COMBAT AND COMPETITION.pdf - Lakes Gliding Club

COMBAT AND COMPETITION
"You're probably right," he said, "But it seemed worth a try. I'm
only sorry for your sake that it didn't come off."
Pete Lawrence, one of the naval officers on the course, wanted to
follow up the vacancy which had come up again at Glosters. I gave
him all the contacts, but strangely nothing came of it at the time. Bill
Waterton got the job instead, straight from the Central Fighter
Establishment, without any test pilot training. Pete joined them in
1951 from English Electric and lost his life soon afterwards, ejecting
too low, from a Javelin in a spin.
Jim Haigh was married in Bedford at the end of the course. Jumbo
Genders and I were present as witnesses and we lunched with the
happy couple before they left on their honeymoon. It was the last time
I saw Jumbo. A modest man, and an outstanding pilot, he was posted
to Aero Flight at Farnborough. He died, like Pete Lawrence, exploring
the stalling and spinning characteristics of another swept wing aircraft.
The tailless DH 108.
After that it was all over. Log books completed and signed up.
The Empire Test Pilots School..... Certified that..... satisfactorily
completed..... Signed Group Captain..... Commandant.
Test flying had become the ambition of my life. It had been within
my grasp and then slipped out of reach. The last few months had been
a nightmare. So near and yet so far. Had I taken the wrong decision
when Freddie Rosier had made his offer the previous summer? Jet
fighters and sinusitis didn't really add up, but there might have been
other routes to a flying career in the Royal Air Force.
Now it was too late and I had no ambition to fly professionally in
any other capacity. Nothing more to be done except grit my teeth and
pick up where I had left off at Glasgow University. As I said goodbye
to my fellow graduates it seemed unlikely that our paths would cross
again.
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