Aviation Cultures Conference

We’ve got some interesting tales to tell, factual and fictional - don’t miss any of it, including ‘the Jameses Show’ in the third session! -JDK

For everyone who has already registered—we’re excited to see you online! Top tip: pop a reminder in your phone so you don’t forget to log in. 👀

See you all there!

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Once registered, you’ll be able to join all three sessions using the same link.

With topics ranging from the Red Baron, Zeppelins, Legends, War stories, Pippo and scarecrows it will be a wonderful 3 sessions.

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If you haven’t registered yet, there’s still time. Simply click this link: unisq.zoom.us/.../register...

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It’s the final countdown to our Print the Legend event!
(If you sang that line in your head, you can thank me for the earworm later! 😊)

Our first session kicks off (or should we say “gets airborne"?) at 9:00am AEDT (Queensland time) on Friday, 27 February.

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Don't forget to register for Print the Legend!

Don’t take long though! -JDK

Last chance! Extended call for papers for AvCultures Conference Mk. VIII closes on 5th Feb, central Canada time, so get your paper in - we hope to see you in Kelowna, BC Canada in June!

(Not forgetting the forthcoming free, online Searchlight event 27-28 Feb.) aviationcultures.org/aviation-cul...

It’s terrific to share and expand on a peer’s insight - rare when we’re BOTH Jameses, ha!

Do come along to hear and several other experts (not called James) at the forthcoming ‘Print the Legend’ free online Spotlight. Join us for the Q&A there too!

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Aviation Cultures Searchlight: Print the Legend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar. Please join us as scholars, historians, biographers, practitioners and enthusiasts to explore the fascinating intersection of fact and fiction in aviation history. Inspired by the iconic quote, “When ...

You can register for this free, online event held on 27-28 February here: Register here: unisq.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

More details on our website regarding all the speakers, days and times for Print the Legend! aviationcultures.org/spotlights/p...

He has built an extensive website (www.iancastlezeppelin.co.uk) highlighting these air raids.

In December 2023 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

In addition, Ian regularly contributes articles to magazines and journals & has been involved in several television documentaries. He gives regular talks, presented a paper at the Aviation Cultures Conference in 2022.

aviationcultures.org/past-confere...

Ian Castle began writing military history over thirty years ago, but for the last seventeen years has focused on Germany’s First World War air raids on Britain. He has written several books and recently completed his ‘Forgotten Blitz’ trilogy, an in-depth study of the raids.

This paper will explore von Buttlar’s claims that led to the ‘Blue Max’ and compare them with the official British tracking reports which reveal his lack of enterprise and where his bombs actually fell.

a man in a suit and bow tie is smiling and says sneaky sneaky . ALT: a man in a suit and bow tie is smiling and says sneaky sneaky .

A Press blackout soon followed, banning the naming of places bombed. Seems von Buttlar recognized German intelligence was unlikely to discover where Zeppelin bombs had fallen & began to falsely report dramatic raids on important targets, while keeping close to the British coast & avoiding risks.

On his first raid von Buttlar was unable to tell where his bombs had fallen, only finding out it was the town of Maldon in Essex when he saw it reported in Germany via a Dutch newspaper. Adding the name Maldon to his report, he was later officially congratulated on his accurate targeting!

a close up of a otter wearing a leash . ALT: a close up of a otter wearing a leash .

An impressive achievement except for one thing – none of it was true.

Freiherr Treusch von Buttlar Brandenfels, the longest serving Zeppelin commander of WW1, was the only one awarded the ‘Blue Max’, Germany’s highest military order. He claimed four successful raids on London and others on important manufacturing towns and ports.

For our next presenter profile the Aviation Cultures team are thrilled to welcome Ian Castle to Print the Legend. His presentation is titled "Will the real Von Buttlar please stand up?"

Register here: unisq.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

#Aviation #Zepplins #AviationCulture

Don't miss it! It's free to attend our Print the Legend Spotlight event on 27-28 Feb online, and we have the full conference, in person in Kelowna, BC Canada and also online, so do join us!

We are still accepting papers for the AvCultures Conference in June, for details, see below!

Poster artwork for the Aviation Cultures Mk VIII Conference in Canada, 17-20 June 2026, Kelowna BC with the Canadian Aviation Historical Society and the KF Centre for Excellence.

The Call for Papers for the full AvCultures Mk VIII conference has been extended to 5 Feb! So you can still submit your paper and join us in person in Kelowna Canada at the Centre for Excellence, or online, in June. -JDK

The entry form is here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Aviation Cultures Searchlight: Print the Legend. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar. Please join us as scholars, historians, biographers, practitioners and enthusiasts to explore the fascinating intersection of fact and fiction in aviation history. Inspired by the iconic quote, “When ...

This paper emerges from her current project on the history of Australian war memoirs.
To see Amanda’s presentation during our Print the Legend event you need to register here: unisq.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

It's a FREE event! Do come along!

-TJH

Amanda is a historian and lexicographer based at the Australian National University. She is the author of numerous books and articles in Australian and US history, with an interest in book and publishing history, the social and cultural history of war, and the history of Australian English.
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Whose stories get told? What are some of the broad trends in aviation war memoirs in terms of authorship, publishing, and reception? How does the history of aviation war memoirs fit into the broader history of war memoirs?
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A significant subgenre of the war memoir has been the aviation war memoir. This paper will explore some aspects of the broader developments of the Australian aviation war memoir, with a focus on the publishing history of such memoirs. Who have written and published aviation war memoirs and why?
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War memoirs have been an enduring genre, but they have flourished since the memory and memoir booms of the 1980s and 1990s. They play an important role in shaping collective memories of war, and are a key way in which people engage with the story of war.
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Another of the presenters in Print the Legend (aviationcultures.org/spotlights/p...) will be Dr Amanda Laugesen, presenting “Flying War Stories: Australian Aviation War Memoirs, Publishing, and the Evolution of the Genre”.
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We always encourage people to attend LIVE. There is ALWAYS lively discussions to be had. Questions from the audience are encouraged.
There are no plans to record the sessions at this stage...

Sign up for this folks!
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