Graham Stewart is the author of 19 books including The End of the Penny Section, The Tangiwai Disaster – a Christmas Eve Tragedy, Auckland Before the Harbour Bridge, Around Wellington by Tram in the 20th Century, Wellington – Portrait of a Region, New Zealand – Portrait of a Nation, Napier – Portrait of an Art Deco City, Wellington – The Best Little Capital City in the World and Christchurch – A Portrait of Yesteryears. Recently Graham received the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to historical research and photography. The author’s first aerial photography experience was in a twin-wing Fox Moth at the old Mangere airport where you sat in a small cabin below the pilot who was out in the open above. The only communication was a voice pipe you had to shout through. Apart from Tiger Moths, which were also a challenge when waiting to give the pilot directions; he did much flying in the co-pilot’s seat with Freddie Ladd in Grumman Widgeon seaplanes under and over the Auckland harbour bridge when it was under construction in the 1950s. During his Hawke’s Bay years, he flew in many Cessnas and again in Tiger Moths, wearing a leather flying helmet which was always provided in those days.