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Aviation Cultures Conference

@avculturesconf.bsky.social

1.1K followers 490 following 110 posts

A place where researchers and practitioners come together to share their knowledge and ideas of flight, and its place in history and society. Posts by @tashheap.bsky.social and @jdkightly.bsky.social aviationcultures.org

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Aviation Cultures Conference @avculturesconf.bsky.social · Jul 10

It's happening! The next Aviation Cultures Conference, Mk.VIII will take place at the KF Centre For Excellence, in Kelowna, BC, Canada, AND online, in partnership with the Canadian Aviation Historical Society (CAHS) on 17-20 June 2026. Stay tuned for more details at aviationcultures.org

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Aviation Cultures Conference @avculturesconf.bsky.social · 10d

* And extra points if you can tell us about something YOU put in a logbook. (Or better still, left out!)

You can DM us in confidence, this account isn’t monitored by any retro aviation authorities (probably). -JDK

a man in a military uniform is sitting in a classroom with other men and says `` it 's classified . ''

Alt: I’ma just gonna leave the auto descriptor there: “a man in a military uniform is sitting in a classroom with other men and says `` it 's classified . ''

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Aviation Cultures Conference @avculturesconf.bsky.social · 10d

Logbook oddities? We’re interested. What’s the strangest, funniest or most unexpected thing that you’ve found* in an aviation logbook?

We’ll be talking ‘Logbooks & Avdocs’ in our next Spotlight event, free, online, in just over a month. Can you tease us with an odd fact first? -JDK

Poster for the Logbooks & AvDocs free online Spotlight event at Aviation Cultures on 8 November.

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Aviation Cultures Conference @avculturesconf.bsky.social · 14d

5/5 The Call for Papers for the Conference is now open, and will remain open until 15 January 2026. Speakers will be notified by the end of January. Full details at the Aviation Cultures website here aviationcultures.org/aviation-cul... or email [email protected] See you there! JDK. ENDS.

Poster images for the three mentioned events as a collage. all details are in the thread above.

Aviation Cultures Conference @avculturesconf.bsky.social · 14d

4/n But wait, there’s more … The next full Aviation Cultures Conference is, of course, Aviation Cultures Mk.VIII, to be held in conjunction with the Canadian Aviation Historical Society’s 2026 Convention between 17-20 June 2026, at the KF Centre for Excellence in Kelowna, Canada, and online. ...

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Aviation Cultures Conference @avculturesconf.bsky.social · 14d

3/n ‘Logbooks & AvDocs’ Spotlight
Papers are all confirmed for the ‘Logbooks & AvDocs’ Spotlight event on 8 November 2025. Stay tuned for details of what’s coming, including rare chances to interact online with experts in the field. Details at this link: aviationcultures.org/spotlights/l...

Logbooks & AvDocs – Aviation Cultures

aviationcultures.org

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Aviation Cultures Conference @avculturesconf.bsky.social · 14d

2/n Full details of this event (to be held online on 27-28 February 2026) at this link: aviationcultures.org/spotlights/p...

Print the Legend – Aviation Cultures

aviationcultures.org

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Aviation Cultures Conference @avculturesconf.bsky.social · 14d

@avculturesconf.bsky.social Update! The Call for Papers for the ‘Print the Legend’ Spotlight is still open. (Closes 31 Oct). We’re looking for papers that interrogate the boundaries between truth and legend, and that contribute to a richer, nuanced understanding of aviation’s cultural legacy... 1/n

Print the Legend – Aviation Cultures

aviationcultures.org

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Aviation Cultures Conference @avculturesconf.bsky.social · 22d

Going to be worth your time! @danellin.bsky.social shares great research.

Dan Ellin @danellin.bsky.social · 22d

I'm giving a talk "Penguins and Chop Girls: Remembering RAF Bomber Command ground personnel 1939-45" Monday 6th October 2025 at 6.15pm, @uolhumanities.bsky.social Brayford campus (room TBC). #WW2 #History @nmtdambusters.bsky.social cityoflincolnbranchha.wordpress.com/.../branch.../

Historical Association Lincoln Branch
‘Penguins and Chop Girls: Remembering RAF Bomber Command ground personnel 1939 -1945’
For every member of aircrew who flew a bomber aircraft in RAF Bomber Command there were up to ten men and women who served in supporting roles. Their diverse trades included aircraft fitters and mechanics, WAAF clerks, parachute packers and drivers, and the lowly AC2 who emptied the latrines and drove the sanitary truck. ‘Penguins’, as flightless ground personnel were sometimes called, were marginalised in the RAF, and the women of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF), were frequently reduced to sexual objects. Women who had dated an airman who failed to return were shunned as bad omens or ‘chop girls.’ However, without the effort of all these personnel, the bombing campaigns would not have got off the ground. Using published and unpublished testimonies including oral histories recorded for the IBCC Digital Archive, Dan examines the lives of ground personnel on operational bomber stations.
Monday 6th October 2025 at 6.15pm, University of Lincoln’s Brayford campus (room TBC). Refreshments before and questions afterwards.
QR code and images of WAAFs

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Aviation Cultures Conference @avculturesconf.bsky.social · Sep 10

Please email abstracts (200 words) to [email protected] by 31 October 2025.

Include the subject line: “Print the Legend Abstract” and include your name, affiliation (if applicable), email address, title of paper, and a short biography (100 words).

Presentations 15mins long

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Aviation Cultures Conference @avculturesconf.bsky.social · Sep 10

Topics can include, but not limited to:
1. Crafting Narratives & the Art of Storytelling
2. From Myth to Reality
3. Biography & Navigating Bias & Subjectivity
4. Unmasking the Legends
5. Influence of Media in shaping Aviation History
6. Ethics in Aviation History
7. Evolving Legends & Norms

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Aviation Cultures Conference @avculturesconf.bsky.social · Sep 10

We welcome papers that interrogate the boundaries between truth and legend, and that contribute to a richer, more nuanced understanding of aviation’s cultural legacy.

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Aviation Cultures Conference @avculturesconf.bsky.social · Sep 10

From the art of storytelling and the influence of media to ethical challenges of biography writing and the evolution of legendary figures, this event will provide a platform for critical reflection and lively discussion.

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Aviation Cultures Conference @avculturesconf.bsky.social · Sep 10

The event will delve into how narratives are crafted, myths are perpetuated, and legends are born in the world of aviation. And offer a broad investigation into the stories that shape our understanding of all aspects of aviation – people, places & things.

aviationcultures.org/spotlights/p...

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Print the Legend – Aviation Cultures

aviationcultures.org

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Aviation Cultures Conference @avculturesconf.bsky.social · Sep 10

🛩️Call for Papers for "Print the Legend"🛩️is now open
Held online 27–28 February 2026
CfP closes 31 October 2025.

Inspired by “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend” we invite scholars, practitioners & enthusiasts to explore the intersection of fact & fiction in aviation history.

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A man sitting in the cockput of an old aeroplane typing on a typewriter

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Aviation Cultures Conference @avculturesconf.bsky.social · Aug 29

Call for Papers is closing soon! We're keen to hear from you with ideas for Aviation Cultures Spotlight 'Logbooks & AvDocs' in November, but the Call for Papers closes Sunday 31 August 2025.

And see you at the free, online event - put the date in your diary now! aviationcultures.org/spotlights/l...

Poster for 'Logbooks & Avdocs' with 'Aviation Cultures Spotlight' 8 November 2025, Online on Zoom' text.

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Aviation Cultures Conference @avculturesconf.bsky.social · Aug 8

You are invited to propose a paper! A written paper is not required, but welcome, as are slide decks and extended recordings. Proposals, including a title, a synopsis of no more than 200 words and an autobiography of no more than 150 words should be emailed to [email protected] by 31 August.

a cartoon dog is holding a cardboard box in its paws in front of a trash can .

Alt: A cartoon dog, Gromit, is sorting letters inside the letter slot in his door.

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Aviation Cultures Conference @avculturesconf.bsky.social · Aug 8

Sessions will be 3 - 4 15-20-minute online presentations, followed by a panel discussion involving the presenters and with an opportunity for audience questions. The Spotlight will be held on Zoom. Presentations will be recorded and may be made available by Aviation Cultures online at a later date.

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Aviation Cultures Conference @avculturesconf.bsky.social · Aug 8

A session is ‘A Toolbox for Researchers’ with noted experts in the field on finding and interpreting logbooks and more. It is intended for aviation researchers and enthusiasts looking to get more from the vast array of sometimes obscure specialist documentation. Stay tuned for more details!

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Aviation Cultures Conference @avculturesconf.bsky.social · Aug 8

They say that aviation runs on paperwork! We’re looking at this with useful tools and case studies for researchers. We’d like to hear your thoughts on the changing purposes, functions, designs, usages, limitations and interpretation of aviation documentation.

Photo of some aircraft recognition books and flashcards.

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Aviation Cultures Conference @avculturesconf.bsky.social · Aug 8

Spotlight on Logbooks & AvDocs – Call for Papers. Closing date 31 August 2025!

@philthyavnurd.bsky.social, @jdkightly.bsky.social (me!) of Aviation Cultures present this event on 8 Nov, free, online. We want your input! Ideas, papers, Qs, prompts: let us know.

aviationcultures.org/spotlights/l...

Two men, JDK, left and Phil Vabre, right, mug for the camera with exaggerated expressions as they look at a couple of old aviation manuals, in front of a bookcase. Text reads: '8 November 2025, Online on Zoom, Logbooks & AvDocs, Aviation Cultures Spotlight'.

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Reposted by Aviation Cultures Conference

Michael Lobel @mlobelart.bsky.social · Jun 24

For academics & scholars who've uploaded papers to Academia, this message I received this morning should be of major concern. I'll delete my account, but I assume damage is done & they've already scraped everything of mine. Should stand as a warning about sharing one's work on commercial websites

Screen grab from website Academia.edu, with message "An AI created a podcast of your paper," the label "Private to you," and a button to listen to the podcast

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Aviation Cultures Conference @avculturesconf.bsky.social · Aug 1

And not forgetting the in person, AND online full multi-day Aviation Cultures Conference at the KF Centre for Excellence in Kelowna, BC, Canada, in collaboration with the Canadian Historical Aviation Society, 17-20 June 2026!

Thanks to he small AvCultures team for bringing this all together! -JDK

The full details of the conference events. Aviation Cultures 'Spanning the Globe' Mk.VIII Conference.
Coming Aviation Cultures events for 2025-26:
Spotlight: Logbooks and AvDocs - 8 November 2025
Spotlight: Print the Legend - 27-28 February 2026
Online on Zoom
Aviation Cultures Conference 17-20 June 2026, Kelowna BC Canada & Online. SEE YOU THERE!

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Aviation Cultures Conference @avculturesconf.bsky.social · Aug 1

Next, 27-28 Feb, 2026, is 'Print the Legend'. A look at the changes in aviation biography from the old 'Boy's Own' to more detailed and tougher modern 'warts and all' biographies. As well as some famous names profiled by current authors, there'll be other aspects of aviation storytelling examined!

A man on a typewriter sitting in a 1930s aeroplane cockpit, with the title 'Print the Legend' and 27-28 February 2026, 'Aviation Cultures Spotlight'.

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Aviation Cultures Conference @avculturesconf.bsky.social · Aug 1

First up on 8 November 2025, is 'Logbooks & AvDocs, A Toolbox for Researchers’. Field experts will talk about finding and interpreting logbooks and other aviation docs. If you're an aviation researcher or enthusiast it'll help! Zoom, online, with a live Q&A at the end, so a date for your diary!

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Aviation Cultures Conference @avculturesconf.bsky.social · Aug 1

It's happening! Aviation Cultures' team announce 2 Spotlight events to join the previously announced Mk.VIII Conference.

The Spotlights are free and online. With topic experts on aviation writing, you don't want to miss them! Stay tuned for details, experts, and maybe YOU can contribute too? -JDK

Three posterettes, one with two men (James (JDK) and Phil over reacting to 'Logbooks & AvDocs' in front of a bookcase, and dated 8 November 2025. Below is a man on a typewriter sitting in an aeroplane cockpit, with the title 'Print the Legend' and 27-28 February 2026. Last is the previously seen poster for the full Aviation Conferences Mk.VIII Conference with the Canadian Aviation Historical Society at the KF Centre for Excellence in Kelowna, Canada, and online, 17-20 June 2026.

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