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Aviation History
1960
1960 - 1868.PDF
436 FLIGHT, *SePtb Sqn Ldr L. De Vigne W. H. Else E. G. Franklin Sqn Ldr W. R. Gellatly Sqn Ldr J. G. Harrison THE FLYING-DISPLAY PILOTS ... Sqn Ldr L. De Vigne (Gnome Whirlwind): Testpilot with Westland Aircraft since 1953, having served in the RAF from 1940 to 1951. Won theDSO and DFC serving with No 627 Sqn (Mos- quitos) in the PFF. Test pilot with No 41 Group,Maintenance Command, 1945-46; took No 6 ETPS course, 1947; Service and civilian test pilotwith RAE Farnborough, 1948-52, being awarded AFC. Chief test pilot, Armstrong SiddeleyMotors, 1952-53. Carried out initial test flights on the deflected jet Meteor (Nene). O. J. Hawkins Sqn Ldr H. G. Hazelden P. Hillwood C. T. D. Hosegood J. J. M. Jeffery D. McM. Knight W. H. Else (Argosy): Joined Armstrong Whit-worth as a test pilot in 1947. Served with the RAF from the age of twenty, doing his initialtraining in Britain and becoming one of the first English pilots to train in the US. Flew fightersand fighter-bombers during the war, doing low- level attacks on pin-point targets. Was appointedto an OTU and then seconded to do armament trials at Boscombe Down. After joining AWA,attended the ETPS. Flew as second pilot on the Apollo's first flight and has also flown prototypemachines for the company. E. G. Franklin (Argosy): Chief test pilot of Arm-strong Whitworth Aircraft since January 1948, having re-joined the company (with whom hehad been an apprentice) in 1945 as a test pilot. Served during the war with Nos 78 and 35 Sqns(Whitleys and Halifaxes), winning the DFC and being awarded the AFC for instructional duties.Started test-flying in 1942, before completing a second tour of operations (in the PFF). AttendedNo 2 course at the ETPS in 1944, before going to the A and AEE and then to AWA. Sqn Ldr W. R. Gellatly (Rotodyne): Joined theRNZAF in 1940. Between 1942 and 1945 did 77 light bomber and GR operations; fromOctober 1944 to July 1945 commanded No 293 Sqn RAF; permanent commission, May 1947.CGI at No 231 OCU, 1947-48; flight com- mander, No 139 Sqn, until February 1950.ETPS course, 1950; helicopter flight commander at A and AEE, 1951-54. RAF Staff Collegecourse, 1954-55, then joined Fairey Aviation. Council member, Helicopter Association, 1953-55 and May 1956-May 1959. Sqn Ldr J. G. Harrison (Avro 748): Chief testpilot of A. V. Roe since January 1958; joined the company as a test pilot in February 1954.Entered the RAF as an apprentice in 1935; started flying in 1941. Completed training inCanada and became an instructor there. In 1944 posted to a Mosquito OTU and then served withNo 605 Sqn in 2nd TAF. ETPS course, 1949; joined the aerodynamics flight at the RAE, beingawarded the AFC. Has flown 87 types of aircraft. O. J. Hawkins (Vulcan): In 1958 joined A. V. Roeafter test flying with Gloster Aircraft Co. Served with the RNZAF in 1942, flying P.40s and Cor-saks; game to England in 1951 to join RAF. Appointed to RAE 1954 and subsequently toETPS. After completing the course, flew with "A" Sqn at Boscombe Down. Sqn Ldr H. G. Hazelden (Dart Herald): Appointedchief test pilot of Handley Page three months after joining the company in 1947. Flew Hamp-dens with No 44 Sqn during the war, winning the DFC and Bar. Subsequently instructed atNo 14 OTU then went to No 83 Sqn. Took the ETPS course and went to the A and AEE,later commanding the Heavy Aircraft Test Sqn. Appointed OC the Civil Aircraft Test Sectionand awarded a King's Commendation. Received the Queen's Commendation in 1958. P. Hillwood (Lightning): Began test-flying in 1945,while still in the RAF, following instructional duties. Pilot on the return journey of the Can-berra which on August 26. 1952, made a record two-way Atlantic crossing in lOhr 3min 18.13secat an average speed of 605.52 m.p.h. With R. P. Beamont was awarded the Britannia Trophyfor this flight. In February 1956 set' up an official London - Cairo record of 551.8 m.p.h. ina Canberra B.8. C. T, D. Hotegood (Belvedere): Bristol Aircraftchief helicopter test pilot since 1951. Served in the Fleet Air Arm during the war, being appointed to the first armed merchant eto be fitted with a satapult. One of th Naval pilots, sent to the USA for hdfctraining, serving with various experimental ivniV after his return to the UK in mid-W44 -Zloan to the RAF a. Beaulieu, ™her<TfeHeS copter Experimental^ Unit originated. Joined S> Bristol Aeroplane Co in 1948, to assist in hrt? copter test and development flying. J. J. M. Jeffery (Skeeter): Helicopter test Dilot with Saunders-Roe since 1950, havine serve? £ the FAA from 1940 to 1946.' talt^*™ helicopter instructor s course in the US W becoming helicopter instructor and test pilot at the Aerial Torpedo Development Unit Instruc tor and senior helicopter test pilot at the Air/Sea Warfare Development Unit, 1945-46. D. McM. Knight (Lightning): Began flying with the RAF in 1949, and from 1951 to 1954 was,m ^mb?-o£.1?° .62? (.C"y of Edinburgh) Saa RAuxAF. Joined English Electric ia June 1953. J. O. Lancaster (Argosy): Test pilot with Arm- strong Whitworth Aircraft since 1949, havinit been an apprentice with AWA in 1935 In 1937 joined the RAFVR and after the outbreak of war diw a multi-engine conversion course. Flew with Bomber Command and took part in the daylight raid on Brest. Was awarded the DFC. With the A and AEE, Boscombe Down, then joined Boul- ton Paul as a test pilot. Later transferred to Saunders-Roe and flew the SRA.l. J. G. McCowan (Argosy): Test pilot with Arm- strong Whitworth Aircraft. Joined the RAF as a Boy Entrant and in 1938 volunteered for flying duties. Did his flying training in Canada and returned to England in 1943. Served in India and Singapore, flew with a fighter squadron on the North-West Frontier and later became a rocket-firing instructor. After leaving the Ser- > vice, was maintenance test pilot with Airwork before joining AWA. Wg Cdr R. F. Martin (Javelin): Joined Gloster Aircraft in 1953 as chief test pilot. After train- ing at Cranwell (1937) flew with No 73 Sqn, Advanced Air Striking Force (1939-40); awarded DFC. Served in North Africa (1941) and awarded second DFC. Chief test pilot to 107 MU (1942-43); posted to Transport Command (1944). Took ETPS course in 1946 and appointed Flight Commander at RAE. Awarded AFC. Staff instructor at ETPS and attended No 2 course, RAF Flying College (1951). Before joining Glosters served in the Air Ministry. Pilot to the Shuttleworth Collection. H. C. H. Merewether (Hunter): A South African who joined Hawker Aircraft as a test pilot in 1954 after serving with the FAA (1943-46) and being trained as a pilot by the US Navy (1944- 45). In the RAFVR (1947-51) and with No 615 Sqn, RAuxAF (1951-56). Before joining Hawker was with Vickers-Armstrongs as a technician :r the research and development dept. Lt Cdr J. G. P. Morton (Rotodyne): Joined Fairey Aviation as a test pilot in September 1955, having previously been lent to the company by the Royal Navy, which he joined in 1943. Received flying training with the US Navy, then became a flignt commander in No 1835 Sqn (1944-45), ater serving in HMS Colossus and Theseus. FUgnt commander, helicopter flight, Underwater De- velopment Establishment (1949-50); subsequently at CFS, with No 705 Sqn, at the A and ,AEb and in HMS Centaur until lent to Fairey Aviation in March 1955. J. G. McCowan Wg Cdr R. F. Martin H. C. H. Merewether Lt Cdr J. G. P. Morton
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