The Team Pilots 2016
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Alex Smee
Alex Smee started flying at 14 whilst sweeping out hangars at Shoreham. Having then completed a PPL at White Waltham, Alex started competition aerobatics & display flying in a Pitts Special, eventually becoming UK Intermediate Aerobatic Champion in 2002. After a period flying Piper Chieftains around the UK in appalling weather in the survey, freighter & air ambulance roles & Dornier turboprops on maritime ops, Alex now flies Falcon 20s for the purposes of Electronic Warfare training, based at Bournemouth. |
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Alex Truman
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Alex Truman began flying with the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, gliding club when he started his apprenticeship there in 1983. He carried on gliding for the next 25 years becoming an instructor and tug pilot along the way before his growing interest in homebuilt and classic aircraft took over. Alex is currently employed as an engineer by British Airways.
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Dan Griffith
Dan Griffith began his training in the RAF in 1984, flying Harriers operationally on Number 1 Squadron at RAF Wittering and Number 4 Squadron at RAF Gutersloh in Germany. In 1992 Dan was selected for the USAF Test Pilot course at Edwards Air Force Base in the United States and spent a year there being formally taught to test all kinds of military and civil aircraft. In 1996 he became Chief Test Pilot at the Civil Aviation Authority. Dan has displayed many different types of aeroplane, including the Spitfire, Hurricane, Avenger, Hunter, Canberra, Sopwith Pup, Vampire, Venom, Meteor and Sea Vixen to list just a few.
Dave Linney
Dave Linney gained a PPL in 1965 then joined the RAF in 1967 where he flew Harriers, retiring as a Squadron Leader, AFC.
Post retirement he flew Hunters, Canberras and Hawks at RNAS Yeovilton and Falcons from Bournemouth.
Post retirement he flew Hunters, Canberras and Hawks at RNAS Yeovilton and Falcons from Bournemouth.
Ernie Hoblyn
Ernie Hoblyn learned to fly in 1983 and then started building and repairing aircraft. He flew with the Team from 1997 until 2010 in the Sopwith Triplane and has just rejoined them flying an SE5a.
Gordon Brander
Gordon Brander was trained on Chipmunks by the RAF in the University Air Squadron and then he was selected for the BEA/BOAC Training scheme for graduates at Oxford and went on to fly professionally for 32 years as a commercial pilot with British Airways.
Gordon flew the Hawker Siddeley Trident, BAC 1-11, Boeing 757, 767 and retired off the 747-400 with in excess of 15,000 hrs. He has also flown lots of aerobatic aircraft and has been involved with the Bucker Jungmann and Jungmeister at White Waltham since mid 1980's.
Gordon flew the Hawker Siddeley Trident, BAC 1-11, Boeing 757, 767 and retired off the 747-400 with in excess of 15,000 hrs. He has also flown lots of aerobatic aircraft and has been involved with the Bucker Jungmann and Jungmeister at White Waltham since mid 1980's.
Matthew Boddington
Matthew’s first flight in an aeroplane was at the tender age of 1 year on his father Lap in an Auster Aircraft from Sywell. After that Matthew spent many hours flying with his father and two sisters in Tiger Moths, Stampes and Rapides including 4 up aero’s in a Stampe, him on his father’s lap and his two sisters in the front Cockpit, (Something that would be frowned upon today I’m sure).
Matthew was introduced to WW1 aviation at an early age with visits to the film sets in Ireland where the films such as The Blue Max, Darling Lili and Von Richtofen and Brown were made in the late sixties early seventies and for which his father flew. Tragically Mathews father Charles was killed in 1970 whist flying for the film Von Richtofen and Brown when Matthew was eight years old.
This never dented Matthews enthusiasm for all things aviation and he went on to gain his PPL in 1986 learning on a family friend's Auster Aircraft. Matthew went on to fly Tiger Moth and Chipmunk Aircraft with the Barnstormers Flying circus, an Air Display group his father had formed in the late 60’s, initially ferrying A/C to and from Airshows and then gaining his Display Authorisation.
Matthews Display Authorisation covers him for Wing Walking on both Tiger Moth and Stearman Aircraft, Formation, Tail Chase, and he is cleared down to 3ft for limbo flying. In his 1400 odd hrs, nearly all on vintage Aircraft, Matthew has flown everything from a Luton Minor to a North American Harvard. He is also and Authorised Air Test Pilot by the CAA.
In the past he has flown the Fokker DR1 in GWDT displays but now mainly flies the Biggles Biplane BE2 Replica that was originally built by his father Charles and Uncle David for a film in the late 60’s. Matthew and Steve Slater acquired the Aircraft in 2005 and rebuilt it to flying condition; it now regularly flies with the team.
Matthew is also an LAE (licensed Aircraft Engineer) and an Inspector for the LAA covering all types, he has rebuilt many award winning Vintage Aircraft.
Matthew was introduced to WW1 aviation at an early age with visits to the film sets in Ireland where the films such as The Blue Max, Darling Lili and Von Richtofen and Brown were made in the late sixties early seventies and for which his father flew. Tragically Mathews father Charles was killed in 1970 whist flying for the film Von Richtofen and Brown when Matthew was eight years old.
This never dented Matthews enthusiasm for all things aviation and he went on to gain his PPL in 1986 learning on a family friend's Auster Aircraft. Matthew went on to fly Tiger Moth and Chipmunk Aircraft with the Barnstormers Flying circus, an Air Display group his father had formed in the late 60’s, initially ferrying A/C to and from Airshows and then gaining his Display Authorisation.
Matthews Display Authorisation covers him for Wing Walking on both Tiger Moth and Stearman Aircraft, Formation, Tail Chase, and he is cleared down to 3ft for limbo flying. In his 1400 odd hrs, nearly all on vintage Aircraft, Matthew has flown everything from a Luton Minor to a North American Harvard. He is also and Authorised Air Test Pilot by the CAA.
In the past he has flown the Fokker DR1 in GWDT displays but now mainly flies the Biggles Biplane BE2 Replica that was originally built by his father Charles and Uncle David for a film in the late 60’s. Matthew and Steve Slater acquired the Aircraft in 2005 and rebuilt it to flying condition; it now regularly flies with the team.
Matthew is also an LAE (licensed Aircraft Engineer) and an Inspector for the LAA covering all types, he has rebuilt many award winning Vintage Aircraft.
Peter Bond
Peter Bond is an airline pilot flying for KLM Cityhopper. He has previously displayed the Pilatus P2 and in his spare time he builds replica aircraft, having completed his Fokker Dr1 in 2010 and is currently working on a Sopwith Camel. He also rides vintage motorcycles and flies a Pitts Special.
Richard Piper
Richard Piper grew up near to RAE Farnborough where he first became interested in aircraft watching Lightnings, Vulcans and Hunters display at the famous airshow.This interest resulted in first hang gliding, and then gliding before gaining his PPL whilst living in the USA (doing the Statue of Liberty flight for real!).
On returning to the UK Richard continued his flying, with a growing interest in classic aircraft and aerobatics. As part of his love of radials he initially gained his CAA Display Authorisation on his Harvard, and also displays his Ryan PT-22 and T28 Fennec. Richard greatly enjoys flying his CL1 with the Team.
Richard is a Liveryman of the Honourable Company of Air Pilots and a member of Historic Aircraft Association, British Air Display Association and The Tiger Club.
On returning to the UK Richard continued his flying, with a growing interest in classic aircraft and aerobatics. As part of his love of radials he initially gained his CAA Display Authorisation on his Harvard, and also displays his Ryan PT-22 and T28 Fennec. Richard greatly enjoys flying his CL1 with the Team.
Richard is a Liveryman of the Honourable Company of Air Pilots and a member of Historic Aircraft Association, British Air Display Association and The Tiger Club.
Vic Lockwood
Vic Lockwood has been in Military and Civil Aviation for more than 47 years. He served with the RAF as a fighter pilot and then, on graduation from the Empire Test Pilots' School, carried out military test flying duties in the UK and USA. On leaving the RAF, he joined Flight Refuelling Aviation (Cobham) where he spent 20 years as the Company’s Chief Test Pilot. He has flown Warbirds such as Spitfire, Mustang and Harvard before buying his SE5a.
Despite all this experience, Vic refers to himself as an 'old clapped out Lightning pilot'!
Despite all this experience, Vic refers to himself as an 'old clapped out Lightning pilot'!
And here we have the Team in a more usual pose enjoying the high life near Maidenhead!
