Ian Forbes learned to fly in 1937 aged 17 and was an instructor and V.I.P. pilot in A.T.A. during the war years. He joined the Miles brothers in 1946 as test pilot and aircraft sales manager. The Miles HDM.105, with B-class registration G-35-3(subsequently re-registered G-AHDM), was first flown on 31 March 1957 by Ian A. Forbes, but was later damaged beyond repair in a landing accident at Shoreham in 1958.