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Aviation History
1960
1960 - 1871.PDF
FLIGHT, 9 September 1960 437 THE FLYING-DISPLAY PILOTS . • • p Murphy (Victor B.2): Joined Handley Page in1=58 after being with Vickers-Armstrongs (Air- craft) since 1951 as an experimental test pilot,engaged in Valiant and Viscount development. Had previously served in the RAF, qualifying asa pilot in 1947 and from 1948 to 1951 serving with Nos 56 and 66 (day-fighter) Sqns. Was aerobatict»am leader and, flying Meteors, took part in many displays including that for the Festival ofBritain in June 1951. n M Oliver (Gnat): Joined Folland Aircraft as atest pilot in 1957. Flew fighter aircraft during th° war with the RAF (in the Battle of Britainand from Malta) and after the war with No 600 (City of London) Sqn, RAuxAF. Before joiningFolland was chief development engineer with the Connaught Engineering Co, working on anddriving Grand Prix racing cars. S B. Oliver (Jet Provost): Chief test pilot of Hunt-ing Aircraft, which he joined in 1954. Entered the RAF in 1942 and was commissioned in 1945,transferring to the Royal Navy (Air Branch) later that year. Did an instructor's course at the CFSand took the ETPS course in 1950. Was Naval test pilot at the A and AEE (1951-52). I. R. S. Overbury (Jet Provost): Joined HuntingAircraft in 1959 from Saunders-Roe, with whom he had been since 1956, undertaking develop-ment flying on the SR.53. Had previously served ill the Royal Navy since 1943, being granted apermanent commission in 1950. With Nos 816 and 810 Sqns (HMS Ocean and Theseus); CFScourse, 1950; ETPS course, 1953; Naval Test Sqn, A and AEE, 1954-56. Holds point-to-pointrecords for London - Amsterdam in a Sea Hawk, Rome - Malta in a Sea Venom. Won D.H.Trophy in 1954. Did initial deck-landings in D.H.110 (Sea Vixen). G. R. I. Parker (NA.39): Having served in theRAF and FAA and been a test pilot at the RAE, joined General Aircraft in May 1948. His flyingthere included the tail-less glider, and whilst with Blackburn & General Aircraft carried outthe first flight of the H.P.88, the Victor scale model. Holds the DFC and Bar, AFC, DSMand a King's Commendation and has twice been mentioned in despatches. H. Phillips (Sprite): Joined Saunders-Roe in 1958as a helicopter test pilot, having been on heli- copter testing since 1955 at the A and AEE.Previously served in the Royal Navy from 1934, training as a FAA pilot in 1939. Was commis-sioned in 1943. After serving in HMS Illus- trious and Formidable completed a helicoptercourse in 1949. From 1950 to 1952 was with the US Navy, then commanded Nos 706 and845 Sqns (1953-55). K. M. Reed (Gnome Wasp): Appointed Saunders-Roe chief helicopter test pilot in 1958, having joined the company in 1952 as senior helicoptertest pilot. On July 14, 1959, became the first helicopter pilot to be awarded a GAP AN MasterAir Pilot (Test Pilot) Certificate. Served with Imperial Airways before joining the FAAin 1941.Two years later took a helicopter flying course in the US and in 1944 a helicopter maintenancetest pilots' course. Formed No 1 RN Helicopter Flight in 1945 and two years later formed andcommanded No 705 Sqn. In 1949 joined West- land Aircraft as senior helicopter test pilot. P. Murphy R. N. Rumbelow (Jet Provost): Joined HuntingAircraft in April 1957 after serving in the RAF since 1951. Was with No 208 Sqn in the MiddleEast from 1953 to 1955, then a flying instructor for the following two years. Winner of theWright Jubilee Trophy for aerobatics in 1956. W. H. Sear (Westminster): Seconded to WestlandAircraft in 1953 after completing the ETPS course in 1951 and being posted to "C" Sqn,A and AEE, Boscombe Down. Served in the RAF from 1942 to 1945, transferring in thelatter year to the FAA, in which he was with No 891 and subsequently Nos 812 and 816 Sqns.After taking a CFS course was appointed Naval instructor at RAF Syerston. C. W. Simpson (Argosy): Joined Armstrong Whit-worth Aircraft as a test pilot after being on the RAF handling squadron at Boscombe Down.Originally joined the RAF in 1942, training in Canada and staying there as a flying instructoruntil 1944. Next year transferred to the FAA and on demobilization returned to LoughboroughCollege. Spent two years as a technical assistant with Bristol Aero Engines then rejoined the RAFin 1950, serving as an instructor with Flying Training and Coastal Commands (1951-1956)before going to Boscombe Down. Sqo Ldr E. A. Tennant (Gnat): Chief test pilotof Folland Aircraft, having joined the company in June 1953. Served with the RAF during thewar on No 256 Sqn (Defiams) and No 257 Sqn (Typhoons) and was awarded the DFC. In 1949went to the ETPS, Farnborough, and thence to the A and AEE at Boscombe Down, where heremained until joining Folland Aircraft. G. F. Thornton (Dove): Joined de Havilland Air-craft from the RAF in 1949 as a production and development test pilot at Hatfield and is nowattached to the sales department. Trained in the US (1942-43) and flew Mustangs and Spitfireswith No 2 Sqn, 2nd TAF (1944-45). Was with No 208 Sqn in Palestine (1947). then at the CFE,West Raynham, for his last two years of RAF service. Holds the DFC. E. B. Trubshaw (Vanguard): Chief test pilot ofVickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) since July 1960. Before joining Vickers in 1951 was a King'sFlight pilot (from August 1946 to December 1948) and on the staff of the Empire FlyingSchool at Hullavington during 1949. Later he was on the staff of the RAF Flying College atManby. P. W. R. Varley (Argosy): Test pilot with Arm-strong Whitworth Aircraft, which he joined after four years with Gloster Aircraft, where he wasdeputy chief test pilot. In the RAF from 1941, flying with No 89 Sqn in Singapore. Left theService in 1947, but rejoined the following year, with a permanent commission. Flew Hornetswith No 19 Sqn, took CFS and ETPS courses and was with "A" Sqn at the A and AEE. R. M. Oliver S. B. Oliver J. R. 5. Overbury G. R. I. Parker H. Phillips K. M. Reed P. M. R. Walton (Argosy): Started test flying withArmstrong Whitworth Aircraft in 1953, after a short time on the company's design staff. Joinedthe RAF in 1942 and later instructed at South Cerney and Church Lawford. Left the Servicein 1948, obtaining a BSc at Birmingham Uni- versity in mechanical engineering. Joined No 605(County of Warwick) Sqn, RAuxAF, in 1949. becoming CO in 1951. D. J. Whitehead (NA.39): Qualified as a pilot inthe RAF in May 1945, three months later trans- ferring to the Royal Navy, his service includinga wide experience of many different types of air- craft. Took ETPS course in 1954, and the fol-lowing year appointed to the Naval Test Squad- ron at Boscombe Down, where he flew 41different types and evaluated the Scimitar from the first prototype and deck-landing assessmentthrough to the CA release. Awarded AFC for this work. Was Lt Cdr on a permanent commis-sion before retiring from the Navy to join Blackburn. G. Worrall (Javelin): Chief production test pilotwith Gloster Aircraft since 1954, having joined the company in 1950. Previously served withthe RAF (1941-48), then with No 616 Sqn, RAuxAF. Has over 2,600hr on different types. R. N. Rumbelow W. H. Sear C. W. Simpson Sqn Ldr E. A. Tennant G. F. Thornton £ fi. Trubshaw P. W. R. Varley P. M. R. Walton D. J. Whitehead G. Worrall
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