Neil Williams (pilot)

Neil Williams (pilot)

Neil Williams was an aerobatic pilot born in Canada. He died in 1977.

Contents

Biography

Neil Williams was born in Canada and educated in Wales, where also first learned to fly in 1951. After completing an engineering apprenticeship he joined the RAF, and was trained as a pilot in Canada, winning the course trophy and gaining his wings. He served in Cyprus as a Canberra photo-reconnaissance pilot, and returned to United Kingdom in 1961, where he joined an experimental squadron. In 1962 he graduated from the Empire Test Pilots' School, and also started competitive aerobatic flying. He won all the U.K. domestic competitions in 1965 and went on to compete in the World Aerobatic Championships (FAI WAC). In 1965 he was the highest placed British pilot in the Lockheed Trophy, and was Europe's best biplane pilot when he flew a Stampe SV.4B to 4th place in the Top French competition. He gained another 'first' for Britain in the following year by reaching the finals of the FAI WAC, and in 1967, flying a standard two-seater Zlín, he won the Biancotto Trophy. In 1970 he was awarded the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air, when he successfully crash landed a Zlin after a wing folded during aerobatic training.[1] Three weeks after receiving the replacement Zlin from Czechoslovakia, he reached 5th place in the FAI WAC,; the highest place achieved by any Zlin pilot. 1974 was marked by the British teams'outright victory in the FAI EAC and Neil's solo win in the Coupé Champion in France. In 1975 he became British Aerobatic Champion for the eleventh time and in 1976 reached 4th place in the FAI WAC in Kiev. Captain of the British Aerobatic Team from 1966 until his death in 1977, he regularly flew at airshows and was best known for his displays in the Pitts Special, Spitfire, and the famous machines of the Shuttleworth Collection and for his test flying of unusual and tricky airplanes.

He was killed, along with his wife and two others, on 11 December 1977, when the CASA 2.111 he was ferrying from Cuatro Vientos Airport to the United Kingdom crashed in poor visibility into the Sierra de Guadarrama mountains north of Madrid.[2][3]

The British Aerobatic Association organize the Neil Williams Memorial Trophy. [4]

See also

  • Aerobatic competition

References

Notes

  1. ^ Zlin wing Structural Failure Report, Flight International - 18 June 1970
  2. ^ Flight International 24 December 1977, p. 1846.
  3. ^ Flight International 24 June 1978, p. 1913.
  4. ^ Neil Williams Memorial Trophy, The British Aerobatic Association

Bibliography


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Neil Williams — may refer to: Neil Williams (artist) Neil Williams (cricketer) Neil Williams (pilot) Neil Williams (water polo) See also Neal H. Williams, physicist This disambiguation page lists articles …   Wikipedia

  • Neil Woodward — Neil W. Woodward NASA Astronaut Nationality American Status Retired …   Wikipedia

  • Neil Yates — Background information Born 1970 Stockport, Cheshire, England, UK …   Wikipedia

  • Dick Williams — For other people named Richard Williams, see Richard Williams (disambiguation). Dick Williams Williams at the 2008 All Star Game Red Carpet Parade Outfielder / …   Wikipedia

  • Space accidents and incidents — Space accidents, either during operations or training for spaceflights, have killed 22 astronauts (five percent of all people who have been in space, two percent of individual spaceflights), and a much larger number of ground crew. This article… …   Wikipedia

  • Hawker Hunter — infobox Aircraft name = Hawker Hunter type = Fighter and ground attack national origin = United Kingdom manufacturer = Hawker Siddeley caption = Privately owned Hunter T 7 “Blue Diamond” designer = Sydney Camm first flight = 21 July 1951… …   Wikipedia

  • Six Sigma — Not to be confused with Sigma 6. The often used Six Sigma symbol Part of a series of articles on I …   Wikipedia

  • Lomcovak — Der Lomcovák (ausgesprochen: Lomzovak, Betonung auf dem á) ist eine Kunstflugfigur für Motorflugzeuge, die gerne auf Flugschauen gezeigt wird. Der Lomcovák ist aber nicht im Aresti Katalog enthalten, d. h. er ist keine Wettbewerbsfigur. Der… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Lomcovák — Der Lomcovák (ausgesprochen: Lomzovak, Betonung auf der ersten Silbe, das á wird lang gesprochen) ist eine Kunstflugfigur für Motorflugzeuge, die gerne auf Flugschauen gezeigt wird. Der Lomcovák ist aber nicht im Aresti Katalog enthalten, d. h.… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • performing arts — arts or skills that require public performance, as acting, singing, or dancing. [1945 50] * * * ▪ 2009 Introduction Music Classical.       The last vestiges of the Cold War seemed to thaw for a moment on Feb. 26, 2008, when the unfamiliar strains …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”