Neil Williams (pilot)
Neil Williams | |
---|---|
Born | 1934 |
Died | 11 December 1977 Sierra de Guadarrama |
Cause of death | Air crash |
Nationality | British |
Education | Empire Test Pilots' School |
Spouse(s) | Jean (1st wife), Lynn (2nd wife) |
Relatives | Elizabeth (daughter), David (son), Lynn (brother) |
Awards | Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air |
Aviation career | |
Air force | RAF |
Racing career | |
Best position | Biancotto Trophy, FAI European Aerobatic Championships, Coupé Champion |
Aircraft | Stampe SV.4B, Zlín |
Neil Williams (1934–1977) was a Welsh aerobatics pilot.
Life and career
Williams was born in 1934 in Canada and educated in Wales, where he first learned to fly in 1951. After completing an engineering apprenticeship he joined the Royal Air Force (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 the United Kingdom in 1961, where he joined an experimental squadron. In 1962 he graduated from the Empire Test Pilots' School (ETPS), 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
1974 was marked by the British teams' outright victory in the
Death
He was killed, along with three others, on 11 December 1977, when the
The British Aerobatic Association organized the Neil Williams Memorial Trophy.[6]
See also
References
- ^ "No. 45384". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 June 1971. p. 5988.
- ^ Zlin wing Structural Failure Report, Flight International, 18 June 1970.
- ^ Official UK report, Official UK report
- ^ Flight International 24 June 1978, p. 1913.
- ^ Flight International 24 December 1977, p. 1846.
- ^ Neil Williams Memorial Trophy, The British Aerobatic Association
Further reading
- AAIB Accident Report
- Geza Szurovy, Mike Goulian.Basic Aerobatics, TAB Books, ISBN 978-0-07-062926-4
- "Neil Williams". Flight International. 24 December 1977, p. 1846.
- Williams, Neil. (1975) Aerobatics, Airlife Publishing Ltd, Ramsbury, UK. ISBN 0-9504543-0-3
- Williams, Neil (2003). Aerobatics. Marlborough, UK: Crowood Press. ISBN 9780950454306.
- Neil Williams, Aerobatic results, german-aerobatics-com Archived 15 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine