Dorman A.Cannon 1934 -

Dorman Cannon

Ronald G. Erhart 1936-

Ron Erhart

Robert L. "Silver Fox" Stephens 1921-1984

Colonel Robert L. "Silver Fox" Stephens distinguished himself in flight test, flying nearly all of the jet fighter aircraft from the F-80 Shooting Star to the F-106 Delta Dart. He graduated from the Air Materiel Command Experimental Test Pilot School at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in 1949.

Called the "Silver Fox" because of his prematurely gray hair, he was the first military pilot to fly the YF-12A, the Air Force's secret titanium-skinned interceptor, and the SR-71 advanced reconaissance aircraft. From 1963 to 1968, he served as test director of the SR-71 and YF-12A test force.

On May 1, 1965, at Edwards Air Force Base, Stephens established four world speed and altitude records in the YF-12A. He averaged 2,070 miles per hour over a 17-kilometer straight away course, then held 80,257 feet to establish a world record for sustained horizontal flight. Those records stood until 1977, when they were surpassed by the SR-71. He was Chief of Fighter Operations at Edwards Air Force Base from 1952 to 1955. He flight-tested the YF-100A, YF-102, XF-104, X-5, X-1B, Navy F2H3, F4D, the F-94 series, F-86, F-89D, F-89H, and YF-101.

A member of the International Order of Characters, Stephens was a Fellow and past president of the society of Experimental Test Pilots. He was a P-47 fighter pilot during World War II and has been honored with the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross, Legion of Merit, Thompson Trophy, MacKay Trophy, Flying Tiger Trophy, Federation Aeronautique Internationale Gold Medal, Henri De La Vaulx Medal, Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement and Aerospace Walk of Honor.

Turp Gerard

Turp Gerard.

Don Jergens

Don Jergens

Frank Tefft

Frank Tefft

Roman Petrovich Taskayev 1954-

Roman Petrovich Taskayev

W/Cdr Jack M.Henderson OBE AFC* 1931-1990

Jack Morton Henderson was born on 4 November 1931 and spent four years in dairy farming and banking in New Zealand. He joined the RAF in 1950 and was posted for pilot training and intensive study to Cranwell in 1951-1953, where he earned the Queen's Medal and four other awards. He completed the RAF flying instructors' course in 1954 with special distinction then served as staff instructor in 1954-56, instructing on jets and pistons, including ground instruction and training instructors.

Henderson graduated from the ETPS in 1959, gaining the Edwards Award for outstanding performance, and joined the RAE Aero Flight where he made the first flight of HP.115 on 17 August 1961.

Besides his intensive flying on the HP.115, Henderson played an instrumental role in the success of the Hawker P.1127, which evolved into the Harrier. In November 1961 he evaluated the P.1127 on behalf of Aero Flight, the Royal Aircraft Establishment, in a series of six flights and was the first service pilot to fly the type.

Henderson, who was OC of RAE Aero Flight, also commanded units formulating and flight-testing novel concepts, such as the jet VSTOL, delta wings, slender wings, and electronic flight controls. He flew on the Short SC.1, AVRO 707A and C, Hunting H.126, Short SB.5.

Henderson also tested and advised on American, German, Canadian and French research aircraft, such as the Bell X-14, Dornier Do.31 test rig, EWR VJ101 and Ryan VZ-3.

Henderson was also involved in establishing new flight test techniques and flew 160 types and Mks of aircraft. He served as RAF Project Manager for the Anglo-French Jaguar aircraft programme and planned and controlled flying display and all supporting arrangements for the 1968 and 1970 SBAC "Farnborough International" Airshows.

Sadly, Henderson had suffered long periods of illness and was retired as a Wing Commander on medical grounds in the late 1960s.His illness grew increasingly worse and he passed away on 20 September 1990. He was married to Joan Henderson and had a son and a daughter and was holder of OBE, Air Force Cross (AFC) and Bar.

Louis W Hartwig

Lou Hartwig was the test pilot that made all the flight tests on the Bell 533 progect with Walter Sonneborne as the Fligh Test engineer (he became a vp in engeneering) and Lou became chief pilot and manager of all flight operations.The aircraft is on display at Fort Eustes, Norfolk Va.
Lou Hartwig was hired as a test pilotfor Bell on15th February 1955. The first production Bell 61 rolled out in early 55 and he was involved early in the program.The 2per rev vibs from the two rotors was very high so alot of time was spent trying to reduce it.

Frank Duke 1932-

Frank Duke is a former Marine Corps jet fighter and helicopter pilot, he spent 31 years as a Boeing test pilot, and was the 1st Boeing rotary wing pilot to be selected to attend the U.S. Navy Test Pilot School. He retired as director of flight test of Boeing Rotary Wing Division.
He made 4 first of type flights, the Boeing Model 347 winged and un-winged,the Model YUH-61 and Model 360.

Duncan McIntosh AFC OBE 1922-1987

Duncan McIntosh

Peter Maksimovich Ostapenko 1928-

Peter Maksimovich Ostapenko was born in Prokhladny town of Kabardino-Balkariya. He served in the Army from 1947. In 1951 he graduated from Armavir high military aviation pilot school. After graduation appointed there as pilot-instructor (till 1957). In 1958 graduated from Test-pilot school and in 1967 graduated from MAI.

Between 1958 -1983 he worked as test-pilot and since 1983 as leading engineer at A.I.Mikoyan EDB. Tested sixty four aircraft types. Tested MiG-21U(E-6U), MiG-25P(E-155P) fighters,MiG-21PD(23-31) and MiG-23PD (23-01) prototypes from their first flights. He took part in testing MiG-19, MiG-21,E-152A, E-152, MiG-23, MiG-27, MiG-29 and MiG-31 aircraft. Set eight world records (one of them is absolute).

State Premium of USSR (1981). Awarded with Lenin Order, Order of Red Banner, Order of Labor Red Banner, Order of Red Star, medals. Awarded with Medal de Lavo (FAI) (1963).

Aviard Gavrilovich Fastovets 1937-1991

Aviard Fastovets was born in Kovrov town of Vladimir Region. Graduated from Air Force special school (Ivanovo town). Since 1954 served in Army. In 1955 graduated from Military aviation school of pilot elementary training (Aktiubinsk town), and in 1957 graduated from Kachinskoye military aviation pilot school. Was given a position of pilot-instructor in the school (till 1965). In 1967 graduated from Test-pilot School.

In 1967-1987 worked as test-pilot and in 1987-1991 as leading engineer at A.I.Mikoyan EDB. Took part in flight testing MiG-21, MiG-23, MiG-25, MiG-27, MiG-29, MiG-29K and MiG-31 aircraft. Awarded with Lenin Order, Order of October Revolution, Honor Mark Order, medals.

Valery Eugenyevich Menitsky 1944-2008

Menitsky (2nd from left) with MIG-31

Valery Eugenyevich Menitsky was born in Moscow. Served in Army since 1961. In 1965 graduated from Tambov high military aviation school. Appointed there as pilot-instructor (till 1968). In 1969 graduated from Test-pilot school.

In 1969-1992 worked as test-pilot at A.I.Mikoyan EDB. Conducted testing and development of newest aircraft models.
He tested and flew on 65 aircraft types MiG-23, MiG-25, MiG-29, MiG-31 included. He made the first flights and tested MiG-27 and MiG-29 M planes.

Awarded with Lenin premium, Lenin and Honor Mark Orders, medals.

Boris Antonovich Orlov 1934-2000

Boris Antonovich Orlov was born in the town of Kansk, Krasnoyarsk Area. In 1952 he graduated from Novosibirsk aviation technical school, and in 1955 graduated from Central united flying-technical school of Voluntary Society of Assistance to Army, Aviation and Fleet (VCAAAF) in Saransk town. He worked as a pilot-instructor, navigator, flight section commander at Novosibirsk Aeroclub till 1963. He took part in the second world championship on aerobatic flying as a member of USSR combined team in Hungary (1962). Graduated form Test-pilot school in 1965 and MAI in 1970.

Between 1965-1987 he worked as test-pilot and in 1987 became a leading engineer of A.I.Mikoyan EDB. B.A. Orlov successfully conducted a number of important tests of supersonic jet aeroplanes MiG-21, MiG-23, MiG-25, MiG-27, MiG-29 and MiG-31 included.

Set one world aviation record.

Awarded with Orders of Lenin, October Revolution, Honor Mark, Labor Red Banner, medals.

Mikhail Mikhailovich Komarov 1937-1970

Born in Moscow. From 1954 he served in the Army,graduating from Armavir military aviation pilot school in 1956. He served in Air Force front-line units. Between 1963-1965 he worked as a test-pilot of Tbilissi aviation plant.

In 1965 he joined A.I.Mikoyan EDB as a test pilot and took part in testing MiG-21, MiG-23 and MiG-25 airplanes. Made the maiden flight of and tested the MiG-23U.

Set two world aviation records (one of them absolute). He was killed in crash of during a test flight of a MiG-23 aircraft. He was awarded the Medal of de Lavo (FAI) (1967).

Victor Vasilyevich Ryndin 1942-

Victor Vasilyevich Ryndin graduated from the Chernigov military aviation pilot school in 1965 and the graduated from Test-pilot school in 1971 and MAI in 1975.

Between 1971-1989 he worked as a test-pilot at A.I.Mikoyan EDB. He took part in testing MiG-23, MiG-25, MiG-27, MiG-29, MiG-31 aircraft and their versions. He tested aviation armament systems, navigational systems, electronic equipment. He tested over 70 aircraft types.

Awarded with Order of Labor Red Banner, Order of October Revolution, Honor Mark Order, medals.

Aleksandr Vasilyevich Fedotov 1932-1984

One of the leading test pilots of his era, Aleksandr Fedotov was a Major General in the Russian Airforce, he graduated from Flight School Stalingrad in 1950. He was a pilot in the airforce from 1950 to 1957,graduating from the Aravmir School for Military Pilots in 1952 and worked then as an instructor pilot.

In 1958 he graduated from testpilot school and worked for the OKB Mikoyan. In 1965 he worked for the Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI). Between 1961 and 1977 he achieved 18 world records, including three absolute records on E-166 and MiG-25-jets. He held since August 31, 1977 the world altitude record for planes that take off under their own power (123,524 feet).

Between 1976 and 1978 he was involved in the EPOS "Spiral"-Program. In 1977 he performed the maiden flight of the MiG-29. He died in a crash of a MiG-31 (together with V. S. Zaytsev) in 1984.

He became a Hero of the Soviet Union in 1966 and in 1969 a Meritious test pilot of the Soviet Union.

James Thomas Fitzgerald, Jr. 1920-1948

James Fitzgerald was a US Army Air Force test pilot who had joined the X-1 program, and was 2nd person to fly supersonic after Chuck Yeager.Fitzgerald had been an accomplished fighter pilot during World War II before he was shot down and held in a German prisoner of war camp until liberated in 1945. Though denied the opportunity to continue flying combat in the Pacific, Fitzgerald was later selected to become an Air Force test pilot. He completed seven flights aboard the X-1 including four at supersonic speeds. Fitzgerald first surpassed Mach 1 during the 71st flight of the program on 24 February 1948. He reached a top speed of Mach 1.1 before a fire forced him to shut off the engine and jettison the propellants. Fitzgerald continued flying the X-1 over the next few months until he was tragically killed in September 1948 following a landing accident aboard a T-33.

Herbert H. Hoover 1912-1948

Herbert (Herb) Hoover was born on May 18, 1912, in Knoxville, Tennessee. He spent the next 22 years in Knoxville and graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1934 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.

After graduation from the University of Tennessee, he was accepted by the Army Air Corps and trained at Randolph and Kelly Fields. He was then assigned to a tactical group at Mitchell Field. Because his position in the Army, as a Lieutenant, was temporary, he took the U.S. Civil Service exam in the spring of 1937, hoping to get a job with the Dept. of Agriculture. However, before anything with the Dept. of Agriculture materialized, he accepted a job with American Airlines and had even gone as far as being measured for his pilot's uniform when General Frank of Mitchell Field pulled some strings that resulted in Herb being offered a piloting job with the Standard Oil Company in South America. When he accepted the job with Standard Oil, he said he didn't want to become what he called a "taxi driver," serving at the beck and call of corporate officials who wished to be flown from place to place. Instead, upon arriving in Venezuela, he was put to work as an aero "truck driver," which involved hauling equipment, personnel, and hospital patients from camp to camp. Although there wasn't much difference between "taxi driver" and "truck driver" he had the opportunity to do more important aerial photography mapping of unexplored territory in the interior of Venezuela.

After three and a half years in South America, Herb yearned to return to the United States, which he did in December 1940 when he accepted a job as an experimental test pilot with the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) in Hampton, Virginia. Because of his experience flying through bad weather, he volunteered to test fly the XC-35 through thunderstorms. He became one of the first pilots to fly through thunderstorms deliberately on bad-weather flying research. He already had the reputation as a cool pilot in tight situations; once, during an instrumentation calibration flight in a NACA SB2C Helldiver, the plane's cockpit canopy hood came loose in flight smashing Hoover across the forehead inflicting a deep cut that bled profusely. Though stunned by the blow and blinded by blood flowing into his eyes, Hoover instinctively retained control of the dive bomber, cleared his eyes, and despite his injuries, brought the plane back to Langley for an emergency landing.

On another occasion, while he was firing a rocket-propelled model from a P-51 Mustang in a Mach 0.7 dive, the model disintegrated, showering the Mustang with wreckage. The wreckage punctured the plane's coolant tank, but again Hoover brought the plane in for a successful forced landing.

Soon, he was put in charge of all flight operations and then became chief test pilot for the NACA at the Langley Memorial Laboratory, in Hampton, Virginia. He flew more than a hundred different types of airplanes.

When the Air Force-NACA transonic flight research program began at the Muroc Flight Test Unit, California, Herb initiated the NACA flight operations of the Bell XS-1 (tail #6063) research airplane under Bell engineer, Robert Frost's careful tutelage in August 1947 and made his first NACA glide-familiarization flight on October 21, 1947, for stall check, (one week after Capt. Chuck Yeager became the first pilot to exceed the speed of sound in the AF XS-1, Tail # 6062). On Hoover's flight, the little rocket plane touched down hard on its nose wheel, and the landing strut collapsed. Repairs and subsequent maintenance work kept the XS-1 grounded until December 16, 1947, when Hoover made the first rocket flight ever performed by a NACA pilot, attaining Mach 0.71. He flew another checkout flight the next day reaching Mach 0.84. In January 1948, NACA pilots (Hoover and Howard Lilly) completed seven subsonic flights in their XS-1 and by the end of the month Hoover had reached Mach 0.925. On March 4, 1948, Hoover attained Mach 0.943 at 40,000 feet. Then, six days later, on March 10, 1948, Hoover dropped from the B-29 on a stability and loads investigation, fired three of the four rocket chambers and began to climb, leveling out at 42,000 feet. The NACA XS-1 rapidly accelerated to Mach 0.93 and Hoover fired the fourth chamber. Under full thrust, the rocket research aircraft shot to Mach l.065, approximately 703 mph. Herbert Hoover had become the first civilian pilot to exceed the speed of sound. After engine burnout, he coasted to the dry lake. Despite emergency efforts, Hoover found he could not extend the nose landing gear. He held off on the nose as long as possible, and even though the plane skidded to a stop on the underside of the nose, the damage was slight. On NACA powered flight 11, Herb became not only the first civilian, but the second person to exceed the speed of sound.

He received the Octave Chanute Award in 1948 for "contributions to the application of flight test procedures to basic research in aerodynamics, and the development of methods for scientific study of transonic flight." In 1949, he was awarded the Air Medal "for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight on March 10, 1948," when he first broke the sound barrier.

Herb flew the XS-1 in its exploratory tests in the transonic and supersonic range and was the flight instructor who trained other NACA pilots (Lilly, Bob Champine, and John Griffith) in the flying qualities of the XS-1 while flying back and forth from Langley to Muroc and maintaining his job as chief of the Langley research pilots.

Hoover lost his life on August 14, 1952, when the B-45 jet bomber he was flying on a mission to test various research instruments tore apart in mid-air and crashed near Barrowsville, Virginia. According to the accident report that was declassified 30-years later, Herb was almost certainly killed instantly when, after ejecting, his body collided in the air with portions of the crumbling plane. The ripcord of his parachute was not pulled. The co-pilot, John A. Harper, escaped with minor injuries.

Joseph A. Cannon 1918-

Joe Cannon

Sqn Ldr G.E.C Eric Genders AFC DFM 1920-1950

George Eric Clifford Genders

Igor Viktorovich Votintsev 1953-

Igor Viktorovich Votintsev

Bernard Neefs 1930-1965

Bernard Neefs

Billy L. Odneal

Billy Odneal

Capt L.P Stuart-Smith

Capt L.P Stuart-Smith joined the RAF in 1940,and flew in Middle East and UK,finising the war in the Pathfinders on Mosquitos. He was recalled to the RAF in 1951,and flew Meteors. He attended the ETPS in 1954,and was a test pilot at Boscombe Down in 1955. He joined Aviation Traders Ltd in 1956 as Chief Test Pilot. He made the maiden flight of the Aviation Traders Accountant and has flown over 55 types.

Frederick Phillip Raynham 1893-1954

Frederick Phillip Raynham

Ronald Campbell Kemp 1890-1978

Ronald Campbell Kemp

Chistopher D Beaumont 1904-

W/Cdr Chistopher D Beaumont joined the RAF in 1934 and was in Bomber Command until 1937. He wasa flying instructor at the DH School at White Waltham. During the war he was a fighter pilot followed by staff duties. He was seconded to,succesively,Vickers ,Hawkers and Westlands as a test pilot.
In 1946 he joined the de Havilland Engine Co as Chief Test Pilot,retiring from there in 1954.

Clive Rustin

Following several years as test pilot with the Aerodynamics Research Flight at RAE Bedford supporting early flight research on a multitude of aircraft types including SC1, P1127, Kestrel, Avro 707, FD2, Vulcan and the HP115 and BAC 221 slender delta Concorde research aircraft, Clive Rustin was appointed CO of Avionics Research Flight and later OC Flying at RAE Farnborough.
As CO of the Fighter & Training Test Squadron at the A&AEE at Boscombe Down he was responsible for the Service Clearance programs & release to service for all fast jet & training aircraft for the RAF, Royal Navy & the Army including: Harrier, Jaguar, Tornado, Phantom, Buccaneer and Hawk plus basic evaluations of other aircraft such as the Saab Viggen.

He has flown over 160 aircraft types, including his post RAF involvement in airships and participation on the display circuit in a variety of old warbirds such as the, Venom, Vampire, Hunter & Spitfire.

Adam Teleki 1937-

L-R Gert Endler (Inspector), Siegfried Hoffmann(Test Pilot) , Roland Woehrl ( P2 flight line mechenic) and Adam Teleki (FTE)
First Flight of MBB BK117
Tiger PT3 (PAH2 / HAC prototype) flown by Andrew Warner and Adam Teleki FTE

HGH Programme ( High Speed Helicopter programme) using a modified Bo105 to explore the limitations of the hinge-less rotor

Adam Teleki

Baron Wilfried von Engelhardt 1928-

Wilfried von Engelhardt studied in England between 1950-1952. He was a helicopter Mechanic in Paris (1954) and Holland (1955-1956). He became a pilot in 1955 and joined MBB and became Chief Test Pilot from 1962-1973. He took the Test Pilot course at EPNER in 1966.
He made the maiden flight of the Bolkow Bo105. After he ceased test flying he became sales Director and then Director of the Helicopter Training Center at MBB.

Etienne Herrenschmidt 1941-

Andrew Warner (left) and Etienne Herrenschmidt during the first display of the Tiger at the Paris Airshow

1st Flight of the Eurocopter Tiger 27th April 1991
1st Flight of the Eurocopter EC120 June 1995
1st Flight of the Calbri April 1992

Etienne Herrenschmidt

Siegfried Hoffmann 19xx-1989

Siegfried Hoffmann (second from left)

Mort Brown 1908-

Mort Brown was born in 1908 and even before his early years of grade school, Mort had dreamed of being a pilot. While attending school, Mort could be seen walking to school with an aviation magazine tucked under his arm, begging to be read in a spare moment.
In 1927, Brown enlisted in the U.S. Marines for the sole purpose of becoming a pilot. However the Marines had other plans for Mort, so he became a seafaring Marine, stationed in Nicaragua to prevent a political coup in the Banana Republic. Following his honorable discharge in 1931, Mort enrolled at Eddie Martin's School of Aviation in Santa Anna, California, a commercial aviation school. Mort obtained his transport pilot's license in 1933 after completing ground and flight training. He found employment as a flight instructor and utility pilot in San Diego, and later in Denver during the depression.
Mort soon met Dwane Wallace, President of Cessna through Ray Wilson's Flying School, which had been established as a Cessna dealership and distributor. Brown was hired as Sales Manager for Cessna in 1938 for the production of the C-38 Airmaster, after its certification. With the development of the Cessna T-50, first twin engine aircraft, Mort was assigned to Chief Pilot of Production Flight Test, which began a long career in aviation.
During Mort's nearly 35 years with Cessna, he was responsible for the production flight testing of all production models of Cessna airplanes ranging from the Airmaster, T-50 (civil and military), through the post-war series 120, 140, 150, 170, 172, 177, 180, 182, 185, 188 Agwagon, 190, 195, 205, 206, 207, 210, some early 310's (including the U3A military version), 336, 337, L-19 Bird Dog military, OE-2, and many other civil and military aircraft designed and built by Cessna.

James R. Martinez 1935-2008

James R. Martinez, Cdr. USNR (Ret.) was born in Ashland, Pa. He was a former naval and civilian pilot and a graduate of the United States Naval Academy with a bachelor of science degree in engineering. James attended naval flight training in Pensacola, Fla and was designated a naval aviator in July 1961. In October 1965, James graduated from the United States Naval Test Pilot School in Patuxent River, Md.

Following his discharge from the United States Navy in 1968, he went to work as a pilot with Pan American World Airways for a one-year period. From 1970 to 1987, James was employed at Fairchild Industries in Hagerstown, Md. During his tenure at Fairchild, he served as chief test pilot and director of flight operations. He made the maiden flight of the Fairchild T-46 on the 15^th October 1985.

James returned to work for Pan American World Airways in 1987. In 1991, he went to work with Delta Airlines, flying as lead check airman, retiring from the company in 2004.

During his extensive career in flight testing, he flew many varieties of aircraft ranging from rotary wing to supersonic fighters. He amassed more than 20,000 flight hours during his aviation career.

Len Fox

Len Fox is a former US Navy test pilot who has developed a reputation as test pilot for various kit aircraft, including Lancair and Vans. With his keen interest in aerobatics and aerodynamics, he experimented with modifications to his aircraft, which later formed the basis for his completely new design, next generation, aerobatic aircraft, the Chanute.

In October 1999 he made the maiden flight of the Viperjet.

Eduardo Alves Menini

Eduardo Alves Menini Graduated from the Brazilian Air Force Academy in 1981 as a military pilot, Cpt. Menini served in Brazilian AF fighter squadrons as fighter pilot from 1981 to 1987. In 1988, he graduated from the Brazilian AF Test Pilot School as a Flight Test Pilot.
He worked as flight test pilot for the Brazilian Certification Authority from 1989 to 1993, where he was involved with the certification of several airplanes including MD-11, Fokker-50 MkII, A-310, and Learjet 60. Instructor and Chief of the Brazilian AF Test Pilot School from 1993 to 1996.
Chief of the Brazilian CTA Flight Test Division from 1997 to 1999, he was involved, as test pilot, in test programs concerning weapons compatibility on the Brazilian AF Mirage IIIE.
Cpt. Menini Joined Embraer in 2000 to work as a test pilot for the Embraer 170 Program, becoming involved with the man-machine interface design for the Embraer 170/190 cockpit.
He was the Project Test Pilot for the Embraer 190 and Embraer Phenom.
Cap. Menini has accumulated more than 4000 flight hours in several airplanes from gliders to large transport and supersonic fighters.

David H.Brands

David H.Brands

Robert P.Brush 19xx-1992

Robert Brush flew with the Army Air Corps in the 30’s; DC-2’s with TWA, then joined Douglas Aircraft in 1939. He became Chief Engineering Pilot in 1944 and was promoted to Director of Flight Operations in 1949. He tested the A-20, DC-3, DC-5, A-26, XB-42, C-74, DC-4, DC-6 and DC-7. He made the first flights on the DC-6, L015 and XB-42. He retired in 1975.

Gerald John (Gerry) Smallridge 1929-1979

Jetlift Meteor
Wessex 1
Westminster
Whirlwind

Gerry Smallridge joined Westland as a Mechanical Engineering Apprentice in 1947.
On completing National Service in the Royal Air Force, he returned to Westland in 1953 to join the newly formed Flight Test Department. By this time the company was totally dedicated to helicopter design and development.
He was involved in the flight test programmes of the whole range of Westland products including: Jet Lift Meteor, Wyvern, Dragonfly, Widgeon, Whirlwind, Westminster, Wessex, Scout, Wasp, Sioux, Sea King and Lynx.
Appointed Chief Flight Test Engineer in 1961, Gerry Smallridge played a major part in formulating the way in which helicopters were flight tested, and was also responsible for the integration of the Flight Test Departments when Fairey, Bristol and Saunders Roe became part of Westland, a difficult process, which he handled with sensitivity and leadership.
In 1971 he was awarded the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air, and was appointed Sea King project manager in 1977.

Harold W Petersen 19xx-1955

Harold William Peterson Pilot (right) and George Callahan Co-Pilot

Harold W Petersen

Iain Young

Iain Young,Chief test pilot Marshall Aerospace
First flight of the TP400 Powwer plant on the Lockheed C-130K Test bed, flown by Iain Young and Mark Robinson.

The TP400 power-plant developed for the A400M by EuroProp International (EPI) took to the air for the first time on 17th December 2008 on the Lockheed C-130K flight test-bed. The TP400 is installed on the inner left engine mount of the C-130K which is otherwise powered by three of the usually four Allison T56 turbopropellers. The aircraft took off at 10h44 local time from Cambridge airfield (UK) where Marshall Aerospace, which is conducting the flight test-bed trials, is based, and touched down at 11 h59 local time. The flight lasted one hour and 15 minutes.

Capt Arthur Stuart Keep MC xxxx - 1953

Capt Arthur Stuart Keep MC

Bruce Warren DFC 1922-1951

Identical twins Bruce and Douglas Warren were born in Nanton in 1922. Joining the Royal Canadian Air Force at age 18, they completed their elementary flying training at No5 EFTS at High River. During their training they often flew over their hometown of Nanton. As part of No. 165 Squadron they flew Spitfire fighters on three sorties in support of the Canadian Army at Dieppe, sharing in the destruction of a DO217 bomber.

During 1944, the twins served as Spitfire pilots with No. 66 Squadron where Bruce was "A" Flight Commander and Douglas was "B" Flight Commander. They both had the nickname "Duke" and were known a "Duke Mk I" and "Duke Mk II." Having identical twins as flight commanders on the same squadron was a unique situation. The majority of the pilots could not tell the twins apart but this was no problem as they assumed whoever was giving them orders knew which flight they were commanding. In March, 1945 the identical twins were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross by King George VI.

Following the war, Bruce Warren continued his career with the RCAF. He was an ETPS graduate and was granted 2 years leave from the RCAF to join AVRO Canada to assist in the flight test program of the CF-100. He flew the No2 prototype 18102 but was killed in the crash of that prototype in 1951 when the aircraft suffered an oxygen system malfunction. The CF-100 was the only Canadian designed and manufactured fighter aircraft to see operational use.

He had flown over 2,200 hours on 28 aircraft types.

Boone T. Guyton 1913-1996

Boone T. Guyton was an experimental test pilot at Chance Vought during and after World War II, flew 105 types of aircraft in 45 years as a pilot.

Harry Phillips 1920-2002

Harry Phillips was Lieutenant Commander of 845Sqn Fleet Air Arm. He joined Saunders Roe in 1958 as a Helicopter Test Pilot, after the Westland move (1962) he continued with Saunders-Roe division testing Hovercraft and retired in 1971.

Colin W. Hague OBE

Colin Hague joined the Royal Navy in 1962 as helicopter pilot. After completion of his training, he was posted to 845 Commando Sqn flying the Wessex 1 during the Borneo confrontation.
Between 1965-67 he flew with 826 A/S Squadron flying the Wessex 1 from HMS Hermes, completeing a Middle and Far East Tour. Between 1968-1973, he served as a Wasp Pilot,Flight Commander on HMS Yarmouth.
In 1972 he attended the ETPS. After course completion he became a test pilot at Boscombe Down. He performed initial trials on the Gazelle,Lynx and Seaking. He carried out the first Lynx deck landings and icing trials in Canada. He was awarded the Qeens Commendation for Valuable Services in the Air. He was the Senior Pilot of the first Lynx Squadron, 700L.

He joined Westland Helicopters as a test pilot in 1979 where he carried out development and production test flying on Gazelle,Lynx,Seaking and Westland WG30.
In 1987 along with Chief Test Pilot Trevor Egginton, he made the maiden flight of the EH101 PP1.
He was appointed Deputy Chief Test Pilot in 1986 and in 1988 became the Chief Test Pilot. He served in the position for the next 15 years, overseeing the development of the EH101 Merlin including first flights of all prototypes, and introduction into service. He carried out the first deck landing trials. In 2003 he was awarded an OBE for his services to Aviation.

Kenneth Martin Reed 1921-1998

Ken Reed served with Imperial Airways before joining the Fleet Air Arm in 1941. Two years later he took a Helicopter Flying Course in the USA and in 1944 a helicopter maintenance test pilots course. He formed No1 Royal Navy Helicopter Flight in 1945 and 2 years later formed and commanded N0705 Sqn.
In 1949 he joined Westland Aircraft as Senior Helicopter Test Pilot and in 1951 flew the first British Helicopter Passenger Service between London and Birmingham.
In 1952 he joined Saunders-Roe as Senior Helicopter Test Pilot and was appointed Chief Helicopter test Pilot in 1958. He was involved with the SARO SKeeter and P.531. He became the first Helicopter Pilot to be awarded a GAPAN Master Air Pilot (Test Pilot) certificate.

Robert M. DeHaven 1922-2008

DeHaven was born Jan. 13, 1922, in San Diego. He graduated from North Hollywood High School and attended Washington and Lee University in Virginia until he joined the Army Air Forces in early 1942.

In 1943 he was assigned to the 7th Fighter Squadron of the 49th Fighter Group stationed at Dobodura, New Guinea. According to the Seattle-based American Fighter Aces Assn., on Dec. 10, 1943, DeHaven shot down 10 Japanese aircraft in offensives over Buna, Lae, Markham Valley, Hollandia and Biak islands and officially became an ace, the term used in military aviation circles to designate a pilot who destroys or disables several enemy planes during combat.

During seven days beginning in late October 1944, DeHaven downed four more enemy planes in the Philippines, bringing his total tally to 14.

He received several medals, including the Silver Star with one Oak Leaf Cluster, which was awarded after he saved a fellow pilot whose plane was surrounded by Japanese fighters.

After the war, the handsome aviator was spotted by a talent agent and signed a contract with Columbia Pictures. He made minor appearances in three movies before giving up on acting. He met Howard Hughes, who offered DeHaven a job as his personal pilot and as a test pilot for his aircraft company. DeHaven later rose to director of the flight test division. He retired in the 1980s.

Gordon Gray 1923-2007

Gordon Gray joined the US Navy in 1942. He was a graduate of NATC TPT Class 13 in 1955. The same year he set a 500km closed course speed record flying the A-4D Skyhawk.

He was involved in the flight testing of S2F,A-4D,F-4D,F-3H,F7U and A3D. After his test tour at NATC he returned to fleet service as an F-8 Crusader pilot. He retired from the USN with the rank of Captain.

Colonel Jerauld R. "Jerry" Gentry 1936-2003

Jerry Gentry logged 4,500 flight hours in more than 50 different fighter, trainer, bomber and research planes.

Serving as Chief USAF pilot of the joint USAF/NASA Lifting Body Research Program, he flew the first flight of the X-24A, the second of the HL-10, and he was selected to pilot the first rocket-powered flight of both. Gentry was the Project Pilot for the F-4E performance, stability and control and spin tests. He also tested the M2-F2, F-4C/D, F-104, F-111 and F-5.

Gentry served for five years as the Tactical Air Command fighter pilot before becoming a test pilot and flew more than 200 combat missions in Southeast Aria. Later he held the positions of Director of Operations of the F-15 and F-4E Tactical Fighter Wings, Commander of Red Flag and Commander of the first operational F-16 Tactical Fighter Wing.

Gentry represented the USAF Headquarters as the F-16 Program Element Monitor, Deputy Director for General Purpose Forces, Directorate of Operational Requirements and as Deputy Chief of Staff for Research, Development and Acquisition. He also served as the principal U.S. representative to the NATO Air Forces Armament Group.

A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, who holds an M.S. in Aerospace Management from the University of Southern California, Gentry has received the Silver Star, two Legion of Merits, two Distinguished Flying Crosses and 14 Air Medals.

Edmund T. 'Eddie' Allen 1896-1943

Edmund T. "Eddie" Allen, a pioneer of modern flight test and arguably the greatest test pilot ever, flew for nearly every major aircraft manufacturer and took some of the most famous planes of all time up for their first flights. His flying and engineering skills were so well-regarded that some insurance companies would insure test flights only if Allen was at the controls.

Allen was born in Chicago on Jan. 4, 1896, and attended the University of Illinois. As a Lieutenant in the Signal Corps during World War I, he served as a pilot instructor and was also assigned to flight testing at McCook Field in Ohio. After the war, he attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and in the summers was chief test pilot for the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics at Langley Field in Virginia.

In 1925, he became an air mail pilot for Boeing Air Transport and also served as a test pilot for the various aircraft manufacturers that made up United Aircraft and Transport Corporation.

In 1934, Allen went to the fledgling North American Aviation and took its first airplane, the NA-16 trainer, on its first flight. As a freelance pilot, Allen contributed to flight testing of the Douglas DC-1 and was the first to fly the Curtiss C-46 Commando, the giant Boeing XB-15, the 307 Stratoliner and the 314 Clipper.

In April 1939, Boeing gave him a permanent position as the head of the company's Research Division, and direct charge of all flight testing and of aerodynamics and wind tunnel research. Even this permanent position at Boeing did not stop the Army Air Force from borrowing Eddie Allen for the first flight of the Lockheed Constellation.

Allen was not the image of the daredevil test pilot that Hollywood promoted. In contrast, he was very slender, and some described him as frail. He considered himself an engineer as well as a pilot and insisted that the test pilot should be involved in the development of new aircraft and not just in flying them. Allen developed a systematic approach to flight testing and set standards that are the basis for modern flight testing. He also formed a dedicated flight-test and aeronautical research organization at Boeing and insisted that the company develop its own high-speed wind tunnel--an idea that was directly responsible for Boeing being in position to take the leadership in the development of large swept-wing jets.

As the United States became involved in World War II, Boeing was awarded a contract to build the most technologically advanced airplane of the war: the B-29 Superfortress. Of course, Allen was the test pilot.

On Sept. 21, 1942, Allen took the first XB-29 on its initial flight and continued as the program's chief pilot until Feb. 18, 1943. On that date, during approach to Boeing Field, an engine fire led to the crash of the XB-29, which claimed the life of Allen and 10 other crew members.

Allen is remembered not only as an unmatched pilot but also as an outstanding scientist. Losing him was devastating not only to the people of Boeing but to the aviation world. Time magazine wrote: "Eddie Allen, who had no peer in his combination of piloting virtuosity and engineering skill...probably no other man in aviation could be so hardly spared."

Eddie Allen's contributions were recognized with some of aviation's greatest awards, including the very first Chanute award in 1939. In 1942, he was selected to present the prestigious Wright Brothers lecture.

He was posthumously awarded the Daniel Guggenheim award, and The Boeing Company dedicated its high-speed wind tunnel and aeronautical research laboratories to him.

O.Edwin ' Pat' Tibbs

O.E Pat Tibbs (left) E.R. 'Dutch Gelvin and un-identified flight test personel.

Pat Tibbs was the Chief Test Pilot of the Martin Aircraft Company. He made the maiden flights of many aircraft, including these listed below

AM-1 Mauler performed its initial flight on 26 August 1944

XP4M-1 "Mercator" performed its initial flight on 20 September 1946

XB-48 performed its initial flight on 22 June 1947

XB-51 performed its initial flight on 28 October 1949

B-57A performed its initial flight on 20 July 1953

G.F.' Frank' Bullen

Hawker Test Pilots:(L-R) David Lockspeiser,Hugh Merewether,Bill Bedford and Frank Bullen

James 'J.O.' Roberts 19xx-2008

James 'J.O.' Roberts

Alan Smith 1933-

Alan Smith was an ATC Cadet in 1950, joining the RAF thereafter, he flew Meteor NFX1's with 68 Sqn in Germany. He was employed by BAC as a Training Captain (Latterly Chief Training Captain), and flew on quite a few test flights as co-pilot on the BAC 1-11.
In so far as Concorde was concerned, it was unfortunate for the training captains that although they got to fly on some test flights, and also received training towards their pilot-in-command licences, there was not enough flight time available for them to complete a course.As British Airways was the only British operator, the first two airline courses were trained by some of the test pilots.(This was particularly hard on Alan Smith and Paddy Cormican who did a tremendous job in writing the simulator and flight programmes, but did not have the satisfaction of qualifying as Pilot-in-command, and taking part in the flying training).
In all he has flown 75 types/Mks of aircraft including DC-3,Concorde,BAC 1-11

Floyd W.Carlson 1917-1984

Floyd Carlson was born in 1917 and died on 9th April 1984. He was a self taught helicopter pilot and the 3^rd person in the U.S. granted helicopter rating by the C.A.A. In 1944 he made the first indoor flight in the USA , the second in the world. He was chief pilot and director of flight operations at Bell Helicopter until 1971, when he became special projects engineer.

Jack Zimmerman 1921-2002

Jack Zimmerman was the chief test pilot on the Cessna helicopter during it's life span from 1952 to 1963.

Jack Zimmerman grew up in Chicago during the depression and attended the University of Illinois, Champagne, studying engineering and physical education just before WW2. He dropped out of college to enlist in the Army Air Corps; his older brother Carl had joined the Air Corps and Jack's twin brother, Jerry, had joined the Navy. He graduated from flight school in 1943 as a brand new Second Lieutenant, Air Corps, United States Army.

Jack became one of the Army's first helicopter pilots. The Army convened its first class at Freeman Field, Indiana to teach experienced pilots how to fly the new helicopter. Jack was sent off to basic helicopter training.

Following training, Jack was assigned to the Aircraft Repair Unit Floating (ARU-F) out of Mobile, Alabama. The concept of the ARU-F was to create a floating repair facility for Army Air Corps aircraft and use the helicopter as a logistic arm flying parts from ship to shore. The US Army and not the US Navy developed the initial use of helicopters at sea. Some of the Liberty freighters had the small postage stamp landing field near the bow of the ship. Censors deleted all mention of this tiny landing platform during the war due to security reasons. It was believed that the kamikaze pilots might single out the ARU-F's if they knew of the ships mission. The unit went aboard a Liberty Ship, the S.S. Major General Olds, which was manned by merchant marine sailors, commanded by an Army Colonel and had a full machine shop which enabled it to maintain and manufacture aircraft parts at sea or in port.

A typical flight operation could be to deliver a part for B-29s at Tinian Island and Jack flew a photographic mission on Tinian to record the Enola Gay although he didn't know the purpose at the time.

After WW2, Jack worked as a helicopter pilot doing commercial work in various locations including Alaska, prior to becoming a test pilot for Seibel Helicopter and then Cessna. In 1963, Jack went to work as a test pilot for Hughes Helicopters where he retired in 1982 after test work on the new AH-64 Apache. 39 years of test flying, 1943 to 1982

Jack Zimmer.man set many FAI records in the YOH-6A helicopter in 1966 including time-to-climb, distance over a closed course and altitude, several of which are still valid

Harry T. Brackett 19xx-1956

Vought test pilot Harry T. Brackett killed in crash of F8U Crusader at Edwards AFB

Malcolm Muir 1929-2008

Malcom Muir(white overalls) with Victor test crew

Malcolm Christison Muir was born at Church Crookham, Hampshire, on September 9 1929, the son of a former pilot in the Royal Flying Corps. He was evacuated to Canada in March 1940 but returned to London in 1943 to be educated at St Paul ’s, where he excelled at sport. In October 1948 he was called up for National Service with the RAF and trained as a pilot, graduating with an above-average assessment; he also won the flying trophy.

On his release two years later Muir attended Imperial College , London , where he read Aeronautical Engineering. He joined the University Air Squadron and was commissioned as a flying officer, flying Spitfires and Vampire fighters. On graduation in July 1953 he started at de Havilland as a production test pilot. He also joined No 610 ( County of Chester ) Squadron of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, and flew Meteor fighters at weekends.

Initially he tested Vampire and Venom fighters at the company’s airfield near Chester . Whilst testing a Venom in October 1954, he was flying in cloud when the aircraft had an electrical fault, causing the flight instruments to fail. He was forced to eject.

The aircraft had been fitted with an early model of the Martin Baker ejector seat, and one that had no leg restraint system. When Muir ejected at 400mph his legs and arms flailed, causing both knees to be dislocated and a bad fracture of his upper left arm. He also suffered a serious compression fracture of the spine.

After recovering from his injuries, Muir continued testing de Havilland’s fighters and he also delivered Vampires and Venoms to Egypt and Iraq . In January 1956 he transferred to the engines division at Hatfield, where he carried out many test flights on the new generation of jet engines, including the Ghost and Gyron. At the Farnborough Air Show he demonstrated the Gyron Junior engine and the Spectre rocket engine embodied in Canberra aircraft.

In May 1958 he was seconded to Rolls-Royce to test the powerful Conway engine, mounted on an Ashton jet, and the Vulcan bomber. Six months later he joined the company as a development test pilot, becoming deputy chief test pilot in 1964.

During his time with Rolls-Royce, when he operated from Hucknall near Nottingham , Muir flew many engine test-bed aircraft, in addition to the latest fighters. Muir also flew helicopters equipped with Rolls-Royce engines, and whilst experimenting with landings on uneven ground the Wessex helicopter he was piloting had an engine failure and crashed. He suffered serious injuries to his upper spine and chest.

After returning to flying, Muir tested the Lightning, the Buccaneer (equipped with the Rolls-Royce Spey engine) and the Victor bomber. But in 1967, with 84 different types of aircraft in his log book, he was forced to retire from flying due to the injuries he had suffered during his ejection and helicopter crash.

Muir spent the next 12 years in Rolls-Royce’s marketing department. He was the sales manager ( USA ) for the Derby Engine before retiring in 1987 he was chief engineer in the flight operations department of Rolls-Royce.

LtCdr Roy S.Bradley (dec)

Roy Bradley served in the Fleet Air Arm from 1941-1946 flying with 1933 Sqn. After the war he became Chief Pilot at Helliwells until joining Westlands a a test pilot in 1950. Had flown over 68 types.

Mike H. Fuller

Mike Fuller started his flying career with the Fleet Air Arm in 1963,specialising in anti-submarine warfare. He qualified as a flying instructor at the Central Flying School and was Captain of the winning team in the 1967 International Search and Rescue competition for the Henry Dunant Trophy. He left the service the same year to join Westland as a test pilot.
He was project pilot for the military and civil versions of the Gazelle, and was involved with the overseas icing trials of the Wessex Mk.5.
Mike was involved with the development of the Lynx from the experimental stages in 1971 to being project pilot (development and aircrew training) for all overseas contracts which included Netherlands,France,Germany,Norway,Brasil,Korea and South Africa.
He was project pilot on the EH101 Merlin for icing trials in Canada and Denmark developing the heated rotor blade system.
He was awarded the R.P. Alston medal for services to test flying by the Royal Aeronautical Society in 1985.

Derrick A.S Colvin DFC (dec)

Derrick A.S Colvin served with the RAF between 1940-1946 with 64 and 249 Sqn's, commanding 249 Sqn. On leaving the RAF he joined Scottish Aviation as an airline pilot. He first flew a helicopter in 1948 and joined Westlands in 1949. He was involved test flying the S-55

Don F. Farquharson OBE (dec)

Don Farquharson joined the Royal Navy in 1942,trained in the USA and flew Barracudas. After the war he flew the Firefly and in 1947 graduated from the Central Flying School as an instructor.
He converted to helicopters in 1949 and was involved with the introduction of the Dragonfly into the Royal Navy. After loan service with the Royal Australian Navy,during which he was awarded the OBE for rescueoperations in New South Wales flood disaster,he returned to the UK for further service until 1957 when he left the Navy.
He continued his flying career with Westland in 1960. He has over 6,000 flying hours,4200 of them on helicopters. He was project pilot on the Sea King/Commando.

Ron R Crayton 1922-

Ron R Crayton
L to R: Pilots: Mike Ginn, Ron Crayton, FTEs: Mike Ball, Bob Brookes

Lt Cdr R.R.Crayton.R.N was born August 26th 1922. He was educated at Torquay Preparatory Grammar School and Torquay Grammar School for Boys between 1933-40 leaving with a Cambridge School Certificate. He joined the Royal Navy in 1940 and was put on the R.N.R. In 1941 he joined HMS Daedalus at Lee on Solent and in November that year undertook 33 pilots course at HMS St Vincent. In 1942 he did his initial flying training at Grosse Isle USA and USN Pensacola Florida. On completion he was posted to HMS Anchusa Flower Class Corvette Atlantic Convoy and then 780 Sqn at HMS Daedalus on a Swordfish Conversion course. During 1943 he served with the following Squadrons: 756,755 and 766 Sqn's at RNAS Worthy Down performing TAG training. In 1944 he was with 768 Sqn at RNAS Inskip on a Night Attack Course then 836Sqn MAC Ships Atlantic Convoys flying the Swordfish.

In 1945 he was with 734,700 and 762 Sqn. H went to RNAS Worthy Down for a Maintenance Test Pilots Course and then to the Test Flight Section HMS Blackcap.

He performed detachment test flying at RAF Edzell, RAF Kemble and RNAS Dale. After the war he attended RAF Great Rissington Central Flying School Instructors Course in 1947 then to RAF Syerston Instructing. In 1950 he was posted to 767 Sqn HMS Heron where he took DLCO’S and Flight Deck Officers Course.

HMS Vengeance. Bats Officer 15^th CAG HMS Indomitable Bats Officer 1^st CAG CO MFV. Engine Crank Shaft Explosion, engine room fire. Whilst transporting indomitable personnel. Ordered abandon ship. During 1952 he was with 705 Sqn Instructing and in 1953 was with 705 Sqn. During the Dutch Floods he rescued 80+ people. Then to 848 Sqn RAF Kuala Lumpur Malaya performing Troop Lifting and Casevac.

In 1956 he became the Senior Pilot of 845Sqn, the1^st Dunking Sonar Sqn. He was called into action during the Suez crisis with the1^st Marine Assault, where he was badly shot up.

After Suez, he went to MOS Aberporth to perform Radar Trials and in 1958 he went to 701Sqn HMS Daedalus, the Trials Unit. He also went to the Sikorsky Plant in Connecticut, USA performing the 1^St Night auto system assessment.

He resigned his Commission in R.N. to join Westland Helicopters as a Senior Test Pilot. As a test pilot with Westland he carried out development work on all marks of S55, Wessex and Seaking. His main projects were the development of auto pilot and stabiliser systems and the development of “1N SYSTEM.” IPN starter system, general engine development and production Test Flying.

He gave Air day demonstrations and flew at the Paris and Farnborough displays. After retirement from flying, he ran the family business until final retirement in 1988.

Eur Ing David Gibbings C Eng, FRAeS 1932-

David Gibbings joined Royal Air Force in May 1949 as an Engineering Apprentice, and subsequently trained as Navigator. In 1955 he joined Fairey Aviation as a Flight Test Navigator engaged in the testing of Air to Air guided weapons.

In 1959 David transferred to the Aircraft Division at Hayes/White Waltham, as a Propulsion Development Engineer, working at the Test bed facility for Rotodyne tip-jets, duties also included flying in Rotodyne as Flight Engineer.Upon conclusion of the Rotodyne programme in 1962 (Fairey now having been acquired by Westland), he was transferred to the Flight Test Department working on Scout and Wasp helicopters and Gannet AEW aircraft.

David subsequently moved to the Flight Test Department at Yeovil in 1964 continuing to work on helicopter and fixed-wing projects. Appointed Project Flight Test Engineer for Lynx project in 1967 and subsequently flew with the prototype on first flight.

Appointed Helicopter Icing Trials Manager in 1977. Appointed Deputy Chief Flight Test Engineer in 1980, and Chief Flight Test Engineer in 1989.

David retired from Westland in 1993.

In 1993, David was awarded The 'Kelly Johnson' Award for Outstanding achievement in the field of Flight Test engineering by the Society of Flight Test Engineers, the first time this prestigious award had been awarded outside the US.

David has continued to work as a Consultant and Aviation Artist since retirement

John W. “Hank” Lankford 1922-1990

John W. “Hank” Lankford was born in 1922 at Lynchburg, Virginia. He was a Navy pilot in the Pacific during WWII and was awarded 3 Distinguished Flying Crosses. He graduated from Georgia Tech University , then was recalled to active duty during the Korean war. In 1954 he joined what was then Chance Vought Aircraft, a predecessor to LTV, in Dallas , Texas as a production pilot flying the F7U-3, 3M and 3P aircraft, the F8U-1, 1P and 2 aircraft. As a civilian, he graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, then served from 1956 to 1960 as an experimental test pilot for Vought. He moved to the Washington area in 1972 as Director of Systems Division of Washington operations. He directed the company’s marketing efforts until retiring in 1983, In retirement, he was President of JWL Associates, an aerospace consulting firm. John passed away in 1990.

Col Stanley M. Umstead

Col Stanley Milward Umstead was a native of Fleming Co., KY and entered the service in 1917 graduating from the first Air Corps officer training course; once called the dean of all Army pilots flying 350 different types of experimental planes, from jennies to the first trainer for jets. He was test pilot for the first B19 world's largest military aircraft in the early 1940s. He retired in 1951 and lived on a farm near Dayton, OH.

The first flight of the XB-19 took place from Clover Field in Santa Monica on June 27, 1941 with a crew of seven captained by Major Stanley M. Umstead. On its first flight, it was flown to March Field and turned over to the Army for evaluation. Such was the degree of popular enthusiasm aroused by the XB-19 "Super-Bomber" that President Franklin Roosevelt himself telegraphed congratulations to Donald Douglas for this achievement.

This original piece of mail was on board as the B-19 made its first flight from Santa Monica to March Field on June 27, 1941.

George F. Smith 1924-

On 26^th February 1955, during the production test flight of an F-100A Super Sabre, George F. Smith ejected at over Mach 1 at 35,000ft in vertical dive when stability was lost due to the controls jammed. He survived this fear, despite being quite badly injured. He later returned to flying.

Cdr John M Moore 1923-2002

John Moore’s career in aerospace spanned thirty-two years, from WWII fighter pilot to manager of Apollo checkout operations for Rockwell at Kennedy Space Center

He was born in 1923 and joined the US Navy as an aviation cadet during WWII. He flew his first combat missions during the Korean war. As a fighter pilot he served two tours of combat and was severely injured during the first. He eventually landed in the Navy flight test program at Pax River and graduated in class IV in 1953.

Assigned to Flight Test, NATC John flew initial carrier suitability tests on four Navy airplanes, including Grumman F-11F. He was project pilot for the Navy’s flexible check landing program at NATC. As engineering test pilot and Chief, Flight Test Projects, Rockwell, Columbus , Ohio , he flew aero and structural test programs on FJ-3, FJ-4, FJ-4B and T2-J aircraft. He was active for 5 years in the development of Navy A3J-1 and RA5C Mach 2 attack and reconnaissance airplanes. John participated in aero, stability and control, electronic and armament development and demo programs on A3J, and RA5C. He performed aero and structural demos on T2B jet trainer, and was Project Pilot on rocket boost FJ-4.

He left active Navy service to enter the employ of North American Aviation as a test pilot in 1957. After many years of experimental flight, he joined North American’s Apollo program and was present for the disastrous fire that killed three astronauts in 1957. At Cape Kennedy , he was Manager Apollo checkout ops, Rockwell, from the establishment of the test team through and launch of nine Apollo spacecraft. He left North American in 1970 and went into business, then ran for and was elected Mayor of cocoa Beach, FL in 1975. He died in 2002.

Didier Ronceray/Lucien Bernard Beluga First Flight

Didier Ronceray/Lucien Bernard Beluga First Flight

Don A. Schultz

Don A. Schultz was an AAF test pilot before coming to Vought as a test pilot.

Daniel Darnell Jr 19xx-1998

Daniel Darnell joined the Army Air Corps in 1942 and flew P-38’s in North Africa and Italy.

He was awarded the Silver Star, DFC and Croix de Guerre. After the war he attended Test pilots school at Wright-Patterson in 1948 and was assigned to the fighter test section. In 1950 he joined North American Aviation and was involved in testing the F-86, F-100, B-45, AJ-1 and AJ-2. He joined Northrop in the 1960’s, fling various models of the F-5 and also the T-38, retiring in 1986. He died in 1998.

Ray Tenhoff 1922-1960

Ray Tenhoff joined the Army Air Corps in WWII and Ferried fighters & cargo aircraft, he also flew cargo missions in India. Post war he gained a BS Aero Engineering degree in 1949, graduated from USAF Test pilot school in 1951 and from USN Test pilot school in 1953.

He joined Northrop Aircraft in 1949 as an experimental test pilot,flying the F-89 and C-125 and then the CAA in 1958, then joined Convair later the same year. He died in 1960 in a B-58 Hustler accident at the age of 38. He was also the first SETP President between 1956/57.

Joe W. Ozier 1924-1957

Joseph W. Ozier was born in Hollis, Okla., in 1924 and began his aviation career as a fighter pilot in the Pacific Theater of World War II. He graduated from Northrop Aero Institute in 1950 and joined Lockheed in 1951 as a production test pilot. In 1954 he became an engineering test pilot and was a test pilot for the F-104 Starfighter, the first operational supersonic fighter, manufactured by Lockheed.He flew more hours testing the Starfighter than any other pilot and was considered the fastest pilot in the world when he was tragically killed in 1957 during a landing accident of the F-104 at Palmdale. He was aged 33

William 'Bunny' Sunday 19xx-1952

Vought test pilot Bunny Sunday

L. J. “Jack” Walton 1922-1973

'Jack' Walton joined US Marine Corps in 1944 and served in Pacific theater. He gained a BS Aero Engineering at Kansas University 1948 and therafter joined the Douglas Aircraft Company as a design engineer between 1948-1950. He g raduated from US Navy TPS at Patuxent River, Maryland in 1953. He joined Chance Vought as an experimental test pilot in 1952,flying the Cutlass and Crusader. He died of a heart attack in 1973 at the age of 51

Ralph 'Dixie' Donnell 1921-1967

Ralph H. Donnell was from Greensboro, NC (thus his nickname Dixie),. He earned a degree in Aeronautical Engineering from NC State, and was hired by Grumman as an engineer. During WW2 he flew P-51 Mustangs, crashing into debris from a Luftwaffe fighter that he had just shot down over Munich. His wing was severed and he bailed out, only to be captured and interned in Stalag Luft 3 for the remainder of the war. Following his discharge, Dixie was rehired by Grumman, but as a Test Pilot. He made the first flight of the Grumman YAO-1AF Mohawk on 14 April 1959 and the first flight of the F-111B flight on the 18th May 1965 alongside Ernie Von Der Heyden

Ernie Von der Heyden

Ernie von der Heyden joined the US Navy in 1941 and flew carrier-based fighters in the Pacific Theatre during WWII. After the war he gained a BS in Aero Eng in 1949. He joined Grumman Aircraft in the same year initially as an engineer and in 1951 became an engineering test pilot flying the F-9F, F-11F and A-2F Intruder. He made the maiden flights of the WF-2, Shuttle Training Aircraft and was co-pilot on the first flight of the F-111B.

Hugh M.Kendall MBE 19xx-1999

Hugh McLennan Kendall flew with the Fleet Air Arm during WW2, and was involved in air-racing prior to and after the war. He was the Chief Test Pilot for Handley Page (Reading), and as such flight tested many types. He flew the maiden flight of the mamba powered H.P Marathon 2.
He was the designer and test pilot for the Somers-Kendall SK-1, Britain's first ever light jet. The maiden flight was made by Hugh Kendall on 8th October 1955.
After he ended his test flying career, he joined Shell-Mex and B.P Ltd as technical liasion with the aircraft industry and airlines.

Darrell E.Cornell 19xx-1984

Darrell Cornell was Chief Test Pilot and Manager of Flight Operations at Northrop's Aircraft Division. A former Air Force pilot, Cornell joined Northrop in 1962 and moved to the Aircraft Division's flight test unit at Edwards Air Force Base in 1965. He was appointed Chief Test Pilot in 1980. He was killed on October 1-th 1984 at Suwon AB, while performing a demonstration flight for the ROKAF. The F-20 (N4416T) he was piloting stalled after a series of climbing rolls performed with flaps and gear extended. Cornell was not able to recover the aircraft from the uncontrolled stall. Cornell was also the lead test pilot for the RF-5E Tigereye, a reconnaissance version of the low cost F-5E fighter aircraft. He was an astronaut candidate with NASA in 1963, although he was not selected to join Group 3.

G/Capt Christopher Clarkson AFC 1902-1994

Chris Clarkson with George Errington (left) after flying the prototype Airspeed Ambassador
Chris Clarkson ready to test another Canadian built Mosquito

Christopher Clarkson was educated at Lancing College in Sussex and had a long career in aviation. He joined the Royal Air Force in 1924 as an instructor at its Central Flying School, returned to civilian life as a test pilot and won trophies for aerobatics and cross-Channel air races.

In World War II, he rejoined the Central Flying School but the R.A.F. sent him to the United States to test the warplanes being sent to Britain on Lend-Lease. He became chief of the test branch of the British Air Commission in this country in 1943, rose to the rank of group captain and received the Air Force Cross.

After the war he served as civil-aviation attache in the British Embassy in Washington until 1952. That year he became United States representative of Vickers-Armstrong Ltd., then one of Britain's leading aircaft and arms manufacturers. That led to his position in 1961 as head of British Aircraft Corporation U.S.A., now British Aerospace. He retired four years later.

Harold 'Curly' Custer 1921-

Harold,"Curley" Custer, son of the inventor Willard Custer. Curley was trained as a pilot by the army in WWII, and did much of the test flights for the Custer Channelwing Corporation. Curley has more time in channelwings than any other man on earth, and the stories to go with the experience. He spent much of his life trying to demonstrate the abilities of the channelwing, and is still an avid supporter.

Max Fischl 1922-2006

Born in Paris in 1922, Max Fischl developed an interest in aeronautics at a young age, a field in which he would devote his entire career to. He did however start his career in the Merchant Navy,learning the secrets of telegraphy.

During WW2 he escaped to Britain and then to Canada, becoming a military pilot in the schools of the RAFin 1945. He obtained a diploma in Flight Testing from EPNER in 1952.

After greaduation from EPNER,he joined Hurel Dubois and then onto SNCASO,which beame Aerospatiale. He flew several legendary aircraft there. Trident,Vautour and the Caravelle. He was appointed Senior Test Pilot at Airbus Industrie and made the maiden flight of the Airbus A300B on 30th October 1972.

During his career,he flew more than 10,000 hours, 6,500 of which were as a test pilot.

Auguste Morel 1921-

Auguste Morel

Auguste Morel joined the Aéronavale as a student pilot in Great Britain in 1945.

His career began at the delivery and convoy section of the Aéronavale, which he left in January 1952 for the SNECMA engine manufacturer. He got his test pilot licence at the end of a training course at the CEV (Centre des Essais en Vol) in 1953.

His job at SNECMA was to test fly the company engines, and in doing so he flew a large number of different test-bed aircraft (from Meteor to Armagnac , including Dassault fighters). He made the first trial flight of a vectored thrust device conceived by the engineer Jean Bertin, first installed on a Vampire in 1952. At Melun-Villaroche, he specialised in VTO and was at the controls of the “Atar Volant” C 400 P2, on May 14, 1957 for its first flight, successfully demonstrating it at the LE Bourget Salon in 1957. He began testing the “Coléoptère” (SNECMA C 450) on 8^th May 8 1959, but on the ninth flight on July 25^th 1959 (the aircraft had by then flown about 20 flight hours but hadn’t yet made the transition to horizontal flight) just before attempting transition he lost control. He managed to eject fifteen meters from the ground, but was badly injured. The accident put en end to his test flying career

Roger Carpentier 1921-1959

Roger Carpentier

Patrick Experton

Test pilot, Patrick Experton worked for Dassault Aviation between 1978 until his retirement in 2002. A graduate of the French Airforce Academy Class of 1962, Patrick Experton was first assigned to the EC Roussillon flying the Mirage IIIE Mirage then to the EC Alsace in Dijon, also flying the Mirage III. He was then transferred to the CEV (Centre D'essais en Vol) in Istres, and then to the USAF Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB, becoming the first French pilot to fly the F 15A Eagle.

He returned to France to the Istres AB with the CEV where he conducted spin trials for the Mirage F-1C. He then commanded the EC3/30 Lorraine Squadron between 1976 to 1978 at Reims Airbase, the first unit equipped with the airplane.

He was employed as a test pilot with Dassault aviation in 1978 where he was involved with the development of the Alpha Jet trainer, variants of the Mirage F1 including the CR reconnaissance version. He made the first flights of the Mirage 50 (May 1979) and the Mirage IIING ( December 1982).

From 1980 onwards, he was closely involved with the development of the Mirage 2000 Fly-by-wire. His most significant contribution to the program was his critical role criticizes in the development of the Mirage 2000-5 variant. In the mid 1990’s, he changed to the business jet side of Dassault, being involved in several test programs including the Falcon 900 and Falcon 900EX. Throughout his career, and in retirement, Patrick Experton has maintained strong links with the flight United States test flying community and with the Society of Experimental test Pilots (SETP) in particular.

Jacques Grangette 1924-2006

Jacques Grangette

Meinhardt Feuersenger

The Fairchild Dornier 328JET lifted off at 11:16 a.m on its maiden flight from the Oberpfaffenhofen runway and was flown at altitudes up to 25,000 feet around the Bavarian Alps and airspace used for test purposes near the airfield. Pilots Meinhardt Feuersenger and Peter Weger flew for one hour and 55 minutes, exploring various flight test parameters during the successful first flight.

Gerben Sonderman 1908-1955

Gerben Sonderman with Prince Bernard of the Netherlands
Sonderman in cockpit of first RNLAF Hunter

Maiden flight of the Fokker S-14 by Gerben Sonderman

Gerben Sonderman

Georgy Konstantinovich Mosolov 1926-

Georgy Mosolov was born in Ufa city in 1926. He had served in the Army from 1944. In 1948 he graduated from Chuguievskoye military aviation pilot school,staying there as a pilot-instructor until 1951. In 1953 he graduated from Test-pilot school, and in 1959 graduated from MAI (with distinction).

Between 1953-1962 he worked as test-pilot and from 1963-1969 he was leading engineer at A.I.Mikoyan EDB. He conducted flight tests on the MiG-17, MiG-19, MiG-21 fighters and their various modifications. He made the maiden flights of the Å-2, Å-8, I-7Ó, I-75, Å-152À è Å-152/1 and set six world aviation records (three of them were absolute).

He was awarded with two Lenin Orders, Order of Red Star, medals. Has three medals de Lavo (FAI) (1960, 1962, 1963). Made a Hero of Soviet Unionin 1960 and Honored test-pilot of USSR in 1967.

Bernard Ziegler 1933-

Bernard Ziegler was born in 1933, and is the former Airbus senior vice president for engineering. He is the son of the former Airbus CEO, Henri Ziegler.

He was educated at the Ecole Polytechnique (1954) as an engineer and École de l'Air (1955) for his pilot training and military commission. Mr. Ziegler began his career as a fighter pilot in the French air force. He saw action in the Algerian War and was decorated twice. Principal medals and decorations received include Officer de L’Ordre National due Merite, Médaille de l’Aéronautique,Croix de la valeur militaire and Officer de la Legion d’honneur.

He continued his studies in Ecole Nationale Superieure de L’Aeronautique et de L’Espace (Supaero) (1961) and was later posted to École du Personnel Navigant d'Essais et de Réception (EPNER), the French Air Force test pilot establishment in 1964. He was the chief test pilot for the Dassault Mirage G in 1968. In Airbus, his career spans from chief test pilot (1972) to senior vice president for flight and support, and then to senior vice president for engineering. As a test pilot, he flew the first flight of the A300,A310, A320 and A340.

Bernard Ziegler was the most influential figure in developing the cockpit design and fly-by-wire control system for the Airbus airliners. He proposed that numerous technological innovations be applied to Airbus aircraft; for example using composites, twin-engine configuration for the A300, fly-by-wire and many others. He was the guiding force in the creation of the flight-envelope protection incorporated in the Airbus flight-control software. This innovation allows the pilot to apply the maximum control forces considered necessary while preventing inadvertent inputs that could place the aircraft outside the safety margin. This feature is considered by many to be highly beneficial in avoiding unusual attitudes in flight and in safely maximizing the effectiveness of evasive manoeuvres in response to GPWS warnings.

For his efforts in advancing the fly-by-wire cause, he was honoured by Flight Safety Foundation in 1998. He retired from Airbus after 25 years of service in 1997.

Gerard Henry 1924-

Max Plan P.F.204

Gerard Henry was born in Lorraine in 1924 and graduated as a military pilot in 1946. After becoming a test pilot, he made the maiden flights of 2 aircraft, the Max Plan P.F.204 in 1948 and the Millet-Lagarde ML10 in 1949.
From 1950 onwards, he became involved with helicopters and went to EPNER where he completed a helicopter tst pilot course. He was involved testing the Alouette through to the Super Frelon in a 34 year career which saw 27 of them as a test pilot,flying over 36 types of helicopters and accumulating 11,575 flight hours of which 7,421 were flight testing. He also supervised the training of the first 100 French military pilots of the heavy helicopters,particpated in the operations in the Aures in 1955 and helped rescue White and Santini from Mont Blanc in 1957.

'Jas' Andreas Pieter Moll 1926 - 2001

Jas Moll

Gerard Joyeuse

Hervé Leprince-Ringuet and Gérard Joyeuse flew the Falcon 50's maiden flight. It was powered by three Garrett TFE 731-3 jet engines, and flew out of Bordeaux-Mérignac on November 7, 1976.

In December 1976, the company's authorities decided to revamp the prototype, fitting improved wings. Its first flight with the new wings took place on May 6, 1977, out of Istres, again at the hands of Hervé Leprince-Ringuet and Gérard Joyeuse. The plane proved hopes invested in the wing design to be well-founded. The Falcon 50 became the world's first civil aircraft featuring supercritical wings, and secured certification on February 27, 1979.

The prototype of the Mercure 100 made its maiden flight from Mérignac (Gironde, France) on 28th May 1971 with a crew including Jean Coureau, chief pilot, Jérôme Résal, pilot, and Gérard Joyeuse, test engineer

Col Frank T Birk 1946-1993

Colonel Frank Birk's career as a combat and test pilot began with two tours as a Raven Forward Air Controller in Southeast Asia. He served as a C-141 instructor pilot, a test pilot for the 6512th Test Squadron at Edwards Air Force Base, B-1A Test Program Director of Operations, B-1B Combined Test Force Director of Flight Test, Chief Test Pilot for three different joint NASA/USAF F-111 experimental programs, Chief of the B-1B Division at Strategic Air Command Headquarters, Commander of the 412th Test Group and Director of the B-2 Combined Test Force at Edwards Air Force Base.

Colonel Birk piloted the first flight of a "classified technology demonstrator" at Groom Lake in 1985. He graduated from the USAF Test Pilot School in 1976. He flew 7,200 hours in 65 different aircraft, logging 1,000 hours of experimental flight test time. When he retired, Colonel Birk was the most highly decorated pilot on active duty in the Air Force. He continued flight testing for Rockwell International until his death in August 1993.

He flew more than 800 combat missions in Southeast Asia, flying the O-1, O-2, OV-10, U-17 and T-28. His decorations include the 1986 General Robert M. Bond Memorial Aviator Award, two Silver Stars, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, 27 Air Medals, the Aerial Achievement Medal and the Purple Heart. Colonel Birk was honored by the Society of Experimental Test Pilots with their Ray E. Tenhoff Award in 1986 and was awarded the Laotion Order of the Elephants.

Jeff 'Slim' Knowles

Jeff 'Slim' Knowles

Roland Glavany 1922-

In 1958 Roland Glavany became the first person in Europe to achieve Mach 2 in level flight
Roland Glavany took the Mirage IV No 01 into the air for the first time on 17 June 1959
Miarge 1, the first of the Mirage family

Roland Glavany was born on August 22 1922 in Nantes. He went to the Ecole de l'Air in 1940.After the German offensive in France, like many other young Frenchmen that refused the Occupation he escapes France via Spain and lands in Algeria where Generals deGaulle and Giraud are based. In May 1943, Roland Glavany is one of the first ones to integrate into the all new Battalion of assault, soon named "Shock". It is an elite unit, which is integrated into Army Group B.The battalion participates in the liberation of the islands of Elbe and Corsica. Then onto Provence and the rest of France.

In 1945, Roland Glavany rejoins the Airforce, and in 1948, after jet training allowing him to join the CEV (Centers d’Essais en Vol) in 1950. Unil 1959, he was involved in flight testing the Vautour. He joined Dassault as a test pilot and made the first flights of the Mirages I, III and IV. In 1958, he was the first pilot in Europe to fly to Mach 2 (horizontal flight).

He participated in the Algerian War between 1958 and 1960,after which he entered the State Officer School of the Airforce Air and then to the Superior School of Aerial Warfare. He commanded the air bases of Bordeaux, Istres and lastly Mont-de-Marsan

Pierre Galland

On January 18th 1958,Lt Pierre Galland, Test Pilot of the C.E.V on his 241st flight broke the world record for speed on a 1000 kilometer stretch between Istres and Cazaux, averaging a speed of 1020 km/h in the Dassault Etendard IV.

Jean Lanvario

First Transall C-160 aircraft which Jean Lanvario flew the maiden flight of.

Jean Lanvario

Antoine Ochsenbein

The PA49 is the work of Nicolas-Roland Payen. In May 1951,Payen and three workers contructed the PA-49A in a month! It was not until January 22 1954 that the Payen PA49 Katy took to the skies for the first time, piloted by Tony Ochsenbein. Between 1954 and the end of 1958, it carried out many flights. When the project ended, Payen offered the aircraft to the Aerospace Museum at Le Bourget, where it remains today.

Jacques Lecarme 1906-1986

Jacques Lecarme

Roger Receveau 1919 - 1994

Roger Receveau

Jacques Guignard 1920-1988

Jaques Guignard (left) with Charles Goujon

Jacques Guignard became a military pilot aged nineteen, having rejoined the FAFL in June 1940. He flew 370 missionsduring WW2,claiming 3 victories. Post war he tarined asa test pilot at ETPS and became the second French pilot (after Clear Maurice) to fly a jet aircraft, the Meteor. He returned to France in 1945 and began his career as a test pilot at the CEV and on January 29 1946 at 35years of age he carried out his first maiden flight. In all he carried out test flights on 16 prototypes 10 of which were maiden flights. He nearly lost his life twice in crashes of the Trident, however, he did go on to co-pilot Concorde on its maiden flight alongside Andre Turcat. He had flown more than 6,000 hours of test flight and was highly decorated.

Bernard Witt 1926-

Bernard Witt

Jean Gonord 1903-1988

John Gonord joined the Navy in 1922 and became a pilot in 1924.

He joined Latécoère in1930 and during his 9 years there,he flew about twenty prototypes including the Laté28-8, Laté380-01 , Laté350, Laté440,Laté290-01, Laté300,Laté521 and the Potez540 (built under license by Latécoère).He joined Breguet in 1944 and during his 2 years there flew the Br731 and Br500.

He joined Leduc Aircraft in 1946, making the first flights of the LeducO10-01 , 010-02 and Leduc016.

Gérard Muselli 1915-1970

On the 2nd February 1970 after a journey home from work,Gérard Muselli suffered a heart attack and was found dead in his car. This was not the end one would have imagined for one of the top French combat and test pilots. He was a modest man who did not seek fame,just a hard working and diligent test pilot. He had flown more than 4200 hours, a large proportion in flight testing. Gérard Muselli was a wartime fighter pilot, flying with the Escadrille GC 1/5,scoring 6 aerial victories and 4 probables. He started his test flying career in the airforce before joining Dassault. He test flew various marks of Mystere and Mirage. Roland Glavany and Gerard Muselli were involved in the flight testing of the Mystere MD-550 pushing the programme forward at top speed and by December 1955, the Mystere-Delta was delivered to the CEV for test flights through January 1956. He made the maiden flight of the the Super Mystère B2, the successor of Mystère IV A, The SMB2 01 took off on a 40 minute 1st flight at Melun-Villaroche, on 15th May 1956, breaking the sound barrier without afterburning assistance..

Jacques Jesberger 1926-1988

Jacques Jesberger

Fred Nicole 1911-1987

Fred Nicole

Jean Dabos 1923-

Jean Dabos fled France aged 17 years in 1940 to England via Morocco, West Indies, Brazil, and Canada! He joined the French Alsace Squadron in Flight Strasburg. He finished the war after 220 hours of war flying and 140 missions. He was awarded the Croix de Guerre, the military medal four citations and the “Legion d’honneur”. After the war he went to the Flight Test Center at Bretigny before joining SNCASO in 1952 as a helicopter test pilot. On 29th December 1953, he set the first French held World Altitude record for a helicopter in the SO.1220 Djinn a single-seater which flew to 4789m. In 1957, he pushed the record higher to 8458m.

He then went to test fly the Vautour and the Espadon at Melun-Villaroche. In 1956, he joined the Test Flight Center of Aerospatiale in Toulouse and followed the certification programmes of Caravelle, Airbus and Concorde. Afterward, he was detailed as “Flight crew training manager” at Aeroformation to train crews of foreign companies. He retired in 1974 with 11500 hours in his log-book.

Jean Cliquet 1911-

Jean Cliquet was born in 1911 and had a rich career in aviation ever since. He joined the French Navy in 1928. In July 1930 he flew various aircraft types, Hanriot, Caudron, Nieuport, Dewoitine, Farman and seaplanes of Farman, Cams, Latham, Gourdoux. From 1935 to 1937 he was supervisor to the Royan Flights School before joining Morane-Saulnier in 1937, where he remained for the next 25 years as Chief Test Pilot, with only an interruption of two years during the war, as a pilot for Air France.

He made the first flight of the first French prototype after the war, the Mr.s. 470, the first of 26 prototypes that he flew between 1945 and 1960! Among these the twin-engined MS.702 with which he flew 28,000 km in Africa in 1950. He also flew the "Fleuret", the competitor of the twin-engined "Magister" which was the origin of the MS.760 "Paris", the first twin-engined private jet in 1954. Cliquet has flown more than 10,000 hours.

Charles Goujon 1912-1957

Charles Goujon became a military pilot in 1933, and during the war he flew 193 missions and scoring 4 victories in the "Lafayette" Squadron alongside Colonel Rozanoff,before transferring to the "Roussillon" Squadron. After the war he became an engineer at ETACA, and became a test pilot in 1948. He was with Morane-Saulnier for three years before moving to S.N.C.A.S.O in August 1948. Among the aircraft he was involved with were the SO.95 "Corsican", and the "Brittany", with which he made a memorable flight from Orly-Bordeaux-Paris, on one engine.

He made the maiden flights of the SO.30 "Nene" and SO.30 "Atar", in 1951 and 1953 and then he was involved with the "Swordfish" and "Vautour", before replacing Jaques Guignard on the Trident who was injured in a crash in 1953. He was killed when the SO9050 Trident II he was flying exploded in mid air in 1957.

Pierre Nadot 1907-19xx

Pierre Satre and Pierre Nadot (right) in front of an Air France Caravelle
Maiden Flight of SE-210 Caravelle

Pierre Nadot flew his last test flight onboard the Caravelle B IIs for its maiden flight,retiring as a test pilot after a 32 year career. He was succeeded by André Turcat.

His retirement came after starting his career in Naval Aviation in 1929, qualifying as a seaplane pilot in 1930. He began his career as a test pilot in the navy in February 1932; before oing on to work at Nieuport then SNCAO. In 1941 he joined SNCASE,flying light aircraft before moving on to the larger multi-engined aircraft such as the Armagnac, the biggest 4 engined aircraft of its era. He then flew the Grognard jet aircraft before concentrating on the Caravelle,making its first flight on May 27th 1955. It was the first commerical aircraft with tail mounted engines.

Leon Bourrieau 1908-1974

Nothing would have suggested that Léon Bourrieau would find his place in French Aviation history. He came from modest origins, his education was not outstanding and he suffered from health problems with his lungs. To then follow a career as a pilot, let alone a test pilot is quite astonishing.

Léon Bourrieau first joined the military before joining Fouga as a test pilot in1945. He tested the CM.10 and CM100/101 before he was the first to fly Fouga Sylphe on 14^th July 1949. He perfected this aircraft as well as test flying the Fouga Gémeaux for the Turbomeca engine. On the 23rd July 1952, he made the maiden flight of the prototype Fouga CM170 Magister which was designed by Robert Castello and Mauboussin (C.M.), the first of 871 examples to fly!.

He has bailed out of aircraft twice, was made a knight of the Legion of honor and decorated of the Médaille of the Aeronautics.

Yves Brunaud 1920-1962

Breguet 1100 Taon
Breguet Vultur

Started as an observer before becoming a pilot in the Air Force He then entered the C.E.V. before joining Breguet at the end of 1947. He flew more than 4,000 hours of flight of which 2,500 were flight tests in particular on the BR761 'Deux Ponts', BR1100, Vultur, Alizé and finally the Atlantic. He was killed in the crash of the 2^nd prototype Atlantic in 1962.

Jean Boulet 1920-

Jean Boulet was born on the 16th November 1920 in Brunoy. He graduated from the French "Ecole polytechnique" and trained as a fighter pilot in the United States . After serving in the French Air Force, he joined the French national company SNCASE in 1946 as engineer-pilot responsible for helicopter programs, a sector the company was planning to develop. Jean Boulet had never piloted a helicopter before, and after training – once again in the United States – he was issued French Helicopter Pilot License No. 8. He then served as a helicopter test pilot and, in 1953, was appointed Head of Helicopter Flight Testing – a position he was to hold for the next 22 years.until his retirement in 1975. During his time with SNCASE (later Aerospatiale) he was involved in all of their helicopter designs, and performed the maiden flights of most.They include the followingSE3101, SE3000 Alouette, SE3130 Alouette II, SE3150 Lama, SA3210 Super Frelon, SA330 PumaOn 6 June 1955, he reached an altitude of 8209 meters at the controls of the Alouette 2. Almost three years later on 5 June 1958, he smashed this record by achieving 9853 meters. Just eight days later, in yet another record attempt, he broke through the 10,000 meter mark to reach 10,984 meters in 17 minutes and 43 seconds. But this was not the end of the story. On 17 March 1969, the Aerospatiale SA315 Lama made its maiden flight. The Lama was a winning combination of an Alouette II airframe and a Turbomeca Artouste IIIC engine, and was tailor-made for aerial work over mountainous terrain. On 21 June 1972, Jean Boulet spectacularly demonstrated the performance of the Lama by taking it up to an altitude of 12,440 meters

He gained 17 international records between 1952 and 1972,regaining the altitude record in 1972. He has flown over 9000hours of which 8000 are on helicopters.

Pierre 'Tito' Maulandi 1920-2008

Tito in the cockpit of the SE 5000 Baroudeur


SE 5000 Baroudeur
SE212 Durandal

The Baroudeur was a single seat turbojet fighter that didn't need long runways. The jet could take of from trolleys that could operate from grass fields, and could land on three retractable skids. These skids could also be used for take off from snow or ice covered conditions, and the trolley carried six rockets for rough ground support. The first Baroudeur flew on August 1, 1953. A second prototype flew on May 2, 1954. Two months later the second prototype reached Mach 1 in a shallow dive. However no production order was made.
Pierre 'Tito' Maulandi flew the maiden flights of the SE 5000 Baroudeur in 1953 and the SE212 Durandal in 1956.

Jean Coureau 1928-1997

Jean Coureau was born on June 1, 1928, in Bouillac, in the French region of Tarn and Garonne. He began flying gliders out of Montauban airfield shortly after World War II, while still in high school. He joined Ecole de l'Air, the French Air Force's training school, in 1947, and qualified as a fighter pilot in Meknès in 1949. In 1950, he was among the very first French pilot to retrain for jet-powered aircraft, and was posted to the 4th fighter squadron the following year, where he promptly cemented his skills.

His talent soon caught the eye of CEV, a test flight center, where he was assigned in 1954. He qualified as a test pilot in 1956, and worked on the day's leading-edge military Mystère II, Mistral, Vautour, Fouga Marine and Mystère IV aircraft. He was also active in tests on lightweight interceptor Gerfaut I and II, Trident, Durandal and Mirage III 001 aircraft, the pool from which the Mirage III was chosen. As a pilot, he worked on the team defining this plane's specifications and conducting its first tests at CEV (Mirage III A 01 in 1958)He joined Générale Aéronautique Marcel Dassault in 1960, for the final fine-tuning and most delicate tests. Also known for his aerobatic prowess, he performed over 100 spirals on different Mirage III configurations, and performed the Mirage III C's, Mirage III E's and Mirage III R's maiden flights (the first in 1960, the second and third in 1961). Coureau also flew at aircraft presentations staged for foreign delegations. His demonstrations of the Mirage III's full range of features in Switzerland, for instance, earned that aircraft the favor of the Swiss Aviation Troop in 1961. He later performed maiden and test flights on the Mirage III T (in 1964), Mirage F 2 (in 1966) and Mirage G (in 1967).

Coureau was also at home with commercial aviation issues. He took the Mystère 20 for several test flights and, as a user, took part in the Hirondelle's development (1968). He and Hervé Leprince-Ringuet took the Mystère-Falcon 10-01 into the air for the first time in 1970, and Jérôme Résal sat alongside him as he did so with the Mystère-Falcon 30 in 1973. He joined Avions Marcel Dassault as chief pilot in 1967, and was known to run the several tests, in particular on the Mirage F-1, with talent and authority.His background as a military pilot did not hamper his ability to adjust. To the contrary, he willingly and successfully joined the ranks of civil pilots training for airline service (on Caravelle with Air Inter and Boeing 727 with Air France), to get a firsthand grasp of civil transport aircraft. He worked as first associate pilot alongside Jérôme Résal, Gérard Joyeuse and Denis Malbrand to develop the Mercure 01 (in 1971). The last aircraft program he was involved in was the Mirage 2000, which he took on a maiden flight in 1978.He was appointed deputy test-flight director in 1979 and promoted to flight safety director in 1987. He retired in 1992, after serving at Dassault for 32 years - and clocking 6 000 flying hours. Coureau's achievements in military duties earned him the title of Officer of the Legion of Honor. He also held the title of Officer of the National Order of Merit, and the Medal of Aeronautics

Guy Mitaux-Maurouard 1938-

Guy Mitaux-Maurouard started his aviation career as a pilot in the French Air Force in 1959. He is a graduate of the French Test Pilot School class of 1966 (EPNER) at Salon and has test flown virtually every Dassault fighter, starting with the swing wing Mirage G8 in 1968 and culminating with the Rafale C01 single-pilot air force fighter.

He flew the first flight of the Rafale A proof-of-concept fighter in July 1986.

In 1991, Mitaux-Maurouard was succeeded by Yves "Bill" Kerhervé as chief test pilot of military aircraft. Mitaux-Maurouard then joined the Falcon Jet test program. He was the chief test pilot on the Falcon 900EX and Falcon 2000 head-up display development and certification programs. He also flew Falcon Jets at air shows. Many pilots had their first flights in Falcon Jets with Mitaux-Maurouard.

Yves 'Bill' Kerherve

Yves 'Bill' Kerherve

Henri Perrier 1929-

The crew of Concorde 001's maiden flight on 2nd March 1969, Andre Turcat,Henri Perrier, Michel Retif and Jacques Guignard

Henri Perrier was born in Paris in 1929. He is an engineer graduate from SUPAERO and from EPNER which is the equivalent in France to the British Empire Test Pilots' School. His career as a test flight engineer was from 1955 to 1989,culminating as Director of the flight tests for the AEROSPATIALE company (succeeded André Turcat at this job).

The flight test programs that he has been involved with are : SO4050 VAUTOUR, SE 210 CARAVELLE, CONCORDE and the ATR 42 and 72.

Jean Marie Saget 1929 -