S/Ldr David J Masters DFC 1918-2012

David Masters (left) with company director, Richard Fairey talking after his demonstration of the first Stockport built Fairey Gannet AS1 on October 5th 1954
ML Utility Mk1 aircraft XK776

1^st Ringway Gannet 1
Fairey Gannet 2nd prototype
Fairey Firefly Mk.7


David Masters served in the RAFVR fom 1938 to 1946. He became an instructor with the Rhodesian Air Training Group between 1940-1943. He served with Bomber Command between 1944-1946 flying Lancasters.

He joined Faireys in 1946 and the company sponsored him for No5 ETPS course.He became Senior Test Pilot for Fairey Aviation at Ringway. He test flew the Firefly and the Gannet,performing the individual aerobatic display in the Gannet at the SBAC show at Farnborough. He also test flew the then 'cloak-and-dagger' ML Utility Mk1 aircraft.

In 1961 he retired from test flying,left Fairey's and was appointed Special Contracts representative for Derritron Electronics, whom heleft in 1965 to become Technical Press Officer for the Hawker Siddeley Group until joining Gordon Bell & Partners, Management Training Consultants. From 1972 until retiring n 1986 he worked as an independent Management Training Consultant,specialising in Effective Communication,mainly for multi-national organisations.