Robin Brooks was born in Sevenoaks, Kent, and served as an apprentice as an electrician before National Service in the RAF. Being an air cadet, he enjoyed his service in the trade of author writing aircraft servicing schedules. After demob, he did not want to return to being an electrician and took a job as a display designer in London. Brooks later returned to the tools and became an office equipment engineer initially on typewriters, but then moved to copiers and fax machines. Brooks retired early to enjoy his hobby that he has now become a full-time occupation i.e. aviation.