Harold W.C 'Bill' Skinner 1903-1939

Harold W.C Skinner served as a pilot in the RAF, and on leaving the service he joined Phillips and Powis of Reading as an instructor at their RTS School in 1935. He soon proved himself as a capable pilot and he became their Chief Test Pilot in 1937. Among the Miles types that he put through their initial tests was the Miles Master training aircraft with Kestrel engines.

He demonstrated various Miles aircraft abroad,particuarly in Holland, Belgium,Romania,Latvia and Lithuania. He was the first British pilot to recover from an uncontrollabe spin by means of a tail parachute. He died suddenly at his home on November 15th 1939.