAF Mosquito that failed to return from operational duties over the North Sea in 1944

RED FLAG JAGS
An honest and sometimes humorous account by Rod Dean looking back at some hair-raising exercises in Jaguars over Nevada

WILDCATS OVER CASABLANCA
Over 48 hours, chaos reigned for Grumman Wildcat pilots taking on the Vichy French over North Africa, as Thomas McKelvey Cleaver reveals