I'd just like to thank Baldrick, Dick's family & the team at Windrushers for organising such a fantastic send off for the great man. A really touching service & JB's address was one of the best I've heard. Shame the weather was not good enough for a flypast (never heard the jet from inside the crem').
RIP Dick, it's an honour to have known you.

Very thorough obituary for Stratts in todays Times (Monday 22nd October)


- you can't really call an obituary good can you?

Given we all keel over eventually (or at least nobody's beaten the system yet) yes, I think you can.

Well after "compulsory retirement", with that level of achievement and that many friends and admirers - well I think that most of us might hope for something similar when we shuffle off. (Not many will achieve it mind you).

Similarly, it was a very appropriate funeral - my complements to John Brownlow for an excellent memorial speech, and to the Windrushers gliding club for ensuring that his passing was marked appropriately. Interesting to glance at some of his certificates and awards: 37 years as a Fellow of the RAeS shows the level of his achievements in early life, including another showing him coming top of his RAF Flight Engineers course in 1945.

G

Re Dick Stratton
 

Hi G
Dont know if you are the G I knew at Bicester but I have only just heard about Dick and am saddened to here the news.

I knew Dick mostly through the RAeS and a common friendship with the late Ann Welch - I've never flown from Bicester.

Was just talking with a Bicester flyer about him the other day, still missed and still much appreciated for all of his years of work in aviation.

G

I doubt if Dick (of blessed memory) would have got on well with EASA - he was far too sensible a bloke.

I think it would be fair to say that Dick never got on well with any authority that wanted to tell him what he could, or couldn't, do to any aeroplane. At times a reactionary old bugger, but a very competent one who did many people many favours in this industry.

G

Dick - Never mind the paperwork, think of practical safety

EASA - Never mind the practical safety, think of the paperwork

The right approach is probably somewhere in the between - the problem with the two extremes is that real safety only happens when you have the best people (like Dick!) on the job, whilst a mix is reasonably survivable in most environments.

G

I have just joined this forum as Dick Stratton was my uncle and I have a question which you gents may be able to help me with. Dick had a twin brother Gordon (my father) and he passed away in April 2017 at the grand age of 94 yo. He was also a flight engineer on Sunderland flying boats during the war.
When I went through his things I have found a trophy which was awarded to Dick it is the JOHN PLAYER AWARD FOR LIGHT AVIATION presented to RB STRATTON in recognition of his services to light aviation. Its in the form of a delta wing aircraft and is made of silver , dented, typical Uncle Dick.
Can anyone tell me anything about it? It doesn't have a date on it.
He was a great Uncle and obviously highly thought of . I wonder if anyone can help?

From this it looks like he was the first person to receive the award (in 1971): https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarch...0-%202777.html

OC619