Luton School of Flying
 

Does anyone remember a flying instructor at the Luton School of Flying named Johnnie Johnson? I completed a RAF flying scholarship at the school in 1971 and Johnnie was my main instructor. I have since wondered and am intrigued to know, whether it was the WW2 fighter ace of the same name. His age would have been about right, he smoked a pipe, always wore a suit and from memory looked similar to photographs of JEJ. He also struck me as exceptional in many ways.

"Johnnie" was a common nickname for people with the surname Johnson - even Amy Johnson was sometimes called "Johnny".

Though I don't think she smoked a pipe. :O

Joking aside, JEJ's obituary makes no mention of a post-RAF career as a flying instructor.

I knew Johnnie Johnson when he was AOC at Aden In 1964. I flew him to Nairobi in an Argosy for an annual inspection and did not see him smoke a pipe. He left the the RAF in 1965 and was involved with housing plus he was the Lord Lieutenant of Leicester, I think. I am sure he was not your instructor.

I remember reading somewhere that post RAF he did some work with RAE Bedford on radar letdowns which would have put him in the area. My instructor was only part-time, although he did appear regularly - as an enthusiast I imagined.

Yes it was common to use the first syllable of the surname plus "y" or "ie" to make an informal name at a time when first names were not normally used or even generally known. As well as working for Marketing Director "Johnnie" Johnstone, I worked for Technical Director "Tommy" Thomas for some time, but I'm pleased to report that both were happy to call me Allan.
There were also generic nicknames based on surnames, so all Millers were Dusty, Whites were "Chalky" and "Spud" was Murphy.

Allan - And not forgetting 'Tug' Wilson of course :)

Nor "Dusty Rhodes."

and Frosty Winterbottom.

I remember him well; my trial lesson (1971) and much of my subsequent PPL training was with Johnnie. Certainly he had about him the air of an ex-RAF flyer. But he wasn’t JEJ. As I recall, he was a good instructor, ie he could teach as well as fly. One of his party-pieces was to put his tobacco tin on top of the panel below the compass and fly the 150 in such a manner as to make the tin float around.
Blimey, my calculator tells that was nearly fifty years ago.....

And "Nobby" Clark.