Louis Stannard

After studying Aeronautical Engineering at the University of Illinois, LOUIS STANNARD graduated a distinguished graduate from Air Force pilot training. While in the Air Force, Captain Stannard served in the Military Air Transport Command, Headquarters USAF Europe, and the Presidential Support Squadron at Andrews AFB, Maryland. He then joined Pan Am and served in most capacities in Boeing 707 and 747 aircraft having accumulated over 23,000 hours in commercial and military aircraft. While serving with Pan Am, Mr. Stannard developed and patented EasyBid, a software solution for airline flight crew bidding systems. During his twenty-six years with Pan Am, he became intrigued with the story of four Clipper flying boats that fell in harm's way the day Pearl Harbor was bombed. After four years of research, he has woven the saga of those Clippers into China Diaries, a tale of war, love betrayal, cabaret life, espionage and pioneering aviation in pre-war China. Mr. Stannard writes articles for magazines, is a frequent speaker and has won one national and one international writing award. Mr. Stannard has lived in Germany, France, California, New England and North Carolina and has traveled to every continent except Antarctica. After Lockerbie and the airlines demise, he and his wife Carol explored the Caribbean on their 47-foot ketch, Sea Jay living in such places as Antigua, Trinidad, the Bahamas and Costa Rica. Mr. Stannard also holds a United States Coast Guard Master's Certificate. Mr. and Mrs. Stannard now live in North Carolina where he writes full time. His most interesting novel and screenplay to date is his story entitled China Diaries. It's a saga of two lovers caught up in the Chinese holocaust of the nineteen thirties.