Flight International contributor Paul Duffy, who died on 16 January, will be remembered for his infectious enthusiasm for aviation, writes Malcolm Nason. Paul started supplying material to Flight and other aviation journals in 1960 aged 14. He qualified as an accountant, but spent his spare time in the aviation world, setting up air-to-air photographic shoots for which he gained a global name. Paul always insisted on a full safety briefing for these missions, marking the start of an almost obsessive interest in promoting aviation safety. In 1983 Paul launched Irish Aviator magazine which he ran until 1986. Following his first wife Anita's death in 1989, Paul became a full time writer with a keen interest in aviation behind the iron curtain. He spent much of his time in Moscow reporting on developments after the Soviet Union's break-up. In the mid-1990s he joined the board of the Irish Aviation Authority. In recent years Paul suffered from debilitating illness, which he bore with fortitude. Over the years Paul organised many safety conferences and it was while en route to give a talk in the Middle East that he died. Paul is survived by his second wife Svetlana and daughter Natasha.
Source: Flight International