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Aviation History
1961
1961 - 1287.PDF
P. Murphy J. M. Nicholson R. M. Oliver S. B. Oliver G. R. I. Parker R. M. Oliver Gnat Trainer): Joined Folland Air-craft as a test pilot in 1957. Flew fighter aircraft during the war with the RAF (from Malta) andafter the war with 600 (City of London) Sqn, RAuxAF. Before joining Folland was chiefdevelopment engineer with the Connaught Engi- neering Co, working on and driving Grand Prixracing cars. S. B. Oliver (Jet Provost): Chief test pilot ofHunting Aircraft, which he joined in 1954. En- tered the RAF in 1942 and was commissioned in1945, transferring to the Royal Navy (Air Branch) later that year. Did an instructor's course at theCFS and took the ETPS course in 1950. Was Naval test pilot at the A&AEE (1951-52). G. R. 1. Parker (Buccaneer): 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 he carried out thefirst flight of the H.P.88, the Victor scale model. Holds the DFC and Bar, AFC, DSM and a King'sCommendation and has twice been mentioned in despatches. .lames Pollitt I Vulcan): Assistant chief test pilot.Bristol Siddeley Engines. Joined Armstrong Siddeley Motors as development test pilot afterleaving the RAF in 1956: specialized in Sapphire 7 and Sapphire 7 reheat development flying in Hun-ters, Javelins and Canberras. In the RAF. staff instructor at CFS with A2 category and IRE onVampires,. Meteors and Hunters. Member 60? Sqn. RAuxAF, 1956-57. J. Pollitt R. L. Porteous R. L. Porteous (Beagle AOP.ll): Sales manager.Beagle-Auster Ltd, formerly sales director (from 1956) and chief test pilot (from 1948), Auster Air-craft. Learned to fiy at Hatfield in 1935 and before the war was flying instructor, junior test pilot andsales representative with Phillips and Powis (Miles) Aircraft, Reading. In the RAFO from 1937onwards; president of the Central Examining Board, Rhodesia, 1944-45; manager and CF1,Derby Aero Club, 1947-48. In 1947 set up a 100km closed circuit record in a Chilton. K. M. Reed (Scout): Appointed Saunders-Roe chiefhelicopter test pilot in 1958. having joined the company in 1952 as senior helicopter test pilot.On July 14, 1959, became the first helicopter pilot to be awarded a GAPAN Master Air Pilot (TestPilot) Certificate. Served with Imperial Airways before joining the FAA in 1941. Two years latertook a helicopter flying course in the IJS and in 1944 a helicopter maintenance test pilots' course.Formed No 1 RN Helicopter Flight in 1945; two years later formed and commanded 705 Sqn.In 1949 joined Westland Aircraft as senior heli- copter test pilot. R. N, Rumbeiow (Jet Provost): Joined HuntingAircraft in April 1957 after serving in the RAF since 1951. Was with 208 Sqn in the Middle Eastfrom 1953 to 1955, then a flying instructor for the following two years. Winner of the WrightJubilee Trophy for aerobatics in 1956. W. H. Sear (Wessex): Seconded to Westland Air-craft in 1953 after completing the ETPS course in 1951 and being posted to "C" Sqn, A&AEE,Boscombe Down. Served in the RAF from 1942 to 1945. transferring in the latter year to theFAA. in which he was with 891 and subsequently 812 and 816 Sqns. After taking a CFS course wasappointed 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 (1951-56)before going to Boscombe Down. Denis Tayler (Short SCI): Chief test pilot of ShortBros since April I this year, having previously done a considerable amount of SB.5 and SCItest flying for Shorts, by arrangement with the MoA, while at RAE Farnborough. Served during the war with Nos 50 and 139 Sqns of BomberCommand, doing some 100 operational sorties. Posted to RAE Farnborough in July 1945 tofly German aircraft back to England; subsequently joined the establishment's Experimental FlyingDepartment. Flew with the Radio and Aerody- namic Flights, handling most of the post-warBritish research aeroplanes. Sqn Ldr E. A. Tennant (Gnat Trainer): Chief testpilot of Folland Aircraft, having joined the com- pany in June 1953. Served with the RAF duringthe war in 256 Sqn (Defiants) and 257 and 263 Sqns (Typhoons) and was awarded the DKC. In1949 went to ETPS and thence to the A&AEE at Boscombe Down, where he remained until join-ing Folland Aircraft. 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 89 Sqn in Singapore. Left the Servicein 1947, but rejoined the following year, with a permanent commission. Flew Hornets with 19Sqn. took CFS and ETPS courses and was with "A" Sqn at the A&AEE. P. M. R. Walton I 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 Service in1948, obtaining a BSC at Birmingham University in mechanical engineering. Joined 605 (Count>of Warwick! Sqn. RAuxAF, in 1949, becoming COin 1951. D. J. Whitchead (Buccaneer); Qualified as a pilotin the RAF in May 1945. three months later transferring to the Royal Navy, his service includ-ing a wide experience of many different types of aircraft. Took ETPS course' in 1954, and thefollowing year appointed to the Naval Test Squa- dron at Boscombe Down, where he flew 41 differenttypes and evaluated the Scimitar from the first prototype and deck-landing assessment through toCA release. Awarded AFC for this work. Was Lt Cdr on a permanent commission before retiringfrom the Navy to join Blackburn. P. R. D. Wilson (Belvedere): Joined Bristol AeroplaneCo as a test pilot in 1952 and engaged in test- flying the Sycamore. 173 and 192 helicopters.Learnt to fly in Cambridge in 1945 whilst serving as a regular Army officer; in 1946 joined theAirborne Forces Experimental Establishment at Beaulieu, returning there in 1949 as the Arm>helicopter test pilot. K. M. Reed R. N. Rumbelow W. H. Sear C. W. Simpson Denis Tayler Sqn Ldr E. A. Tennant P. W. R. Varley P. M. R. Walton D. J. Whitehead P. R. D. Wilson
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