For anybody who may be interested, my autobiography is now available for sale. It’s available to buy from various book sellers, but we do have a number of copies for sale ourselves. Below is the not very modest press release, written by the publisher!

“This is an extraordinary story, beginning with a bare-foot colonial childhood, and indeed not speaking English until he was four, yet ending up at Cambridge, ultimately dealing at the highest levels of the Russian aviation industry. Richard Goode’s life has been a fascinating series of activities, both social and business, dealing with an incredible range of people from the notorious Ugandan dictator, Idi Amin, to whom he was selling banknotes (legally) to a car dealer who was embroiled in the Brinks-Mat gold robbery (illegally); dealing with Russian spies at the behest of MI5; international corporate headhunting and aerobatics at the highest levels. And all this with a huge zest for living life to the full.

Highlights of his life have included:

• As a teenager, hitchhiking from London to Cape Town
• Becoming one of the world’s top aerobatic pilots and making his own very successful aerobatic aircraft
• Buying the first privately owned Russian aeroplane in the West and then acting as a sales agent for Sukhoi
• Selling over 450 aircraft and the world’s only privately-owned Harrier jet fighter
• Establishing a barely-credible business sending people from the West to fly front-line Russian jet fighters
• Totally restoring three significant English listed country houses and a run-down tea estate in Sri Lanka
• Owning a wide variety of cars from old bangers to Jaguar XKs, vintage Rolls-Royces to modern Ferraris

Throughout, his life been anything but straightforward, with a fair share of crashes and calamities. Financially, he narrowly avoided meltdown in the ruinous Lloyds insurance crash of the 1990s; he successfully faced up to the Russian Mafia and was even served with an Interpol arrest warrant! Most dramatic was the structural failure of his aerobatic plane during a public display resulting in a barely-survivable, catastrophic accident, leading to three months in a hospital bed.

We live in a very sanitised and protected world and it is refreshing to read this story about a man who has been prepared to take risks and also to accept the consequences of them, whether positive or negative. A thrilling, real-life tale.

This book is complemented by a rich selection of appealing and fascinating images.”

We’re already receiving a number of rave reviews for the book!

“…all I can say is just get on and order a copy of Living the Goode Life now! I do not think we will see a better autobiography or even aviation book this year.” Philip Whiteman, Editor, Pilot magazine

“…to my great delight, ‘Living the Goode Life’ arrived today and I haven’t been able to put it down yet.  As well as being fascinatingly interesting, it’s a lovely upbeat book and, characteristically, you only have nice things to say about everyone.  What an amazing life!” David

“Thanks very much for your book which I read with great interest during this past weekend. You are telling so many beautiful and captivating life stories experienced on your journeys spanning truly the entire globe and so many different cultures. I thought the book is very well written and I loved the humour shown in the language and in the many fascinating events described in the different chapters. I think that your hard work, commitment and support is invaluable for a significant community of aircraft enthusiasts and I can say that I probably would not have taken up flying without having come across your website.” Michael

“A tremendous story, well told. Wonderfully and generously illustrated” James

“Your book is fabulous, bloody interesting and brilliantly written” Henry

“My wife is not talking to me as I can’t put your book down” Robin

“What an amazing life story you have to tell. You have not wasted a moment of your time!” Jon

“It is a gripping high-octane read and is “unputdownable!”  A-B Magazine, August 2020

“The stories about aviation and of course, particularly about the Russian planes are magnificent.” Jan

“I can vouch for the fact that, yours is a fascinating story.” Barbara

 “What an amazing story.  And what an achievement remembering it all and then capturing it in such an inspirational style.” Steve

 “Congratulations for this beautiful book.”  Simon

“Richard, your book is the best thing since the Indiana Jones movie!”  Jeremiah

Specifications: Jacketed Hardback, 376 pages, 240 mm x 170 mm, all printed on art-paper and weighing 2.8lbs (1.3kg). With over 210 colour, black and white photographs and illustrations.

To buy a copy or for more information, please email us at: richard.goode@russianaeros.com or telephone us on +44 (0) 1544 340120