Roger Harris Presents
POPULAR FLYING DOT COM
A tribute to Popular Flying Magazine, edited by W. E. Johns, that first published the “Biggles”
stories in the 1930’s.
This site is also a tribute to the great aviation
artwork of Howard
Leigh who was born on 16th
July 1909 and died on 6th February 1942 at the age of only 32
CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL THE COVERS FOR
“FLYING” MAGAZINE
Just click on
the individual magazine cover below to find out information about the contents
of that particular issue
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Volume 1 Issue 1 April 1932
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Volume 1 Issue 2 May
1932
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Volume 1 Issue 3 June 1932
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Volume 1 Issue 4 July 1932
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Volume 1 Issue 5 August 1932 |
Volume 1 Issue 6 September 1932 |
Volume 1 Issue 7 October 1932 |
Volume 1 Issue 8 November 1932 |
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Volume 1 Issue 9 December
1932
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Volume 1 Issue 10 January 1933 |
Volume 1 Issue 11 February 1933 |
Volume 1 Issue 12 March 1933 |
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Volume 2 Issue 1 April 1933 |
Volume 2 Issue 2 May 1933 |
Volume 2 Issue 3 June 1933 |
Volume 2 Issue 4 July 1933 |
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Volume 2 Issue 5 August 1933 |
Volume 2 Issue 6 September 1933 |
Volume 2 Issue 7 October 1933 |
Volume 2 Issue 8 November 1933 |
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Volume 2 Issue 9 December 1933 |
Volume 2 Issue 10 January 1934 |
Volume 2 Issue 11 February 1934 |
Volume 2 Issue 12 March 1934 |
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Volume 3 Issue 1 April 1934 |
Volume 3 Issue 2 May 1934 |
Volume 3 Issue 3 June 1934 |
Volume 3 Issue 4 July 1934 |
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Volume 3 Issue 5 August 1934 |
Volume 3 Issue 6 September 1934 |
Volume 3 Issue 7 October 1934 |
Volume 3 Issue 8 November 1934 |
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Volume 3 Issue 9 December 1934 |
Volume 3 Issue 10 January 1935 |
Volume 3 Issue 11 February 1935 |
Volume 3 Issue 12 March 1935 |
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Volume 4 Issue 1 April 1935 |
Volume 4 Issue 2 May 1935 |
Volume 4 Issue 3 June 1935 |
Volume 4 Issue 4 July 1935 |
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Volume 4 Issue 5 August 1935 |
Volume 4 Issue 6 September 1935 |
Volume 4 Issue 7 October 1935 |
Volume 4 Issue 8 November 1935 |
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Volume 4 Issue 9 December 1935 |
Volume 4 Issue 10 January 1936 |
Volume 4 Issue 11 February 1936 |
Volume 4 Issue 12 March 1936 |
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Volume 5 Issue 1 April 1936 |
Volume 5 Issue 2 May 1936 |
Volume 5 Issue 3 June 1936 |
Volume 5 Issue 4 July 1936 |
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Volume 5 Issue 5 August 1936 |
Volume 5 Issue 6 September 1936 |
Volume 5 Issue 7 October 1936 |
Volume 5 Issue 8 November 1936 |
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Volume 5 Issue 9 December 1936 |
Volume 5 Issue 10 January 1937 |
Volume 5 Issue 11 February 1937 |
Volume 5 Issue 12 March 1937 |
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Volume 6 Issue 1 April 1937 |
Volume 6 Issue 2 May 1937 |
Volume 6 Issue 3 June 1937 |
Volume 6 Issue 4 July 1937 |
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Volume 6 Issue 5 August 1937 |
Volume 6 Issue 6 September 1937 |
Volume 6 Issue 7 October 1937 |
Volume 6 Issue 8 November 1937 |
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Volume 6 Issue 9 December 1937 |
Volume 6 Issue 10 January 1938 |
Volume 6 Issue 11 February 1938 |
Volume 6 Issue 12 March 1938 |
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Volume 7 Issue 1 April 1938 |
Volume 7 Issue 2 May 1938 |
Volume 7 Issue 3 June 1938 |
Volume 7 Issue 4 July 1938 |
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Volume 7 Issue 5 August 1938 |
Volume 7 Issue 6 September 1938 |
Volume 7 Issue 7 October 1938 |
Volume 7 Issue 8 November 1938 |
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Volume 7 Issue 9 December 1938 |
Volume 7 Issue 10 January 1939 |
Volume 7 Issue 11 February 1939 |
Volume 7 Issue 12 March 1939 |
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Volume 8 Issue 1 April 1939 |
Volume 8 Issue 2 May 1939 |
Volume 8 Issue 3 June 1939 |
Volume 8 Issue 4 July 1939 |
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT POPULAR FLYING MAGAZINE
Popular Flying Magazine was first published on Wednesday 16th
March 1932 (the April 1932 edition)
By John Hamilton Ltd, 32 Bloomsbury Street, London. WC1.
Within the first year the magazine was an independent subsidiary
registered as
Popular Flying Ltd, 34/5 Southampton Street, London. WC2
By 1933 it was selling 22,576 copies a month and by 1934 the
circulation was 24,543 a month.
In 1935 Popular Flying was sold to C. Arthur Pearson, an associate
company of George Newnes Ltd. who printed it from November 1935
Within a few years circulation reached 32,667 copies a month.
W. E. Johns resigned as editor in 1939 and wrote his last editorial
in the May 1939 edition – only two more issues then followed.
The important announcement referred to on the cover of the last
issue – July 1939
is the magazine’s merger with
“Aeronautics” and hence the end of “Popular Flying”
The copyright in the magazine is presumably held by the original
companies although some 70 years have passed since publication.
All pictures are taken from my own complete collection of Popular
Flying Magazine and all cover artists are credited where known.
A few internal pictures have been used to illustrate the Biggles
content and other interesting articles and these are deemed to be fair use.
The copyright in all of W.E.
Johns work is owned by the estate of W.E. Johns as represented by W. E. Johns
(Publications) Limited.
This private limited company
have appointed literary agent Pat White of Rogers Coleridge White to represent the interests of the estate.
Their web site is here: http://www.rcwlitagency.com/
This is a non
profit making fan based web site purely for the information of fellow
fans - no infringement of copyright is intended.
The
intention of this web site is to encourage people to read the works of William Earl
Johns, one of the great
authors of the 20th Century.
Don’t forget to visit Biggles.Com and W. E. Johns.Com for information about W. E. Johns books
This website was launched on 16th
September 2008 - the 90th anniversary of the day that
Flying Officer W.E. Johns was shot down
and his gunner, Second Lieutenant Alfred E. Amey, was
killed.
On 16th September 1918 – 2nd
Lt. W. E. Johns was flying a De Havilland DH 4, number F5712, from Azelot Aerodrome in France,
where his squadron, No. 55 Squadron of
the R.A.F. were stationed. He was flying
on a bombing raid to the Linz Works near Mannheim. His fuel tank was hit by an anti-aircraft
shell and,
having been forced to drop out of
formation, he was then attacked by Fokker DVII
fighters. He was shot down near Alteckendorf at 13.30 hours on 16th September
1918 by Lt. Georg Weimer of Jasta 3
who was credited with the 7th of
his eventual 9th victories.
W. E. Johns crash landed near the village Alteckendorf
only to find that his gunner was
already dead.
Johns himself was held prisoner by the Germans
until the end of the war some two months later.
THIS MANY PEOPLE HAVE VISITED THE SITE SINCE IT WAS LAUNCHED ON 16th
SEPTEMBER 2008
Thanks
to Simon Lawrence