“Fasten Seatbelts” Chronicles a Century of British Aviation Through Innovation, Identity, and Resilience

IQnewswire December 23, 2025

32 2 minutes read

The story of British aviation has always been about more than airplanes. It is about the people, passion, and persistence that lifted a nation into the skies. In his powerful debut, Fasten Seatbelts – Stories of British Civil Aviation, author Roger James Newton takes readers on a compelling journey through more than one hundred years of British flight history, blending meticulous research with the warmth of personal insight.

From the pioneering engineers of the 1920s to the jet-age innovators of the 1960s and the commercial revolution of the modern era, Newton captures the evolution of civil aviation with clarity and purpose. His storytelling sheds light on how Britain shaped global aviation, not through luck, but through leadership, learning, and the courage to keep flying forward.

A former Rolls-Royce legal adviser, Newton offers a rare insider’s view of the industry’s defining chapters—its triumphs, setbacks, and reinventions. Readers will relive the moment the de Havilland Comet became the world’s first jetliner, the tragedy that followed and changed safety forever, and the glory of Concorde, which redefined ambition and pride. The book also explores the rise of British Airways, the disruptive energy of Virgin Atlantic, and the enduring excellence of Rolls-Royce as a global leader in aerospace innovation.

Fasten Seatbelts goes beyond dates and aircraft. It reveals the human stories—the pilots, engineers, and visionaries who turned ideas into milestones. Newton’s writing is approachable, precise, and deeply respectful of the men and women who made British aviation what it is today.

As aviation stands on the threshold of a new frontier where sustainability, hybrid propulsion, and digital flight management are shaping its future and innovation, this book offers a valuable reflection on how far we’ve come and what lessons history still holds for the future of flight.

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With honesty, humility, and a lifelong love of aviation, Roger James Newton delivers an essential read for anyone fascinated by the skies, technology, or British heritage.

So, fasten your seatbelts, because this book is going to take you on a breathtaking journey that you will never forget.

Head to Amazon to purchase your copy. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1969644400

Table of Contents

About the author:

Roger James Newton was born in Stockport and attended Stockport Grammar School, followed by the University of Sheffield, where he graduated in Law in 1970. He then trained and practised as a Solicitor in the Greater Manchester area before choosing a career in Industry and Commerce. In early 1974, he joined Rolls-Royce (1971) Limited in Derby as a Commercial Legal Adviser and was later Deputy Company Secretary of the Engineering Group, Babcock International plc. At that time, Lord King of Wartnaby was Chairman of both Babcock and of British Airways.

After holding later management roles in the Food Manufacturing sector, Roger retired from full-time work in 2008 and then established and ran a Legal and Trustee Services Consultancy for the following fifteen years. Roger met his wife, Susan, at Rolls-Royce in the 1970s, and they have lived in Sonning, near Reading, since 1986.

This is Roger’s first book, which presents stories of British civil aviation from its inception in 1919. His interest and involvement in the subject now extends to a period of well over half a century, commencing from his time as a teenage plane spotter at Manchester Airport in the early 1960s.

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