A magazine advertisement today, featuring a Westland Whirlwind helicopter. But more it’s a classic ‘big sky, small world’ image, one which comes up again and again as a trope, and we’ll see another tomorrow.

Aeronautically, it’s a strong advert, pulling a ‘global’ reach globe together with the groundcrew man signalling the helicopter to come in to land. Artistically, it’s drawing on all sorts of figures in mythology and iconography, and the relation between the heavens and earth, bridged by the human figure – hardly a normal role for a technician!

James Kightly, Vintage Aero Writer.

Poster from The Aeroplane magazine in September 1955. Supplied by Phil Vabre.