Fairy Aviation Foster H Dixon

Don’t suppose you still have his flying logbooks do you, Prudence?

Sorry to take so long to reply! I have spoken to my brother who has the flying log and he would be willing for my father’s log to be archived. If you wish to contact him his email address is Peter Dixon
E-mail Address(es):
[email]Petejdixon@tiscali.co.uk[/email].
He will be away for a while in December

KInd regards Prudence

Dear Prudence,

I came across this picture when I was researching for my book on Rotodyne, you wil see that it has not only your father, but most of the Gyrodyne team, including Derek Garroway.

l-r back row: Ken Poulton, R D Trumper, L Baker, G B L Ellis, Dr J A J Bennet, E Parsons, J Oliver, J Gempster and F L Hodgess.
l-r Front row: Derek Garroway, Basil Arkell, F H Dixon, S Verge and J Gillan.

Basil Arkell died just over a week ago.

Hope all this helps Judwin

Thank you very much for the photo, I have just written an article for the Englefield Estate magazine, the accident happened on their land. This involved a detailed study of the accident report. It made sad, horriffic and courageous reading all at the same time. It confirmed my view that Fairey’s should have done a lot more to care for my mother with 4 young children. I tried over the years to get her more help but they were not interested. Ifyou come across more info about his flying history I am always interested.
Kind regards Prudence

Related question…
Any comments/reviews on Putnam’s Fairey Aircraft since 1915 by H.A. Taylor?
I was thinking of buying a copy for Christmas….

Foster H Dixon

Pru
I replied to your enquiry about your dad earlier this year but have not heard from you.
Billbattle

Dear Prudence,

I came across this picture when I was researching for my book on Rotodyne, you wil see that it has not only your father, but most of the Gyrodyne team, including Derek Garroway.

l-r back row: Ken Poulton, R D Trumper, L Baker, G B L Ellis, Dr J A J Bennet, E Parsons, J Oliver, J Gempster and F L Hodgess.
l-r Front row: Derek Garroway, Basil Arkell, F H Dixon, S Verge and J Gillan.

Basil Arkell died just over a week ago.

Hope all this helps Judwin

Just for extra detail of this thread, your father Foster Dixon was sadly killed along with flight observer D Garroway during fast runs with Gyrodyne VX591 on 17 April ’49.

The Gyrodyne, albeit allocated the military serial VX591, was actually still civil-registered as G-AKIF at the time of the crash.

As another Fairey fan and researcher, I really look forward to seeing a book on Christopher Staniland.
David Masters was another Ringway/Heaton Chapel production, test and display pilot of course.

Just for extra detail of this thread, your father Foster Dixon was sadly killed along with flight observer D Garroway during fast runs with Gyrodyne VX591 on 17 April ’49.
He is listed as a Chief Test Pilot in some sources, and I’m wondering if this was for the rotary division of Fairey.

Fairey Aviation Foster H Dixon

Prudence
My friend John Adams noted your request for information about your father and said he would pass my name on. That was a short time ago, so –
I have researched all aspects of Fairey Aviation for over 50 years and have been putting a book together about your dad’s boss – F/Lt Christopher S Staniland, who was Chief Test Pilot at Fairey from 1930 until June 1942 when he was killed test flying the second Firefly prototype Z1827. Your father took over until after the war when Gordon Slade became Chief Test Pilot. The other pilot you mentioned was Sam Moseley, who was a production test pilot for the Fairey Northern factories at Stockport/Ringway. I have written numerous books/articles about Fairey aircraft. Maybe we can help each other – I can be contacted as [email]william@harrison_site.net[/email]
Billbattle

Don’t suppose you still have his flying logbooks do you, Prudence?

Prudence, Hi,
Try pasting this into yr search engine
http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/search.aspx?ArchiveSearchForm%3Asearch=F+H+Dixon&ArchiveSearchForm%3AfromYear=1939&ArchiveSearchForm%3AtoYear=1970&x=32&y=6.
Give you something to go on!
HTH
Resmoroh