Agaricus,
I was not sarcastic at all when asking what his background was in the RAF (and I'm not british)
Thank you to the colleague posting an answer just above :
so yes, fighter pilot, graduate of the FRENCH Test Pilot School, and then a full career in Flight Test at Boscombe Down (so a real test pilot at least this time) before embrassing a little bit of airline career, appropriately with Virgin. Nothing to add, well done fellow, and best wishes.