Retired Display Pilots

I recall comment being made in a magazine about the concern of lack of types to use for conversion especially in the multi-engine category. Wouldn’t the sight of an Oxford flying be nice…?
I understand the single engine route promoted by ARCo is similar in some respects to what would be the military route.
OAW

Originally posted by Black Knight
Don’t ARCO do a programme that will take you all the way from a Chipmunk to a Spitfire?

This is what the two-seater Spitfire, G-CCCA (ex-PV202/IAC161), is for.

Rod Dean is still active, he’s air testing the Hunt bros Chipmunk this afternoon from Redhill. It has just had it annual, the engine has been re-furbished, it had a crack in the compressor case.

Don’t ARCO do a programme that will take you all the way from a Chipmunk to a Spitfire?

There are always the daughters and sons of the current display pilots/owners. They have the best potential. And acclaimed/competent aerobatic pilots do too. There are plenty around.

You’ll also find insurance is another key factor. To draw a parallel, you’d struggle to get a 21 year old insured to drive a Ferrari F40. Imagine how difficult it would be to get a low houred pilot onto a warbird. Public liability claims being what they are, it’s nigh on impossible.

That said, I do concur with Trumper’s viewpoint to an extent. While the likes of Andy Sephton, Charlie Brown, Lee Proudfoot, Andy Cubin et al are a long way away from the knacker’s yard (and long may they remain so), there do seem to be relatively few opportunities for young (ish) pilots to get onto the bottom rungs. The only exception that springs to mind at the moment is Glenn Denney, although I’m sure there must be more. Certainly display flying is something that I’d love to get into eventually, even if it’s just puttering along in straight lines in a Chipmunk in fifteen years time… 😀

That’d be Bob Hoover then…

Point is he RETIRED, no hole in the ground there.

Bob Hoover, now retired ! (reluctantly)

Originally posted by DOUGHNUT
There must be many high houred military and commerical pilots out there who given the opertunity could undertake training to become warbird display pilots.

Thanks to the BBMF there must be quite a number of RAF pilots kicking about that have gained the required experience after flying with the BBMF.
As this is an ongoing situation it’s surprising that more of these are not filtering into civvie warbird flying…..:confused:

Most ‘old’ display pilots are a) younger than most politicians, b) fitter, though they can drink more c) more trustworthy (a relative term if you at the bar next to a politician rather and a pilot. Yet we let our countries be run by piloticians. 😉

‘Old’ display pilots are also (way more importantly) ‘old’ because they are not ‘bold’. I leave you with the quote:

“There are old polits, and bold pilots, but there are no old bold pilots.”*

Cheers

*Apart from Ray Hannah and Lefty Gardner and Mr North American whose name escapes me at the mo.

It’s a way off, but I fully plan on displaying my Isaacs Spit when I eventually get her finished…

pick me !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Trumper
“you would allow someone else to display your plane if you could’nt”

There is a difference between gaining pleasure in owning and flying an aircraft and giving public displays.
Just because an owner is not able to give a public display because of either experiance or health grounds does not stop him flying the ‘just for fun’ or carrying out transit flights, assuming he (or she) has the necessary type certificate.
There must be many high houred military and commerical pilots out there who given the opertunity could undertake training to become warbird display pilots. Starting with Tiger Moth / Havard, moving on to the big stuff later.

DOUGHNUT

🙂 OK ,not sure how this will go down but here goes,over the last few years i have noticed and heard comments in the crowds about how old the display pilots seem to be now,i know that flying gear isn’t flattering but you notice when someone is walking to the aircraft and you think mmmmm.
Looking at the list of pilots that have retired from display flying [ for whatever reason] i wonder where the next generation of pilots will come from and if indeed you would allow someone else to display your plane if you could’nt,why finance a plane if you’re not getting the pleasure of flying it.
I would guess that to own and operate your own aircraft you would probably be a certain age group that can afford it,your average 21 year old isn’t unless he has a rich family or friend helping out.
What is the average age now of a warbird operator/pilot,does age make any difference,i think that experience is irreplaceable but how is that balanced by the subject of age.

Tom Maloney retired last year with a superb display in his Strikemaster at Duxford.

Good news though, Andy Sephton is back this year after a year off due to health reasons. Is Rod dean back as well?

I seem to remember that Lindsay Wlaton was quite big in Potatoes.

I was told that previously that Lindsay Walton retired from display work due to health problems a few years ago.

Didn’t Pete Jarvis have to retire from flying on health grounds.

I’m sure Chris Bevan also fly’s some of the Air Atlantique Historic Fleet.

Septic.

Chris Bevan is still flying, displaying the Harvard and Yak 11 for Rob Davies at times, as well as assisting others hone their flying skills based on his experience, a very interesting person to chat to as well.

Eddie Coventry doesn’t display any more, still has his Cap10 though.