Wed, Jan 09, 2019
Well-Known Aviator Was Rated In Over 300 Aircraft Types
One of the U.K.'s oldest and best-known pilots, Derek Piggott, has Gone West at the age of 94.
Piggott was rated in more than 300 types of aircraft, ranging from gliders to jets. He also worked as a stunt pilot on occasion, perhaps best known for his work in "Those Magnificent Men in the Flying Machines" and "The Blue Max". In the latter movie, he repeatedly flew two Fokker DR.I triplane replicas under a narrow bridge span. Piggott had only four feet of clearance on each side of the airplane during that stunt.
Pilot Web reports that Piggott began his flying career when he volunteered for the RAF in 1942. After receiving his commission, he grew tired of waiting for an opportunity to fly bombers and volunteered for glider operations, which got him in the air quickly.
He became a glider instructor, training Indian pilots at Jodhpur and later becoming chief instructor at the RAF Gliding School in Detling. He developed a systematic sequence of exercises in dual-controlled gliders which was credited with greatly improving the safety of gliding, and in 1953 he received the Queen’s Commendation for work on developing and introducing new instructional techniques for gliding in the Air Training Corps.
After leaving the RAF in 1953, he become the CFI a Lasham Airfield, where he stayed until 1989. He continued flying, and authored eight books on gliding.
In 1987, Piggott was recognized with the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his services to gliding.
(Image from file)
More News
Aero Linx: Model Aeronautical Association of Australia MAAA clubs are about fun flying, camaraderie and community. For over 75 years, the MAAA has been Australia’s largest fl>[...]
Touchdown Zone Lighting Two rows of transverse light bars located symmetrically about the runway centerline normally at 100 foot intervals. The basic system extends 3,000 feet alon>[...]
“Discovery and innovation are central to our mission at Virgin Galactic. We’re excited to build on our successful record of facilitating scientific experiments in subor>[...]
How To Get A Story On Aero-TV News/Feature Programming How do I submit a story idea or lead to Aero-TV? If you would like to submit a story idea or lead, please contact Jim Campbel>[...]
Student Pilot Reported That During Rotation, “All Of A Sudden The Back Of The Plane Kicked To The Right..." Analysis: The student pilot reported that during rotation, “>[...]