What A Life

[johnny99]

Captain Eric 'Winkle' Brown, 89 was presented an Honorary Doctorate today from Edinburgh University. Eric was the first to land a jet on a carrier and as a test pilot he was credited with flying every type of operational ac which flew in WWII. In the interview on TV it was said that his application to join the RAF was refused hence he ended up in the RN! Couldn't help but think what an exceptional gentleman and what a life well lived.

http://news.scotsman.com/latestnews/Honorary-doctorate-for-pilot-who.4072003.jp

[cheesedoff]

He wrote a book called 'wings on my sleeve'. Absolutely brilliant read. If you can beg, steal or borrow it, please do so, you wont regret it!

[neilk]

I had the honour of interviewing him a few years back, a lovely fellow, flew rotary as well including Lynx before retiring.

His tails of the High speed flight at Farnborough during the war will make you hair stand up!

[exscribbler]

I'm one of those lucky people with a copy of "Wings on My Sleeve". His log book must make interesting reading; cojones is hardly the word.

In the book he says that when he reported back to the RAFVR on the outbreak of war (having learned to fly with the Edinburgh UAS) there was no real rush for his services but he was told there was an urgent need for pilots in the FAA - so he was first made a gentleman and then a naval aviator...

Well done and congratulations, Sir!

[airborne_artist]

I'm one of those lucky people with a copy of "Wings on My Sleeve"

Loads on the usual auction and bookseller's sites. About a tenner.

[EyesFront]

It's a featured book at my local Waterstones, so it shouldn't be hard to buy a new one!

[NoHoverstop]

I was fortunate enough to buy a copy of this book from the author in person last year and he was kind enough to sign it for me. It's a great read but one might have to put it down occasionally just to ponder what one has just read, shake one's head, read that last bit again a couple of times more and then just sit there a while longer feeling somewhat gobsmacked.

He's a top bloke too. He was happy to spend some time later on, when he must have had better things to do, talking about future developments in the art of throwing aeroplanes at ships and hoping they'll stick. He was sincerely apologetic about being a few minutes late for our appointment, giving the rather cracking excuse that he'd been delayed because he'd run into someone he'd not seen in years and had been doing a bit of catching up - "Nice chap. German. I captured him in 1945". :ok:

[WE Branch Fanatic]

Captain Brown is a real legend. I first came across the first edition of his book as a 17 year old student at my local tertiary college back in 1993 and found it an amazing and impressive read. I was already interested in naval aviation. In late 2006 I was delighted to find Wings On My Sleeve in a bookshop, and recieved it at Christmas that year.

I refer to the book, and particularly to Captain Brown's comments on CVA 01, the planned carriers that were scrapped in the 60s, on the Future Carrier thread.

I think it was the US Navy Test Pilots' School that described him as the greatest naval aviator of all time. If you read the book you will see why.

[exscribbler]

Thanks for the advice, AA; my copy is a 1978 paperback which I picked up years ago at Bamburgh Castle bookshop for a mere 60p (original price £2.25) but a swift check on Amazon tells me there's an amended version available - yes, it's about £10 with postage and on its way.

Whatever the mean detail, the fact remains that here is an aviator of much renown and a real National Treasure. I envy those who have met this gallant gentleman.

[FJJP]

Available from Amazon...

Amazon.co.uk: Wings on My Sleeve: Books (http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_b/026-0274061-5535603?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Wings+on+My+Sleeve&x=14&y=17)

[Chairborne 09.00hrs]

Had the pleasure of attending a lecture by him last year at the RAFM Cosford.

Top bloke!

[Beatriz Fontana]

Not many of his kind left in this fair life. The book is absolutely superb, well worth owning a copy.

[A2QFI]

18 copies available under $20, but + P/P, at AbeBooks: New & Used Books, Textbooks, Rare & Out of Print Books (http://www.abebooks.com).

[aviate1138]

I so wish he had been able to achieve Mach 1 in the Miles M 52 [with its "all flying tailplane"]

He deserved to be 'The One' but the wimp Labour Government chickened out. So Chuck Y got the honours but only because we let them see the clever all flying tail of the M 52.

Capt.Eric 'Winkle' Brown is one of the best of the best. A legend.

And I have his book - signed. :)

[PPRuNe Towers]

If snuffling through Amazon/Abe or the like don't forget his superb two volume anthology, 'Wings of the Weird and Wonderful.'

Regards
Rob