HALL OF FAME

I am a regular reader/follower of Flight Level 390, another flying blog by "Captain Dave", an American commercial pilot with a domestic airline whose posts are always a good read.  On his blog he has a "Hall of Fame" of his aviation "heroes" and, being an American, yes, they are all (or almost all) American.  Well, sorry to disappoint you, Dave, but there are/were famous flyers in other countries.  So, I shall reciprocate with a British/Commonwealth bias as I am a Pom (Englishman) living in NZ for the past 20-odd years.

The first addition is a New Zealander who, in other aviator's words:

"... could have lost the war in a single day or even an afternoon" (Johnnie Johnson)

"If any man won the Battle of Britain, he did..." (Lord Tedder)

"... the awesome responsibility for this country's survival rested squarely on (his) shoulders..." (Douglas Bader)

The man is, of course, Air Chief Marshall Sir Keith Park, who commanded 11 Group (as an Air Vice Marshall) in the South-east of England during the Battle of Britain.  After that victory, due to jealousy and RAF politics he was quite shabbily treated but, unlike those who sought to belittle him, it was his statue that adorned the fourth plinth at Trafalgar Square in London (in 2009) and is now permanently located at Waterloo Place since Battle of Britain Day, 2010.

A replica of his Hurricane, OK 1 is the gate guardian at the aviation section of MOTAT (Museum of Transport and Technology), Auckland, NZ.

The second aviator is Captain Joseph "Mutt" Summers, chief test pilot for Vickers-Armstrong and (after a V-A takeover) Supermarine.  As such, he was the first man to fly the Spitfire, 5th March 1936 - from Eastleigh, Hampshire (Supermarine's local field and my wife's home town).  He flew a record (for a test pilot) of 54 first flights and was instrumental in the initial test flying/dropping of the "Upkeep" bouncing bomb prior to the "Dambusters" raid.  You can "Google" why he got his nickname and, yes, it does have something to do with dog's habits!