From council house to cockpit, John's journey through aviation is peppered with hilarious anecdotes, near misses, and the kind of stories that'll keep you reading late into the night. A man with a story to tell – and the wit to tell it brilliantly.
A Human Behind the Captain's Voice: A father, a friend, a retired British Airways captain, and now an emerging author and public speaker. John is a man with a story to tell – and he's refreshingly human, full of flaws and surely far too funny to be the stern figure of authority behind that faceless captain's announcement.
Growing up on a council estate in the Midlands, John made his way to the cockpit without any funding or guidance, muddling through this game called life with all of its twists, turns, and near misses. His journey from council house to cockpit is relatable, raucously funny, and packed with page-turning anecdotes.
John started flying in 1980 – a time synonymous with tight trousers and much looser safety regulations than today. After learning on planes about as reliable as Del Boy's yellow Reliant Robin, his first professional job saw him flying over Sudan during the original Live Aid famine response. The rest of his career was spent in airlines, predominantly British Airways, where he was a first officer for ten years and a captain for over twenty-five.
Despite flying everything from propellers and dials to the 747 Jumbo Jet and even the mighty A380 Super Jumbo, John admits he still has no idea how something so big gets off the ground. Regarding landing again, he says every approach is like a blind date – hopeful, but with nothing guaranteed.
"When recently asked, 'Is flying really as safe as they say it is?' He replied, 'It is now I've retired!'"
— John Garry
The elusive cockpit – a peek behind the door.
Grounded is the flying equivalent of Adam Kay's superb medical insight, This is Going to Hurt. Every moment of the day (and night, because the planet can’t sit still) over one million of us are airborne. Every year over four billion airline tickets are sold: that's half the world's population flying annually. Who doesn't want an insight into this fascinating industry?
This debut memoir offers a perspective on a career that, for many, is peppered with question marks: Can we trust the captain with our lives? Does he really know what everything does? Does he land the plane manually? Does he put the bins out?
Watch John captivate an audience with his aviation stories and humor. This sample gives you a taste of what your event guests can expect.
John offers engaging and humorous talks about becoming a pilot and the world of aviation. Each talk can be adapted depending on your audience, from corporate events to after-dinner entertainment.
The full aviation experience – informative, humorous and peppered with risqué comments. Perfect for after dinner.
A witty version suitable for corporate events, mixed audiences and fundraisers. Bring John's humour and aviation stories to your audiences.
Short, punchy routines perfect for warming up audiences, breaking the ice, or adding a touch of aviation humour to any event. Cheeky - just as you would expect!.
Tales from the cockpit, reflections on aviation life, and humorous insights from four decades of flying. Join John as he shares stories that didn't make it into the book.
As we climbed into the morning sky, the air was still. It was a perfect day for flying.
This is like asking what’s the difference between the universally loved, long serving London Route-master bus and the Fe...
Did you know that.......
Flying is freighted with acronyms - if you don't believe, read just a few of them here!
Ready to add some altitude to your event? Let's talk about bringing John's aviation stories to your audience.
Marlow, Buckinghamshire
Competitive rates • Travel costs • Charity donations welcome