Paul Albert Hartman DFC, AFC,CD 1918-1990

Paul Hartman moved to South Portland, Maine in 1933 where he was educated and learned to fly. He enlisted in 1941 in the RCAF and graduated as a pilot the same year. Hartman then completed operational training in Northern Ireland and joined No. 69 Squadron, RAF at Malta in 1942 where he flew a Wellington bomber on night operations. At the end of the war, Hartman served at the Test and Development Establishment at Rockcliffe, Ontario and later was named the commanding officer of the Central Experimenting and Proving Establishment. His extensive flying experience in all RCAF aircraft placed him in the role of test pilot of the CF-100 and the F-68E acceptance trials

Hans Werner-Lerche 1914-1994

Hans Werner-Lerche was a Luftwaffe Test Pilot during WW2. He flew over 120 different aircraft types, including evaluation of many allied aircraft. He was the principal pilot of the Luftwaffe test site at Mecklenburg Rechlin 1945.

Frank W.Davis 1914-xxxx

XP-81 first flight by Frank Davis

Frank Wilbur Davis was an engineer test pilot for Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation. His service experience dated from graduation, as he was on active duty with the U.S.N.R. in 1936 and 1937, the regular U. S. Marine Corps from 1937 to 1940, and was on inactive duty with the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve. He joined Consolidated Vultee in 1940 as an engineering test pilot and remained with the company  (though changed names several times) in various positions until his retirement from General Dynamics Corporation in 1974.
He flight tested the following aircraft types BT-13, BT-15, P-66, XP-54,XP-81,XA-41, A-31 and A-35.

Capt. Mark G. Feuerstein

Capt. Mark Feuerstein is chief pilot of 747 programs for The Boeing Company. In this position, Feuerstein is responsible for engineering flight-test activities related to all Boeing 747 airplane models. He is also involved in design activities of the new Boeing 747-8. He was appointed to this role in October 2007.

Feuerstein joined The Boeing Company in 1997. His previous assignments include chief pilot for new airplane product development, assistant chief pilot 747, assistant chief pilot 787, and deputy military and special projects pilot. He has more than 7,000 hours of flight time in over 100 types of airplanes, and holds an FAA type rating in the 707, 737, 747, 747-400, 757, 767, 777, A-320 and A-330 airplanes.

Feuerstein received his bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering from Purdue University in 1981. In 1987, he graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School as an engineering test pilot. In 1994, he received his Masters of Science in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School.

Feuerstein is an associate fellow in the Society of Experimental Test Pilots and is the Boeing Commercial Airplanes pilot representative to SAE International's Flight Deck and Handling Qualities Standards for Transport Aircraft committee (S-7).

William R. "Ray" Young 1933-2008

Ray Young was born July 19, 1933 in French Camp Calif.  Ray worked for NASA as a Flight Test Engineer on both the YF-12/SR-71 programs at Edwards and the 747 that carried the space shuttle. He was  a retired Colonel in the US Air Force

Howard J.T Saint DSC 1893-1976

Capt. Howard Saint was Gloster's Chief test pilot from 1926 until 1933.

Saint was a student at Manchester University.Held the rank of Chief Petty Officer with the Royal Naval Armoured Cars, and was commissioned as a Sub Lieutenant in August 1915.Undertook flying instruction in 1916.8 Flight B Squadron 5 Wing (later No.5 Squadron) flying bombers from September 1916 to 24th July 1917.No.10 Squadron from 26th July 1917 to 26th October 1917.Martlesham Heath serving as a test pilot until the end of the war.Holder of Commercial Licence No.1.Commercial pilot for Air Transport and Travel until 1922.Regularly competed in air races. In June 1919, Placed 5th in the Victory Aerial Derby around London (6th on handicap) flying an Airco DH9B. In September 1919 won a race around Holland. Rejoined the RAF in 1922, serving as a test pilot at the Royal Aircraft Factory.Joined the Gloster Aircraft Company in 1927 as Chief Test Pilot. In 1934 the Gloster Aircraft Company was acquired by Hawker Aircraft Ltd., and Saint was replaced by P.E.G. Sayer, Hawker’s Assistant Chief Test Pilot. Saint moved on to test machines for George Parnall and Company Ltd. This employment lasted just one year as Parnall and Company was acquired by Nash & Thompson Ltd. in 1935, the new company being concerned with the design and manufacture of aircraft gun turrets.Worked for the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough as a Flying Control Officer, until his retirement when he lived at Hove, Sussex. DSC gazetted on 2nd November 1917.

Quinten 'QB' Burden

Quinten 'QB' Burden joined the US Navy in 1941. He became a test pilot with Douglas Aircraft in 1950 and was involved in production flight test on the AD, F3D and A3D. He performed the flutter test on the DC-8. He made the maiden flight of the Lockheed X-26 (QT-2  Army Acoustic Research Aircraft) in July 1967.

Jesse Wallick

On Feb. 9, 1969 the first Boeing 747 made its maiden flight with 

flight engineer Jesse Wallick, pilots Jack Waddell and Brien Wygle

Eugene (Gene) Whigham 1922-2005

Eugene (Gene) Whigham was a flight test engineer for Convair in San Diego for many years. Aircraft for which he had responsibility include the Sea Dart, the Guppy, and several production commercial transports. During his life he designed, built, and flew seven sailplanes. Gene’s first design, the Whigham GW-1, flew in 1959 and had a max L/D of 29 at 55 mph. Other designs followed with various configurations including one with v-tail and another with flaps. Gene competed in some regional and national competitions and earned his Silver Badge in 1957 and Gold in 1962.

Peter A Wilson 1925-

P.A. Wilson joined de Havilland. in 1957 as a Comet Development Test pilot. He served in the RAF from 1942 with No's 42 with 558 and 160 Squadrons. S.E.A.A.F. He joined Scottish Airline in 1948 and BEA in 1950. He moved to the BOAC Comet fleet in 1952 and on to the Constellation fleet in 1954. He was Development pilot with Hunting-Clan Air Transport from 1955 before returning to the Company.

James A Read

John Desmond Penrose B.Sc.,D.L.C.,C.Eng.,F.R.Ae.S.,F.R.S.A.1930-

John Desmond Penrose was born 1st. May, 1930. He was educated at Loughborough College. He was taught to fly at the Nottingham University Air Squadron (1947-8 winner Johnathan Cash Trophy), soloing on 14^th April 1948. He was Commissioned in the  Royal Air Force on 19th. September, 1951.

He flew with 208 (F.R.) Sqn, on Gloster Meteor F.R.9’s. He was on  No 174 Course ,Central Flying School, (winner Clarkson Aerobatic Trophy), followed by time at Cranwell as a Jet Instructor. Whilst there he formed the Vampire Aerobatic Team.  In 1958 he was selected for No 17 Course E.T.P.S and following that served 4 years as a test pilot at Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough.

In 1961, he was invited by John Cunningham to resign his commission and join de Havillands as a development test pilot. He was involved as project test pilot for the D.H.110/22. He also performed spinning trials on the aircraft (M.O.S. refused funding for spinning trials). He was the chase pilot for the maiden flight of the Trident. He displayed the Trident 3B at the S.B.A.C show at Farnborough with . John Cunningham in the right hand seat (the only time that he ever occupied the right seat at a Farnborough display).

In 1972, he piloted the delivery of the first and second Tridents to China ,planning the route which had to be approved by the Foreign Office. He spent two months in China training Chinese Crews.

He was a Shuttleworth Collection display pilot between 1964-2005. He has flown of 300 types.  He restored two aircraft a 1932 Arrow Active, G-ABVE which was a racing and aerobatic biplane. He came 2^nd in the 1980 King's Cup race ( in the only open cockpit, non wheel-brakes, non radio biplane) and owned this aircraft for 23 years. He also owned for 17years the 1936 Percival Mew Gull, G-AEXF, racing monoplane (which was famously flown by Alex Henshaw).  He is Vice President: Historic Aircraft Association, Vintage Aircraft Club.

John de Havilland 1918-1943

John de Havilland was a little under 25 years of age when he was killed during a test flight of a de Havilland Mosquito Mark VI, flying with flight test observer John H. F. Scrope, he collided in the vicinity of St Albans with another Mosquito Mark VI flown by pilot George Gibbins. Both aircraft were made of wood, and disintegrated in the air, killing all four occupants aboard.

He was the third son of Capt. Geoffrey de Havilland, founder and technical director of the De Havilland Aircraft Co., Ltd. John de Havilland was a sergeant in the R.A.F.V.R. before
the war, but was released to become a test pilot to his father's firm. Capt. de Havilland's other sons, Geoffrey and Peter, were also test pilots to the company, Geoffrey being chief test pilot.

Herve Jammayrac

Hovercraft Test Covers

Royal Navy Wildcat First Sea Landng

On 7 November 2011,Lieutenant Commanders Robert Dowdell and Lee Evans ,landed the Wildcat on the flight deck of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) aviation trials ship Argus off England's south coast. This was the first ship at sea landing of the Wildcat.It was the start of four weeks of tough trials for air and ground crew

Hedley Joseph 'Snooks' Everard DFC 1919-1999

Hedley Joseph Everard DFC was born at Timmins, Ontario. In 1939 he had served in the Algonquin Rifles and in September 1940, he enlisted in the RCAF in Toronto. He received air crew instruction at various training schools in Canada and on 15 July 1941 graduated, as a pilot, from No. 32 Service Flying Training School. After being posted overseas, he served in England, the Far East and the Middle East with Squadron No. 417.
Prior to the end of WW2, Flight Lieutenant Everard was shot down and taken prisoner. However, he managed to escape and was liberated by the Russians as they advanced their forces into Germany.
Everard was back in England in time to take part in the celebrations for the Allied victory in Europe. After the end of WW2, Everard joined Canadair Aircraft company and in 1949 was a test pilot with the company. He later became Director, Tactical Aircraft, with Canadair, dealing with military relations. He remained in the RCAF Auxiliary and from 1951 to 1955 and from 1961 to 1964, commanded No. 401 Squadron

G.T. 'Scotty' McLean

G. T. ("Scotty") McLean served with R.C.A.F during the war as a pilot with Training Command and subsequently flew Mosquitoes with No 102 Sqn. After demobilization he was a KLM instrument instructor and, later, a civil aviation inspector in the Canadian Department of Transport. He joined Canadair in 1953 and was concerned with the flight-test programmes of the CL-28, CL-66 and CL-44.

Enrico Scarabotto

The first Italian-built production Eurofighter, IT001, made its maiden flight from Alenia Aeronautica/Caselle on February 14th 2003 at 13:30 GMT. The flight lasted 50 minutes. At the controls were Cpt. Marco Venanzetti, Alenia Aeronautica Test Pilot and Cpt. Enrico Scarabotto, Alenia Aeronautica Test Pilot

Maurizio Cheli 1959-

After graduation from the Italian Air Force Academy, Cheli underwent pilot training at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma, in 1982-1983. Following fighter lead-in training at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico and initial training in the F-104G in Italy, he joined the 28th Squadron, 3rd Recce Wing in 1984. In 1987, he attended the Italian Air Force War College and in 1988 he graduated from the Empire Test Pilot's School, Boscombe Down, United Kingdom. While assigned to the Italian Air Force Flight Test Center in Pratica di Mare, Rome, he served as a Tornado and B-707 Tanker project pilot on a variety of test programs and as display pilot. His flight experience includes more than 3000 flying hours in over 50 different types of fixed wing aircraft and helicopters. In June 1992, he was selected by the European Space Agency as a member of the second group of European astronauts.

Cheli reported to the Johnson Space Center in August 1992 and completed one year of training in August 1993. He is qualified for assignment as a mission specialist on future Space Shuttle flight crews. His technical assignments to date include: flight software verification in the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL); remote manipulator system/robotics; crew equipment. He flew on STS-75 in 1996 and has logged over 377 hours in space.

Agostino Frediani

Marco Venanzetti 1962-

Marco Venanzetti was born in Rome, Italy on 31 August 1962.He joined the Italian Air Force (ItAF) in September 1982. He attended the Italian Air Force Academy from which he graduated in March 1986.In March 1986 he joined the Undergraduate Pilot Training at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas,USA and graduated in June 1987.
He was then assigned to the Operational Conversion Unit at Grosseto Air Force Base, Italy, flying the TF-104 and after the completion of the course he joined the 9th Fighter Interceptor Squadron flying the F-104S Starfighter.
After four years of operational flying, Marco was selected from the Italian Air Force Flight Test enter and, on May 1992, was assigned to the US Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB,California, from where he graduated Experimental Test Pilot in June 1993. Returning to Italy, Marco was assigned to the Eurofighter Test Team of the Italian Air Force where he worked till September 1997 participating at various Working Groups. He flew the Eurofighter as military Test Pilot twice (October 1996 and April 1997).In September 1997 Marco was recalled to the operational world as Squadron Commander of the 101st Operational Conversion Unit flying the AMX and AMX-T. During this period he participated to the Bosnia campaign flying the AMX in the Close Air Support role. Marco left the active service in September 1998 to join Alenia Aeronautica as Experimental Test Pilot where, beside the Eurofighter, he was involved in all Company fighter programs like TORNADO and AMX. In November 2006 he was appointed Chief Test Pilot and since December 2008 is the Director of Flight Operations.Marco has flown more than 4500 hours and has been pilot in command in 76 different aircraft and helicopters.

Gianluca Evangelisti

Gianluca Evangelisti was born and raised in Florence, Italy, Gianluca received a Master’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the Italian Military Air Force Academy in 1967.He entered the Italian Air Force as a fighter pilot and in 1974 graduated from the United Kingdom’s Empire Test Pilot School. After a successful nineteen year career with the Italian Air Force, Gianluca continued flying as a test pilot for Alenia Aeronautica until 2006.
Gianluca accumulated more than 16,000 hours as a test pilot and has been involved in the test and evaluation of large, medium, tactical, and training aircraft. Programs that he has been involved in include the Boeing 707 Tanker; G222, C-27A and C-27J Medium Transport Aircraft Programs; the Tornado GR4 Ground Attack Aircraft; and the successful MB-339A Advanced Jet Trainer Program.
Mr. Evangelisti oversees all business development activities in Alenia North America and continues to fly for Alenia Aeronautica as a flight instructor for the C-27J. He maintains flight proficiency in the Eurofighter and Ameracchi’s M346 Advanced Jet Trainer.