Information on Lt Cdr John Overbury Nay Test Pilot
 

Hi I'm looking for any information on my late uncle Lt Cdr John (Jack) Overbury. He was with the fleet air arm then was a private test pilot. He was killed testing the Folland Gnat in 1960.

Specifically I am looking for details of the airrcraft he set (and apparently still holds) for piston engine aircraft. I believe he set several distance and time records in Sea Furys. I'd love to know details about these as I would like to build a flying model of one of them. His surviving wife Elizabeth Overbury was the first female Civil Airline Pilot in the UK and would love to see one of them fly again. She is getting on a bit and the time is now to do it.

I have not had much luck surfing the net and hope one of you could help.

Many thanks

Jim Overbury

Jim - I suggest you call the Fleet Air Arm Museum's curator, and also get in touch with the Fleet Air Officers' Association.

http://www.fleetairarm.com/ - [email protected]

http://www.fleetairarmoa.org/

The RN Historic Flight have two airworthy Sea Furies, which are displayed every year at airshows:

http://royalnavyhistoricflight.org.uk/

http://www.royalnavyhistoricflight.o...furyground.jpg

I see from the post below that he set one record in a Sea Hawk. The RN HF have one of those, too, also airworthy.

Lieut-Cdr J.R.S.Overbury flew a Sea Hawk F.B.3 from Bovingdon to Schiphol to set a new point-to-point record in Class C.1 from London to Amsterdam. He flew the 224miles in 23min 39.7sec at a speed of 571.5mph. on the 29th July 1954.

Another point-to-point record was set on the 2nd July 1955 between Ciampino, Rome and Luqa, Malta. Lieut-Cdr J.R.S.Overbury with Lieut-Cdr G Kable as navigator flew a Royal Australian Navy Sea Venom F(A.W).53 the 422 miles in 47min 24sec at a speed of 538mph.

Lieut-Cdr J.R.S.Overbury was a graduate of No.12 Course ETPS at Farnborough 1953.

He joined Hunting Aircraft at Luton as a test pilot in 1957.

On 16th November 1960 he was killed whilst flying Jet Provost T.2 G-AOUS.
The aircraft disintegrated over Langford, 3 miles south of Biggleswade, Beds.

You might find BAE of use also, as he would almost certainly have been flying out of Dunsfold, and a PM to John Farley might produce a pointer.

This Pprune post lists some ETPS graduates at a recent reunion. Peter Baker was also on 12 ETPS. You should also try contacting Milt - a Ppruner, who is a graduate of ETPS, but may have been on the course after your grandfather

First Lady
 

I think that you may find that Yvonne Sintes beat her to that title; definitely as a commercial jet Captain. Flew with her in Dan (RIP) - great lady.

NB Dan RIP not the lady in question!