The man who gave Cornwall its first family theme park will this week launch a book charting his eventful career as a Royal Navy pilot.
By the time Douglas Kingsford-Hale set up Flambards at Helston in 1976 he had already spent several years at the controls of military planes.
Now 82, Mr Kingsford-Hale decided that with Flambards up for sale it was time he sat down and recalled his memories of life in the air.
From being part of a practical joke involving President George Bush to diving in flying formation on to a tiny American hamlet at 350mph, the resulting book is packed with anecdotes.
Entitled Unbelievable, it records his adventures in the Fleet Air Arm after joining up as a National Service conscript in 1952. He said the move was completely against the wishes of his family who, as members of the exclusive Plymouth Brethren, were registered conscientious objectors. So, to get around this hurdle and fulfil his ambition of becoming a Royal Navy fighter pilot, Mr Kingsford-Hale resorted to subterfuge.
"I paid a call to an office in Tavistock Square, claiming to be a journalist researching conscientious objectors," he said. "My request was granted and the young lady passed me the cards of registration for 1952. With a deft sleight of hand I found, and kept, my registration card – which was never to see the light of day again."
Graduating close to the top of his class in his initial Royal Navy course, he was one of six cadets chosen for flying training in the US. His first flying instructor was one George Bush Senior who, along with five other instructors, replaced their students one day as part of a prank involving a colleague.
"On take-off the instructors broke every rule in the book," he said "They were conducting aerobatics on take-off, badly positioned and appeared to be totally out of control, which caused the flight instructor to have kittens. Poor fellow, he didn't have a chance against these rebellious veterans of flight, who seemed to everything wrong."
Like George Bush, several of the characters he met during his life as a pilot went on to become high profile figures in their own fields. He would go drinking with a fellow student called Ed Martin – who became a much-decorated vice admiral in the US Navy – and his friend Bob Hope.
Unbelievable by Douglas Kingsford-Hale is published by Flambards at £4.99 and is available from the attraction or online, from www.flambards.co.uk
