Geoff Goodchild was born in Lincolnshire in 1951. Surrounded by busy airfields and treated daily to the sights and sounds of the latest hardware the aviation industry could produce, he resolved at an early age to become a pilot. He qualified in 1969, going on to pursue a long career as an airline captain, serving in various roles within the airline as a training captain and examiner and as a Fleet Manager. He retired from the airline in 2006 flying long - haul on the state of the art Airbus aircraft from London Heathrow airport and continues to work in flight simulators with trainee airline pilots. His first close encounter with Thor came at the age of 9, at a site close to his home; this kindled a deep-rooted fascination with missiles in general and Thor in particular which has never subsided. A long quest to discover more about the technical side of Thor began, this book being the result of those researches. He has served as a local councillor and council vice - chairman leading on police liaison matters and a local charity. Always passionate about anything that could be made to fly; his hobbies include rocketry, aero modelling and light aviation, being an active member of a busy flying club. Away from aviation, he enjoys motoring and is a keen follower of F1 motor sport. He lives with his partner Jan and their two sons (both pilots) in rural Northamptonshire.