My sensible one- Raymond Baxter, legend – when a kid i idolised Keith, the Castle Air Chopper pilot off of ‘Treasure Hunt’ (does anyone remember when he landed a JetRanger on a submarine in the North Sea…genius) and Nick Grace – after seeing ‘A Perfect Lady’, i helped wheel out ML407 at Brunters and he let me sit in the cockpit – i was 7……. 🙁
Over to you….
TT
By: Camlobe - 25th February 2006 at 18:53
My vote has to be Her Majesty’s Royal Air Force pilot recrutment system. For eighteen years, in various parts of the world, in weather fair and foul, no matter how bad the situation seemed at the time, the recipients of Her Majesty’s Wings allways got me home. A belated thank you to you all.
By: PaulR - 25th February 2006 at 11:48
All the ex-RAF aircrew working with my dad for Airwork in Africa in the 60s and 70s who transfixed me, a mere stripling, with their tales of derring do and gave me flights in JPs, DC3s, F27s, Dornier 27s and 28s and Piaggios.
Great men, great tales, great times.
Heroes all.
By: The Blue Max - 25th February 2006 at 08:15
There are to many to mention, but only one really matters.
My Dad.
By: galdri - 25th February 2006 at 00:51
And how fast is a fast roll in a Hawk T1A? 360° a second? 😉 😀
By: BIGVERN1966 - 25th February 2006 at 00:29
Flt Lt Dave Scott RAF of 234(R) Sqn 4 FTS RAF Valley who let me do some fast rolls in a Hawk T1A at 17,000 ft in December 1993 (after showing me North Wales at some interesting angles at 500 Kts at less than 400 ft).
By: scotavia - 24th February 2006 at 23:50
heros
All the aircrew at Blackpool between 1963 …1968 who said yes when I asked as a very young boy to look inside their airliners…DC3,Herald,Viscount,Ambassador,Viking…I still have the logbooks of which aircraft they were but sadly no names.
And the Warton Lightning test pilot who got a get well card from three of us schoolkids when he ejected. He sent a signed Lightning pic back to us three,pity I was not the one who kept it.
Finally all the RAFVRT Chipmunk pilots who flew so many air cadets on those amazingly thrilling short trips.
By: wessex boy - 24th February 2006 at 17:41
Kelly Johnson – Head of design at Lockheed:
Electra, P38, Constellation, U2, Starfighter, SR71 to name but a few of his babies.
Sqn Ldr Jack Jones, My Grandad’s boss at Channel Airways, he went from pleasure flying Puss moths to Europes 2nd largest Airline in less than 3 decades 🙂 …then lost it all a decade later…. 🙁
By: TEXANTOMCAT - 24th February 2006 at 17:38
Nice one Janie, spot on.
TT
By: Chipmunk Carol - 24th February 2006 at 17:33
Mark Jefferies: Because he trusted me to import a Yak-52 from Lithuania when I had less than an hour’s experience on one – and I didn’t let him down.
Jerry Yagen: Because he trusted me to fly his Chipmunk solo to Oshkosh; display it at the show and return home – and I didn’t let him down.
Pete Vandersluice: Because he trusted me to do aerobatics from the front seat of his T6 when I had barely 100 hours under my belt.
There are a million super aviation heros out there, it’s the ones who trust me to fly their aeroplanes that I treasure the most.
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February 24, 2006 at 5:21 pm