Leslie Dawson was born in Southgate London. An active member of No 85 (Southgate) Squadron Air Training Corps, he first flew from Hendon, now home to the RAF Museum. A move to Dorset precluded over thirty years as a private pilot, glider and motor gliding instructor, with chief flying instructor status. He was also commissioned within the RAFVR(T). The success of his book Wings Over Dorset, a 100 year aviation history of the county, secured a series of television and radio interviews, begun with the BBC. A vice-president of Poole Flying Boats Celebration, his enthusiasm attracts packed audiences.
20th Century Passenger Flying Boats was written, and happily so. The author has liberated treasures of poignant moments captured on film from many private collections and albums. Another of the author's talents is relating the reader to the human dimension of this history.... This book will be enjoyed by the casual reader as well as enthusiasts for its embracing writing as well as its images, the vast majority of which cannot be seen elsewhere. It is an absolute treasure. --Travel for Aircraft [I] enjoyed finding out more about this unique aspect of air travel that is unlikely to be repeated, but played such an important part in the development of commercial aviation. --Airport Spotting