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I had the good fortune to talk with him on a few occasions. As everyone has said he was a gentleman of the old school, and I would add, a character.
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What a dreadful shame, the flying world is a lessor place today. An absolute gentleman, a character and a humble hero. My thoughts are with his family.
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No connection with the late, and great, Wg Cdr Ken Wallis but I sadly mourn the passing of such a great bloke.
Oh, what a character. And to think he was still flying autogyros in his nineties. RIP - and what an innings! |
World Record Spped Attempt
As a very junior officer on 39 I was one of 4 who timed a world speed record attempt along the Great Ouse I think
I cannot remember the date, all I remember is that he paid for our beers at the pub which was our timing point. A real gentleman. Someone who will be truly missed. |
There is a anecdote on the Flypast forum that sums the man up admirably and I'm sure they won't mind me copying it over..
A man who lived a truly awe inspiring life, who recalled events as though they had happened only the week before, whether it was in front of an open mouthed audience or afterwards, whilst packing away his slides and artefacts, with such wit and humour. Ken gave a talk in the control tower at the ex RAF Wickenby just a few years ago, and the crowd was utterly transfixed throughout the whole evening. The unforgettable 'Ken' moment was when a young lady in the cafe/tower, obviously worried that at 11.00pm after a long day and many many questions, Ken still had to drive through deepest Lincolnshire and Norfolk to get home (several hours drive on unlit roads), thought it would be too much for him or his old Peugeot 205 and asked if he wanted to stay somewhere locally. Ken; don't worry about me my dear, i'm a night bomber pilot.........................priceless. RIP Ken |
I suggest, given the fact that there are precious few British gyroplane designers remaining, that we have seen the closing of yet another chapter of British aviation.
RIP Kenneth. |
Tribute on BBC One News:
BBC iPlayer - Look East - East: 04/09/2013 The link expires at 1900 on 5th September. H. |
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A little bird tells me he will feature on Last Word - R4 -1600BST Fri 6 Sep.
Edited to say: Sorry, my little bird lied and has been humanely destroyed. |
Wing Commander Ken Wallis
RIP Ken. One of the true gentlemen of our era. We are fortunate to live close to his estate and have visited him with our local RAFA a number of times. It was always a unique experience. We were looking forward to seeing him flying again next year, but not to be. Raise a glass to a real aviator.:D
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A true legend. I only had the honour of meeting him once in 2009, he only spoke for a few short minutes but we could have listened for hours.
Everyone is alive at some point, but not everyone lives, Ken certainly did. Rest in peace. |
I've just watched this very nice film, which I found on The Aviation Forum:
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I42 ... Thanks for posting ... A simply wonderful tribute to a great man.
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The Beeb might have dropped him from Last Word yesterday, but he was featured on the BBC Radio Norfolk programme, available here:
BBC Radio Norfolk - Chris Goreham At Breakfast, Wing Commander Ken Wallis: Your memories |
And Radio 4 has just done quite a lengthy piece on him on their 5pm programme, with interviews etc. Astoundingly he never had a credit for You Only Live Twice - a bit harsh when he did all the flying and all Shur Shawn did was sit on a gyrocopter in the studio with a big fan ruffling his shirt!
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Saw this on another website and have taken the liberty of copying it onto here. Should be of interest to some of our East Anglian contributors.
TRIBUTE EVENT TO WG CDR KEN WALLIS – AUTOGYRO PIONEER Old Buckenham Airfield, in Norfolk, has announced that it will hold a celebration of the life of aviation legend and autogyro pioneer, Wg Cdr Ken Wallis, following a request by his family. The airfield, of which Ken was member no.007, will host a day-long celebration of Wallis' life on Sun 29 Sep 13. The airfield is pleased to invite as many people as possible to bring their aircraft and vehicles to the celebration. A Celebration of the Life of Ken Wallis will open from 10.00 on Sun 29 Sep 13, with formal tributes and displays likely to take place from midday until 14.00. Those wishing to attend are asked to let the organizers know they are coming and, if bringing an aircraft or vehicle, the appropriate details. Arrangements will then be made to ensure that a diverse display of machinery - airborne and otherwise - will make the day a suitable tribute to a true legend. Contact is best made by email to [email protected]. |
Borrowed from another forum
I attended the 'Celebration of the life of Wing Commander Ken Wallis MBE' held at Old Buckenham airfield yesterday. Reporting on BBC local evening news, Mike Liggins said that a maximum of 500 folks were expected, but a couple of thousand had turned up to show their respect for the old boy. There were lots of glorious old cars and motor bikes and, of course, autogyros; Little Nellie (of James Bond fame) was displayed in the hanger. I expect that there will be a fuller report on BBC Look East this evening. Three speakers, followed by Ken's granddaughter, paid warm tributes to the man and his enthusiasm for life; one particularly noted Ken's disdain for bureaucracy and red-tape; Photo gallery: Thousands turn out to pay tribute to Wing Commander Ken Wallis at Old Buckenham airfield - News - Eastern Daily Press BBC News - Ken Wallis, the pilot, inventor and war veteran remembered includes a video clip of the event. Thousands of people turned up at Old Buckenham Airfield in Norfolk on Sunday to celebrate the life of Ken Wallis, stunt pilot, inventor and war veteran. Wing Commander Ken Wallis of Dereham had developed the autogyro and flew as a James Bond stuntman in the film You Only Live Twice. He died earlier this month at the age of 97. Air displays and an exhibition in his honour were held at the airfield, where Mr Wallis had been a life member. The event included flypasts by the autogyro and other light aircraft. |
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