Roger Searle
 

Heard today very sad news that Roger Searle had died on 16th April. At the moment it is not known if it was Covid19 or sepsis. Roger was a Hunter pilot in the late sixties and on 1 Sqn in the early days of the Harrier. He became a test pilot with Bae at Brough involved with early night vision goggles and the Al Yamama project on PC9 and the Hawk. Personally his loss is very sad as we joined the RAF on the same day and later was my Best Man in 1968. A man of strong views he was a talented Sqn Pilot and TP. No details of arrangements in these difficult days.

That's very sad news. I have known Roger since he came to Holme on Spalding Moor with the 'Green Hunter' in the early 1980's. It is only a few weeks ago ago that we were corresponding about our experiences with the PC9 and an interesting hot weather trial we did together at Ouarzazarte in Morocco. He was definitely a good man to have on your side in an argument and a pretty daunting opponent if he disagreed with you. I can remember a meeting we had to discuss the operation of the braking systems in the Hawk and the flight reference card recommendations, one of which was to turn off anti skid when taxying at low speed. The reasons for this instruction were lost in the early days of RAF operation of the Hawk but Roger's opinion was as usual strongly expressed. 'I don't have to turn the anti skid system off in my car when I drive it into the garage so why should I turn it off in the aircraft when I taxi it on the apron.'

Roger had been compiling a collection of stories from his long and varied flying career and he recently sent me some of the ones related to his experiences with the PC9. They were very well written, interesting and amusing. Aviation has lost one of its most interesting characters who had pretty firm opinions on many topics, particularly if they were relevant to an aircraft he was about to fly. His views on the flight of the last Buccaneer to be delivered to the RAF after major servicing at Woodford were particularly forthright. My sincerest condolences and sympathy to his family.

Walbut

One of my colegues at Warton told me of his passing, stating he was a 'bovril' man, either you liked him or you didn't. I had no problem with him and was sorry to hear the news.

He was a TP at Farnborough for many years; fast jets and helicopters (mainly Wessx).
I had no problem with him either although some other controllers did; I scrounged a flight with him in a Wessex one day; it was basically out/in Boscombe to pick up another pilot but at the end, he 'extended' the sortie to give me about half an hour hovering instruction.
Last time I talked to him I think was when he was 'Tibbet 03' out of Hatfield in a Hunter going to Boscombe.