Like grandfather, like granddaughter … my guest this week is Leona Cobham, granddaughter of aviation pioneer, Sir Alan Cobham. Sir Alan Cobham was an aviation legend – he was a test pilot, an explorer and the inventor of air-to-air refuelling. Leona shares his passion of flying, travel and aviation engineering. Keen to spread the love of aviation, Leona has written a book series for children aged 7 -12 called, Aeroplane Adventures – a collection of fun stories combined with aeroplane facts and terminology. I caught up with Leona to find out more about her aeroplane passion, her books, her travels and her grandfather…. Welcome Leona 😊
Hello 😊 I’m Leona. I’m passionate about inspiring youngsters. We each learn differently but one thing that does inspire all of us is a sense of wonder. If we want to draw kids off their devices and into real life, they must get a thrill out of real life. So my books are packed with thrilling stuff. I’ve kept the stories fast-paced, easy to follow and full of adventure. I’ve recently become a STEM ambassador so I can go to schools and museums to do presentations around the themes in my books.
You’ve written a book series for children aged 7 – 12 called Aeroplane Adventures. The first book is Flying Circus Takes to the Skies and the second is Flying Circus Through Thick andThin. Who are the characters and what do they get up to?
At the centre we have our fearless Flying Circus quartet: Woody the Tiger Moth, Spif the Spitfire, Vul, the Avro Vulcan, and Tom the F-14 Tomcat. Each talking plane has a life – and mind – of its own. Each plane has its own distinct purpose and personality. Together, they form a formidable team that’s up for any challenge, both on the ground and in the air.
Tom the F-14 Tomcat has this belief that he’s only valued for his speed. He’s determined to win a race to Australia to keep their air show alive but gets distracted by his nemesis, an F-15 Eagle, who challenges him to manoeuvres on an aircraft carrier. This is a great opportunity for me to share the excitement of landing and take-off from an aircraft carrier, engaging the arresting wire and then launching with the catapult.
Woody meanwhile, the wooden biplane, has low self-esteem and feels the other aeroplanes are more capable than him. While he compares himself to Tom, the supersonic F-14 Tomcat, and fears that his relative lack of speed will hamper the team effort in a race to Australia, it’s actually his unique ability to land on a very short, unsurfaced runway which eventually saves the team because he collects the equipment Tom needs to refuel mid-air. Whereas he thought Woody, the little wooden biplane, would be the weak link in this race to Australia, in fact Tom is the one who runs out of fuel and jeopardises their chances. And it’s Woody who helps Tom out. But the friends don’t shame Tom in his moment of humility, so Tom is able to feel that friends go the extra mile for each other in times of need and friendship isn’t conditional on him always being at the top of his game.
When we hear the characters’ thoughts, we feel close to them. The message to young readers is we all have gifts to bring to the table. We are all heroes on a journey.
Who or what inspired you to start your writing career?
I believe it’s important to get children back into reading. Children are reading less than any previous generation; a third of children surveyed said they couldn’t find things to read that interested them. Yet research shows that strong reading skills are key to successful learning. So, I felt compelled to combine exciting fiction, which is enjoyable to read, with plenty of facts. Many children groan at the thought of learning, but I honestly believe it’s possible to enjoy the process. By combining feel-good adventures with facts about aviation, my readers see how aeroplanes pull off the feats they do.
I am also passionate about giving children life skills within the books: how to come back from making mistakes, how to ask for help without losing face, how to feel enough; ultimately, how to develop an inner feeling of significance which doesn’t depend on the approval of others. I do this by creating a world of flawed, lovable characters. This concept that we’re lovable despite our flaws is key for child development. It’s ok not to be perfect, it’s ok to make mistakes. And we need not be ashamed of them. The characters find themselves in situations which generate relatable emotions like fear, embarrassment, and conflict. And through the characters’ point of view, we tackle these situations. We see how they can be resolved.
The two Aeroplane Adventures are collections of fun stories with messages about teamwork and friendship interwoven with lots of facts about aeroplanes. What do you enjoy most about writing for children?
I’m an impatient reader myself, and so are most children. When writing for children, you need to keep up the pace by maintaining suspense and having a pressing problem that must be solved. There needs to be an important ‘why?’ in the story. I enjoy this challenge. Also, Ilike to infuse my stories with humour, adventure, and a feel-good factor. I think these elements are important in children’s literature, particularly these days when there are so many dark stories on the market. I think we learn best when we’re having fun and when we feel safe. It’s comforting to laugh at life’s predicaments sometimes. We are not perfect, and my message to children is: ‘That’s ok!’. I create flawed, lovable characters because grasping the fact that we are lovable despite our flaws is fundamental to healthy child development.
I create scenarios where children can see how our individuality is a good thing. We each offer value in our own way. We don’t want a world where we are all good at the same thing and weak at the same thing! For example, Woody the little biplane, may be slow but he can land on unsurfaced runways which is a pretty handy little skill! It saves the team on a race to Australia in my first book. It also means he can fly slowly without stalling which enables him to guide the Chinook when the team are putting out a forest fire in the second book. All the characters are different, like we are. The message is to look at your unique characteristics and consider what value you can bring to any situation.
Your grandfather is aviation pioneer Sir Alan Cobham – does your love for all things aviation stem from your background?
Aviation has always held positive associations for me. My grandfather was passionate about encouraging people to fly and enjoy flight. I grew up seeing aviation as thrilling and inspirational. I have adopted flight as a metaphor: inspiring young readers to get into the pilot’s seat in their own lives, to spread their wings, and fly.
What do you love most about flying/aeroplanes?
I remember being on flights with my dad as a child. When the aeroplane had taxied to the top of the runway and the captain was seeking clearance from air traffic control, he would always say “look out of the window, we’re about to take off”. And to this day, I get a burst of adrenaline when I’m sitting in an aeroplane at the top of the runway. The pilot opens up the throttles and you can feel the plane trembling; then he eases off the brakes and we go hurtling down the track. The air passing quicker under the wing than over it generates lift and we get airborne. It’s still the most thrilling thing for me. And I’m not even in the pilot’s seat. It’s those emotions I want to pass on to the next generation.
An airshow is a great start for those of us who love ‘things-that-go’. The sound of a fighter jet epitomizes raw power; then there’s the sensation of the blast from the slipstream, the smell of the jet fuel, and as for the sight! Even an airport is pretty exciting. It’s simply awesome to see a 560-ton A380 lift into the sky. I mean… HOW?
You have spent some time working in a forest recuperation project in Brazil and did volunteer teaching in a shanty town. What did those experiences teach you? How hard was it to adapt to life in Brazil?
My experiences in Brazil and working as a classroom reading assistant have given me anunderstanding of different learning styles which I keep in mind when I am writing. I try to cover the visual learners with a plethora of clear diagrams, the contextual learners with background stories where they can see the technology in operation. For example, when Nighthawk gets lost, the other planes struggle to find her because she is a stealth plane and she has a very small radar return. This gives my reader a visual on how radar works. For those who can’t get enough information and love to research stuff, there’s plenty of information in the glossary section. I’ve made it easier by emboldening words in the text that are referenced in the glossary.
I encountered cultural differences when I moved to Brazil, and I realised that accepting differences is a life skill. I write about this in my books. It’s never easy to gracefully accept alternate points of view if they seem to threaten ours, is it? In a story called Hats Off to Spifin Book 2, the Spitfire is challenged to tolerate an alternative take on an episode from history that’s close to his heart. Through his character arc in this story, my readers see how Spif’s flexibility doesn’t weaken him. In fact, his ability to keep calm and remain untriggered elevates him from fine leader to great leader.
Are you a bookworm? What is your favourite genre and/or authors? Kindle or actual book?
I am a collector of books and I have had to adopt a rule: if a book comes in, then one has to go out and be donated to the local library. I read a lot of aviation books, mostly non-fiction. I choose physical books because I often underline good sentences. I like audiobooks but end up buying a copy of the physical book as well!
Are your “Aeroplane Adventures” books available to purchase worldwide?
Yes, they are available from to order from bookshops and also on Amazon. I have published US versions of the books for those who want American spelling. The word aeroplane/airplane is the first one that causes confusion!
Growing up had you always wanted to be an author, pilot or did you have other career aspirations?
I am a born researcher. I go down rabbit holes on a wide variety of subjects from aircraft carriers to eighteenth century French textiles! I love looking after living things; I wanted to work with plants and animals from a young age, and I did so, though my work in Brazil with forest recuperation.
Personal now – what outfits and shoes would you normally be found wearing?
I have discovered ‘history bounding’. I like floaty dresses that take me back to another time in history. I go for natural fabrics wherever possible: cotton, silk, and wool. When I walk my dog, I imagine myself in a Jane Austen novel! Once I am bored with an item of clothing, I get out my fabric scissors and cut it into a new item.
Do you have any favourite shops or online sites?
I like unusual styles that go with my ‘history bounding’ so I shop from a very wide variety of sources. The clothes I like are verging on costume. But I just wear one element of the costume at a time. I saw a lovely blouse on Sezanne recently with a ruffle collar. That’s the sort of thing I like.
What’s next on your clothes/shoe wish list?
I’m not very good at wearing heels so I’m looking for some pretty suede lace-up flats which I can convert into ‘going out’ shoes with ribbons instead of shoelaces…
Boots or Shoes?
I go back to wearing boots as soon as Autumn begins. I get on much better with heels if I’m wearing boots. And I think knee boots look great with a knee-length skirt. Timeless.
Links you would like to share e.g. website/facebook etc
My website is:
The Amazon links to my books are as follows.
Book 1: Flying Circus Takes to the Skies
Book 2: Flying Circus Through Thick and Thin
Great to chat with you Leona! I hope your books will not only encourage budding young aviators to spread their wings and embrace the thrill of travel; but to also discover how to help each other, acknowledge our different strengths and to nurture long lasting friendships.
Linda x
All photographs have been published with the kind permission of Leona Cobham