Pilots Collection (#5)

Fokker F-104G Starfighter KG+283 - 63-13690
Luftwaffe / United States Air Force (USAF) - Fokker F-104G Starfighter 24+40 / 63-13690 (msn 683D-8183), at Luke Air Force Base in USAF colours for training of Luftwaffe pilots. Date: circa 1975

RAF Avro Anson used for training pilots Date: 1938

Pilot's cockpit in a Tiger Moth aircraft Date: 1938

Northrop T-38A-55-NO Talon 64-13302
United States Air Force - Northrop T-38A-55-NO Talon 64-13302 (msn N.5731), of the USAF Test Pilots School, at Edwards Air Force Base. Date: circa 1980

Sukhoi Su-27A 595
Russian Air Force - Sukhoi Su-27A 595 (msn 36911037511), of the Zhuovsky Test Centre - Test Pilots Team, at Boscombe Down for Air Tournament International 1992, on 13 June 1992. Date: 1992

Hawker Siddeley HS. 125-600B ZF130
Royal Navy - Hawker Siddeley HS.125-600B ZF130 (msn 256059), of 899 Naval Air Squadron, operated as a Blue Vixen pulse-doppler radar training-development aid, for Sea Harrier FA.2 pilots

Heinkel He 111 H-20 WerkNummer 701152
Heinkel He 111 H-20/R1 WerkNummer 701152, a troop-carrying version seen before restoration for display at the RAF Museum Hendon, London marked as NT+SL

SAAB 105O, of the Karo AS aerobatic team
Austrian Air Force - SAAB 105O, of the Karo AS aerobatic team, with the pilots posing in front one of their aircraft. Karo AS was formed in 1975, flying four SAAB 105O trainers

English Electric Canberra B. 2 WJ730
English Electric Canberra B.2 WJ730, on the RAE Farnborough dump in June 1962, after being withdrawn from use by the Empire Test Pilot's School

Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer 3 XT610
Empire Test Pilot's School - Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer Series 3 XT610 (msn 561), at RAF Greenham Common for the 1973 International Air Tattoo in July 1973. Date: 1973

Martin-Baker MB3 -this was the company's second fighter offering in 1942 An engine failure led to the test pilot's death

German WW1 War Bonds Poster
3787036 German WW1 War Bonds Poster; (add.info.: German WW1 War Bonds Poster. Caption: Helft uns fliegen! Zeichnet Kriegsanleihe'. ('Help us fly. Take out a War Bond')

Hawker Siddeley Andover C. 1 XS606
Royal Air Force - Hawker Siddeley Andover C.1 XS606 (msn Set 13), of the Empire Test Pilot's School. Date: circa 1972

Aerospatiale AS355F1 Ecureuil II ZJ635
Empire Test Pilots School - Aerospatiale AS355F1 Ecureuil II ZJ635 (msn 5115), at the Royal International Air Tattoo - RAF Fairford 14 July 2006. Date: 2006

Agusta A. 109E Power Elite ZE416
Empire Test Pilots School - Agusta A.109E Power Elite ZE416 (msn 11173), at the RNAS Yeovilton Air Day on 13 July 2013 Date: 2013

SEPECAT Jaguar T. 2A XX145
Empire Test Pilots School - SEPECAT Jaguar T.2A XX145 (msn B.10) Date: circa 2000

BAe 146-RJ100 QQ101
Empire Test Pilots School - BAe 146-RJ100 QQ101 (msn E.3368), operated by QinetiQ - LTPA, at Boscombe Down. Date: circa 2015

Pilots pose in front of a Plane that they fly coast to coast 1923 (photo)
679026 Pilots pose in front of a Plane that they fly coast to coast 1923 (photo) by Harris & Ewing (1905-45); (add.info.: Pilots pose in front of a Plane that they fly coast to coast)

Lieutenants Oakley George Kelly and John Macready after first non-stop, Coast-to-Coast Flight, USA
5974437 Lieutenants Oakley George Kelly and John Macready after first non-stop, Coast-to-Coast Flight, USA, May 1923 (b/w photo) by Harris & Ewing (1905-45); Private Collection

Avro 652 Anson I N4877 - G-AMDA of the Skyfame museum at Staverton Airport N4877 was built at the Avro factory at Newton Heath, Manchester and was taken on charge by the Royal Air Force on Nov 17

United States Air Force Boeing WC-135B 61-2666 (msn 18342) at McCleelan Air Force Base. Boeing C-135B-BN Stratolifter (Boeing 717-185)

F-16 Fighting Falcon
Piotr Wrobel

Aviation cadets at the Naval Air Base, Corpus Christi, Texas, 1942. Creator: Howard Hollem
Aviation cadets at the Naval Air Base, Corpus Christi, Texas

Instructor explaining the operation of the parachute to students, Fort Worth, Tex. 1942. Creator: Arthur Rothstein
Instructor explaining the operation of the parachute to students, Meacham Field, Fort Worth, Texas

Instructor and students studying a map, Meacham Field, Fort Worth, Tex. 1942. Creator: Arthur Rothstein
Instructor and students studying a map, Meacham Field, Fort Worth, Texas

Instructor explaining the operation of a parachute to student pilots, Fort Worth, Tex. 1942. Creator: Arthur Rothstein
Instructor explaining the operation of a parachute to student pilots, Meacham field, Fort Worth, Texas

Student pilots, Meacham Field, Fort Worth, Tex. 1942. Creator: Arthur Rothstein
Student pilots, Meacham Field, Fort Worth, Texas

Civilian pilot training school, returning from practice... Meacham Field, Fort Worth, Tex. 1942
Civilian pilot training school, returning from practice flight, Meacham Field, Fort Worth, Texas

Civilian training school, students and instructors, Meacham Field, Fort Worth, Tex. 1942. Creator: Arthur Rothstein
Civilian training school, students and instructors, Meacham Field, Fort Worth, Tex

The death of Gabriele d Annunzio (colour litho)
2783777 The death of Gabriele d Annunzio (colour litho) by Beltrame, Achille (1871-1945); Private Collection; (add.info.: The death of Gabriele d Annunzio)

Unusuall team
Piotr Wrobel

Engines
Thomas McCleave

High fliers, illustration from Flying Memories by John Hamilton, 1934 (litho)
STC400428 High fliers, illustration from Flying Memories by John Hamilton, 1934 (litho) by Bradshaw, Stanley Orton (1903-1950); Private Collection; The Stapleton Collection

Louis Paulhan (b / w photo)
816752 Louis Paulhan (b/w photo) by Manuel, Henri (1874-1947); Private Collection; (add.info.: Louis Paulhan, French aviator who in 1910 flew Le Canard)

Deeds of the Republican wing, in the skies of Veneto, Italian fighter wards, in command of the... (colour litho)
2784362 Deeds of the Republican wing, in the skies of Veneto, Italian fighter wards, in command of the... (colour litho) by Codognato

Fred Drinkwater congratulating Neil Armstrong, California, USA, February 1964. Test pilot Fred Drinkwater congratulating Neil Armstrong on his first hovering flight in the Ames Bell X-14 Vertical

Orville Wright tests his glider at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, USA, 1911. Creator: NASA
Orville Wright tests his glider at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, USA, 1911. On October 24, 1911 Orville tested a new glider and broke all the previous gliding records by actually soaring

Gus Grissom and Milt Thompson with Paresev, California, USA, 1962. Creator: NASA
Gus Grissom and Milt Thompson with Paresev, California, USA, 1962. Mercury astronaut Gus Grissom (L) and NASA test pilot Milton Thompson with Paraglider Research Vehicle 1-A at Rogers Dry Lakebed at

Fred E. Weick, Tom Hamilton and Charles Lindbergh, USA, June 1927. Creator: Unknown
Fred Weick, Tom Hamilton and Charles Lindbergh, USA, June 1927. American aviators visting the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics: Fred E

Apollo 7 and 8 Crew in the White House, 1968. Creator: NASA
Apollo 7 and 8 Crew in the White House, 1968. Apollo 7 and 8 flight crews sign a commemorative document to be hung in the Treaty Room of the White House honoring the occasion

Mattingly and Hartsfield Salute President Reagan, Edwards Air Force Base, California, USA, 1982. Columbia Space Shuttle astronauts Commander Thomas K. Mattingly, foreground, and Pilot Henry W

JATO Flight Test Crew, 1941. Creator: NASA
JATO Flight Test Crew, 1941. Flight test crew for the Jet Assisted Take-Off (JATO) experimental solid rocket booster. It was later refered to as RATO (Rocket Assisted Take-Off)

Face 2 face
Piotr Wrobel

Airmen and aircraft contributed from various nations of the British Commonwealth, World War II, 1939-1945 (b / w photo)
6015208 Airmen and aircraft contributed from various nations of the British Commonwealth, World War II, 1939-1945 (b/w photo) by English Photographer

Fighter pilots resting between battles, autumn afternoon, England, 1940 (b / w photo)
6001045 Fighter pilots resting between battles, autumn afternoon, England, 1940 (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

Wings Aloft, front cover of the DuPont Magazine, May 1934 (litho)
615346 Wings Aloft, front cover of the DuPont Magazine, May 1934 (litho) by American School, (20th century); Hagley Museum & Library, Wilmington, Delaware, USA; eHagley Museum and Library; American

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"Pilots: The Unsung Heroes of the Skies" Churchill's praise for RAF Pilots echoes through history, as their bravery and skill played a crucial role in defending Britain during World War II. A wartime poster proudly displayed his famous words, reminding everyone of the pilots' valor. Among these legendary aviators was Amy Johnson, whose daring solo flights broke barriers and inspired generations to come. Her name became synonymous with courage and determination. In the early days of aviation, telegraph keys like the Morse Code Type J-37 connected pilots to ground control, enabling vital communication in the skies. This simple device held immense power in ensuring safe journeys. Propaganda posters adorned walls across towns, displaying Prime Minister Churchill's resolute statements about pilots' unwavering commitment to protect their homeland. These powerful images instilled hope and unity among citizens. The Wright brothers themselves stood proud beside Flyer II at Huffman Prairie in Dayton, Ohio – pioneers who defied gravity and forever changed human history with their invention of powered flight. Sister Hilda Hope McMaugh fearlessly took to the skies as part of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF), showcasing that women too could contribute significantly to aviation during times of conflict. At RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire, flight simulators allowed aspiring pilots to hone their skills before taking on real-life challenges. These advanced training tools ensured that every pilot was prepared for any situation they might encounter up above. Royal Air Force Display Posters at Hendon showcased not only military might but also celebrated aviation achievements throughout history. They served as a reminder that flying is not just a profession but an art form worth cherishing. No discussion about they are be complete without mentioning The Battle of Britain – a pivotal moment when brave men fought against overwhelming odds to defend freedom from Nazi aggression. Their resilience saved countless lives and turned tides in favor of victory. In 1955, the introduction of the R. A. F.