Alan Phillips was born in Pembrokeshire, but now resides in Colwyn Bay. He was educated at Preseli Secondary School and Swansea University, before joining the RAF in 1965, later moving to the Ministry of Defence. As a lifelong aviation enthusiast, he has written several articles for aviation magazines, as well as several books, including Sixty Years of Leeds Bradford Airport, Military Airfields of Wales, Civil Aviation in Wales, Brawdy, Defending Wales: The Coast and Sea-Lanes, and Wales and the Air War 1914-1918. Now that he is retired, he finds he has more time to pursue his interest in aviation.