Pilot celebrities - have you met any
 

Has anyone met or flown with a celebrity who is also a pilot...whether in general aviation or commercial?


During the time when I used to visit Cranfield in the 1970's & 80's, I was fortunate to meet a few celebrities who flew.

One of the nicest people was Michael Crawford who filmed an episode of Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em at Rogers Aviation. He was being taught to fly by the late Bob Walker, the then head instructor. It was brilliant to watch all the filming being done and afterwards Michael decided to get his licence for real, so Bob got him through his lessons and exams. The planes used were C172 G-BEZO and C152 G-BFRV. Bob always had a tradition of eating Polo mints when flying, so Michael had that included in many of the scenes for the TV series episode.

I also met Bryan Marshall & Pamela Salem who starred in the TV series Buccaneer that was also filmed at Cranfield. Although they weren't actual pilots themselves, they were really decent people to be around, not pretentious at all and were happy to show us around G-BRAC, the Britannia being used at the time.

Another flying celebrity that I have had great pleasure in meeting was Noel Edmonds at a variety of airshows and events, really lovely man, very genuine and an absolute gentleman.

Does anyone else have any memories of encounters with flying celebrities?

Douglas Bader
 

Yes, many, many years ago when I was an Air Scout. Our regular pilot, T.E.Scott-Chard - who may have been an aviation celebrity in his own right, certainly an ex-bomber pilot - was just getting us organised to get into a Percival Proctor at Biggin Hill. Suddenly this irate and irascible gentleman stormed over from a rather nice little Miles Magister, complaining that his battery was flat and how the hell was he going to swing the thing?

Although we were by no means totally innocent little boys, coming as we did from South London, the f'in and blindin' coming from this chap was a bit of a surprise. Especially when Scottie explained, a bit later, that this was none other than Douglas Bader!

I've always been a 'Stuffy' Dowding and AVM Parke man myself - I wonder if my one and only meeting was why? :)

Roger.

I also flew with Scotty from Biggin Hill. It would've been roundabout 1974-5, and we used to fly in a Tri-Pacer - G-ARDP (white with a yellow spinner if memory serves..). I was in the Scouts ( 39th Croydon - land Scouts ) and I was the first in my Group to get the 'Airman' badge, which required me to attend the 42nd Croydon Air Scouts, where I was coached and quizzed by Don Conway and T.E. Scott-Chard. I remember finding Scotty a bit intimidating at first - prone to saying 'B******s' quite a lot! But once we got to know each other, my fear of him disappeared. We took-off from Biggin one Sunday, in weather that I wouldn't dream of flying in these days. But back then, I had never heard of IMC; all I knew was that Scotty flew Blenheims and therefore knew what he was doing. We were in almost complete cloud cover for about 30 mins, when a Rollason Condor flew up from beneath us to sit about 300yds in front of us. It frightened the life out of me, but Scotty took it in his stride. Can anyone tell me what ever happened to him? There is an Air Scout hut at Biggin that bears his name, so I'm guessing he is no longer with us.

T.E.(Scotty) Scott-Chard
 

Scotty was the regular pilot for Air Scouts for many, many years. I flew with him on a number of occasions and would agree with Captainsurfcaster that he was a bit intimidating. However, he got to know some of us 'regulars' and was always very helpful and free with information about flying.

In Scouting he became and remained for many years Assistant County Commissioner (Air Scouts) and would always attend - in uniform - when we were undergoing our 'Air Ministry Recognition' inspection. He died not that long ago and he must have been quite old by then.

The T.E Scott-Chard Centre at Biggin Hill is quite impressive and they now have a Comet procedures simulator (no motion) with quite impressive visual displays and a 'real' cockpit. I landed it first time out which, I was told, was not at all easy. Beginneers luck, probaably. :) I should, perhaps, explain that I am still a Scout Leader, although my old Air Scout Troop is long gone.

Roger.

Charlie Blair and his Wife Maureen O'Hara, they did a translantic in his Old Flying Boat from Canada to Foynes, River Shannon. I was in 2/way contact with them from 30W inbound from Canada. Foynes was from where the Translantic traffic started in the Flying Boat Era., Maureen now lives mostly in Kerry Ireland. Charlie has now passed on, to that Heavenly Airport up there past the CB Clouds, RIP.

Chap tapped the door one day and asked if I'd take in a package for my neighbour. I asked his name - Neville Duke. And it really was one of my boyhood heroes!

Andy

Back in the late 50's I knew Ron Flockhart - a racing driver who lived in our village. He was friendly with my older brother and visited the house fairly often. He drove for various GP teams notably BRM and won the Le Mans 24hrs twice driving for Ecurie Ecosse. He lost his life in 1962 whilst preparing to make another attempt on the fastest flight from Australia - UK. On a training flight in bad weather he crashed his Mustang and died. Also from that era there was John Jordan - Jordan cereals - he and Ron would often be seen having dog fights in their aircraft over the skies of Bedfordshire. Times they have changed!

Hawkey01