It's called a "bolter" on a carrier isn't it?

G

Touch and goes are genuine. They are done with the wires usually flat and the hook up. It is a way of practising approaches and is standard in the jet age. When the Boss was happy you were told to put the hook down for the actual landing. They do not merit a log book entry as a deck landing.

I specifically asked Capt. Brown for the number of his carrier landings, sadly did not think to enquire about touch and goes. But was not most of his test flying in the days preceeding introduction of the angled deck, when touch and goes were less frequent?

Re Chuck Yeager, I would love to ask him how helpful was the Miles all flying tailplane.;)

rmcb

Thanks for posting that link. I'd missed the original, fascinating, broadcast.

:ok:

This Wednesday evening, Captain Brown will be speaking at the Museum of Army Flying, Middle Wallop. Details and bookings through this link:

November 27, 2013 | The Museum Of Army FlyingThe Museum Of Army Flying

See you there perhaps.

Edited to say: hoping the Mods won't say this is advertising... I have no connection with the museum other than being a regular visitor.

The event is now fully booked...

I finished reading "Wings On My Sleeve" last week. A great book indeed!

WB also did some deck landings without undercarriage - they couldn't be touch and goes!

Absolutely top man. I had the honour of attending one of his lectures at Sola Air Show here in Norway last year. What a memory he has. Quick-firing specs on the Me-262, He-163, numerous marques of Spits and whatnot from the hip at the age of 93 as if he last flew them all yesterday! He also had some stories from when he ferried Arado 234s from Sola, where the airshow was, to the UK in 1945. Even greater for me personally was that I got to have a few words with him later that day, and he signed my logbook...and the inside of the luggage hatch of the Tiger Moth I flew to the show. A coat of clear lacquer now covers that signature, needless to say!

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y82...-100612407.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y82...-100612412.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y82...2/IMG_0598.jpg

Reading 'Wings on my Sleeve'
 

And was quite surprised to see that Captain Brown was originally RAFVR, and only went into the RN as the RAF didn't seem to want any pilots at the time!


Interesting that he was in Germany when war was declared and they captured him and threw him out. Extraordinary. I wonder how different things may have turned out without his extraordinary career and the aviation developments he was involved in.

Why this superb man has not been knighted has always been a mystery to me!!!.
I have 'Wings on my sleeve' signed by him at one of his totally unmissable after dinner talks.

I agree totally.

Maybe we could have a go at some kind of campaign. This country owes him so much, but a knighthood would be a fair acknowledgment of that. It is possible to make nominations online these days and possibly just nobody has?

G

On another forum I pointed out that before Mr Beckham is knighted surely the likes of Capt Eric Brown and many, many others deserve the title.

The title Sir Eric Brown should be a given. Wake up you bestowers of Knighthoods!

Well, we have it in our power to nominate Eric Brown for an award although you cannot specify which one you want for him. Your nomination will require two letters of support. Look here: https://www.gov.uk/honours/nominate-someone-in-the-uk

Knighthood
 

Surely it's time he was "Sir Eric"?

Can anyone shed some light on a passage from Captain Brown's excellent book?

Talking about the US bombers, Winkle states:-

"Then the Americans introduced two-seat, long range versions of the Thunderbolt and Mustang to give then escort cover. Each fighter carried two pilots. The pilot in the rear cockpit flew the machine to the target area and handed it over to the front pilot for combat. They were so successful in keeping off the 190s and 109s that the bombers began to achieve alarming results. The 163 was the countermeasure"

I've not heard of this before, certainly 2 seat Mustangs exist today but were there such beasts in WW11 and were they used as stated? Similarly the Thunderbolt, certainly big enough for 2 seats but did any exist and were they used as escorts?

The classic reference to the size of the Thunderbolt has to be the remarks of a pilot when asked what they did to evade enemy fighters, "Easy" he said, "we just unstrap and run around the fuselage"!

Well, we have it in our power to nominate Eric Brown for an award although you cannot specify which one you want for him.

When I last met him, Captain Brown certainly had a CBE (Mil), which I'm certain was awarded whilst he was still serving, so a recommendation for a further honour would logically appear to be a knighthood.:ok:

Jack

As well as the CBE Winkle's other post-nominals are DSC and AFC.

Eric Winkle Brown
 

I had the privileges of meeting and speaking with him back in August when he unveiled the Cody statue at Farnborough. My father had met and worked with him during WWII and spoke highly of him.

I discovered recently that he is a former pupil of the same school (Royal High, Edinburgh) that my children go to and in 2011 was guest of honour at the annual prize giving. Neither of my boys won anything so I missed hearing him speak but there is an account of his visit in the school magazine at http://www.royalhigh.edin.sch.uk/med...ter_Edited.pdf . Scroll down to page 10.

Just thought it might be of interest and add another aspect to the life of a remarkable man.

g45