Sunday, February 21, 2016

Eric Brown has left us behind, and I doubt you've ever heard of him, but I bet you'll be amazed by him. He was the Royal Navy's most decorated pilot and held 3 Guinness World Records


He held the world record for flying the greatest number of different types of aircraft, 487.

He held three absolute Guinness World Records, including for the number of aircraft carrier deck landings, 2,407

He survived 11 plane crashes and the sinking of HMS Audacity in 1941,
was appointed MBE, OBE and CBE,
interrogated high-ranking Nazis,
met everyone from wartime leader Winston Churchill to first man on the moon, Neil Armstrong.
and was also the first person ever to land a jet on an aircraft carrier in 1945.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-22254048
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-sussex-35626854

Thanks Steve!

I was wondering about the # of aircraft flown, as England only had 1/4 of that number during WW2, but Tony was right on the ball... and pointed out, he was a wartime Farnborough test pilot, including employment in the Enemy Aircraft Flight. Toward the end of the war he was sent to Germany to obtain and test as many Axis machines as possible (on one occasion he arrived at a German airfield before the British army; fortunately the commandant surrendered the airfield to him). After the war he was seconded to the US Navy flight test centre at Patuxent River. He also flew numerous helicopters (taught himself to fly when America sent a couple of Sikorskys to Farnborough. There wasn't anyone in England to teach him). The aircraft are listed in "Wings on My Sleeve"

7 comments:

  1. Hi Jesse, Tony again.
    He also sang with Glen Miller (once!).
    Attended the 1936 Berlin Olympics and later confirmed first hand that Hitler DID shake Jesse Owen's hand.
    Was taken for an aerobatics flight by Ernst Udet.
    He was in Germany as a teacher when war broke out. Arrested by the SS, he was released after a few days as they didn't find out he was in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and was able to travel back to England.
    He was present at the liberation of Bergen Belsen and interviewed the commandants, including Irma Grese "the worst human being I have ever met".
    The 487 aircraft types included ALL the Allied and Axis aircraft of WW2, even the stunningly dangerous ME163 rocket plane - under power.
    He was scheduled to be the first man to exceed the speed of sound until the government pulled the plug on the project for reasons that have never come to light (they were about a year ahead of Bell in the US).
    Truly a remarkable aviator, and like Armstrong, very quiet and unassuming.
    His autobiography "Wings on My Sleeve" is highly recommended.
    Regards,
    Tony

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    1. Hey Tony! (read that in a "Norm!" from Cheers type of way) Well, wow! I didn't read about the Glenn Miller, or the Olympics! Was he an athlete, or a spectator? I'll have to look up Ernst Udet, that is a new name to me. I read about the rest, but kept my post focused on the astonishing, the Guiness world record things. Seriously, to have flown that many aircraft... though many were just variations, like the Spitfire mk1, mk2, etc etc... and the record number of aircraft carrier landings? Mind blown!

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    2. Whoa... WW1 ace and highest scoring ace to live past WW1... wow! Then he was giving aerobatics rides? Sheesh! Far out!

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  2. Hi Jesse, He was still at school in '36. His father was invited and took him along.
    There's a poor quality but fascinating clip of Udet at the Chicago Air Races (including a stunning deadstick landing) on youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7sBJ7Qky8Y).
    I'm afraid Winkle Brown's 487 aircraft were all different designs, not just versions, so the Spitfire appears only once, though he flew 14 different marks.
    The mind just boggles.
    Regards,
    Tony

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    1. huh, Well, that's even more impressive, I thought the way it was written, that the number was based on multiple versions of say, a Spitfire, or whatever, as there were only 133 British military planes http://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/ww2-british-military-aircraft.asp so, piloting 4 times that many? I think you might be wrong, just on this one thing. I still hold your input in high regard, of course.

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  3. Hi Jesse,
    Sorry, but it's 487 different aircraft. Bear in mind he was a wartime Farnborough test pilot, including employment in the Enemy Aircraft Flight. Toward the end of the war he was sent to Germany to obtain and test as many Axis machines as possible (on one occasion he arrived at a German airfield before the British army; fortunately the commandant surrendered the airfield to him). After the war he was seconded to the US Navy flight test centre at Patuxent River. He also flew numerous helicopters (taught himself to fly when America sent a couple of Sikorskys to Farnborough. There wasn't anyone in England to teach him). The aircraft are listed in "Wings on My Sleeve; the only internet list I could find is on Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_aircraft_flown_by_Eric_%22Winkle%22_Brown). I tried the Guinness site but it just gave me riveting stuff like "Most paper aeroplanes thrown into watermelons in one minute".
    You hold my input in high regard? Thank you. It's worth the conversation just for that.
    Regards,
    Tony

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    1. Well.... that explains it! Darn books. They just prove everyone right... except us people that don't have the time to read them before blogging... lol
      Yes I do, and thanks!

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