Flying Characters

[Prof Denzil Dexter]

I often wonder where all the 'characters' have gone in UK light aviation... You know, the individuals who are not afraid to raise eyebrows, to be individual and to totally sum up aviation as it used to be.

Not many left now, but here's eleven to start the ball rolling:

1. Brendan O'Brien
2. Henry Labouchere
3. Vic Norman
4. Barry Tempest
5. Dai Heather-Hayes
6. Tony Haig-Thomas
7. Maurice Kirk
8. Doug Arnold
9. Chris Freeman
10. Doug Bianchi
11. Norman Jones

Obviously, there are others, so lets know who you think should be added to the GA hall of fame.:ok:

[Aerohack]

Ah, what a list! Without giving it more than a few seconds' thought I'd add Brian Lecomber, Ray Hanna, 'Benjy' Benjamin, and sadly all 'lates', Manx Kelly, Peter Phillips, David Perrin, Neville Browning, ...I'll be back.

[soppybeagle]

Brendan...... http://www.skyfever.com/index.asp is ok, have spoken to him recently.

Maurice Kirk........... http://www.kirkflyingvet.co.uk/index.shtml


Chris Freeman died, I think it was about a year ago.

I believe that two or three of the others on the list are dead, but I wont name them in case that's premature.

[pulse1]

I think that Neil Williams should be near the top of any such list. He had that rare gift of sharing his flying through his writing.

[treadigraph]

Here's a few more I would consider notable for their entertaining flying (and in some cases writing) - James Black, Paul Bonhomme, Steve Jones, Ranald Porteous, Derek Piggott, Brian Smith, Pete Kynsey, Stephen Grey, Mike Riley... There are loads more, some sadly no longer with us...

Oh and Cobbie Moore - a character at Biggin for as long as I can remember, though I believe he's moved to another airfield now...

[Prof Denzil Dexter]

Aerohack,

Yes, good hit! I forgot all about Manx Kelly and Benji.

Tredigraph,

All the pilots you list are excellent pilots, but what I was looking at was not an ability of being a 'natural' pilot, which I agree, most of the submissions are, but somebody who, through their strength of character, or downright lunacy, enjoyed something of a colourful reputation amongst fellow pilots.

Barry Tempest for example, on official duty as CAA Air Display Inspector, dressed as an Arab!

[Wycombe]

I'd put Barry's daughter on the list aswell!!

Oh, and take Doug Arnold off (never knew him, but witnessed his unique "operating style" many times in my youth, from a safe distance!)

[Prof Denzil Dexter]

I'd second that!

[Aerohack]

Treadders: You beat me to it with Ranald Porteous, who fulfilled all of Prof DD's requirements for being an 'aviation character'. Back in the early 80s he used he used to night-stop on Fridays in Southsea, where I then lived, prior to taking the early hovercraft over to Bembridge, where he was doing some consultancy work for John Britten on the Sheriff light twin project. My fondest memory of those times is going out with Ranald for our usual 'few drams' and an evening of fascinating tale-telling (alas, much of it forgotten in an alcoholic haze). On this occasion, and against my advice, he chose a particularly down-market pub renowned for its brawls. Now, Ranald, in addition to being an extraordinarily skilled pilot and superb raconteur, styled himself 'Scotland's Greatest Living Poet', and as the evening drew on, he climbed onto a table and began declaiming some of his verse. I braced ready to dash for the door as soon as the chairs started to fly, but they never did — Ranald's performance was greeted by rounds of applause and rounds of drinks in equal measure. What a character!

[treadigraph]

PDD;

Fair comment! Mind you, I'd maintain that some of those I mentioned still qualify, reformed characters or not! Either way, all of them stand tall amongst their peers... Arabic or Russian costumes notwithstanding! :)

Aerohack:
I wish I could have met him! Which seedy Portsmouth pub was this? My sister used to live there and my brother-in-law dragged me round some real dodgy ones on occasion, and I did a pub crawl there last year which encompassed a few more!

Cheers

Treadders

[Aerohack]

Treadders: It was in Albert Road, and the name '5th Hants Volunteer Arms' comes to mind, but that may not have been it. Despite having lived in the area for most of my life, it was a pub I'd never been into, largely because of its reputation. Ranald was quite unfazed. How I wish he'd written his autobiography.

[treadigraph]

Yep - went there on the crawl last year - was a lunchtime, so fairly quiet!

This thread has given me the germ of an idea, Aerohack - I'm off on leave for a few days but will contact you when I get back.

Look forward to seeing a few more characters added to the list!

Regards

Treadders