John Fairey
| John Stephen Fairey | |
|---|---|
| Full name | John Stephen Fairey |
| Born |
21 April 1935 Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire |
| Died |
8 July 2009 (aged 74) Bishop Norton, Lincolnshire |
| Cause of death | Aircraft crash |
| Nationality | British |
| Spouse | Beverley Halford |
| Relatives | Sir Charles Richard Fairey |
| Aviation career | |
| Air force | Rhodesian Air Force |
| Rank | Flight Lieutenant |
John Stephen Fairey FRAeS (21 April 1935 – 8 July 2009) was a British aviator.
Early life
Fairey was the second son of Sir Charles Richard Fairey, founder of the Fairey Aviation Company.[1] He was educated at Eton and Magdalene College, Cambridge.[1][2]
Career
Fairey gained his pilot license in Canada, flying floatplanes.[1] While at the University of Cambridge, he joined the Cambridge University Air Squadron and flew de Havilland Canada Chipmunk and North American Harvard aircraft.[2] In the 1960s, Fairey became a pilot with Cambrian Airways,[3] flying Douglas DC-3, Vickers Viscount and BAC One-Eleven aeroplanes.[2]
After emigrating to Rhodesia in 1978, he joined the Rhodesian Air Force,[1] returning to England after the Bush War.[3] He flew with Channel Express until his retirement in 2000.[3]
After his retirement, Fairey continued to fly in displays, particularly in his Spitfire trainer.[4] He later sold this aircraft and commissioned the construction of a Fairey Flycatcher, which is now on show at the Fleet Air Arm Museum.[2]
Appointed positions
Fairey was chairman of the Museum of Army Flying's Development Trust, vice-president of the Historic Aircraft Association, a fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, and a liveryman of the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators.[2] He was also Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire.[1]
Death
Fairey died on 8 July 2009[5] when the Percival Provost T1 he was piloting crashed in a field near Bishop Norton in Lincolnshire.[2][3] The aircraft, which had been on display at RAF Waddington, was based at Brimpton Airfield in Berkshire.[1][4] He is survived by his daughter, Sarah Jane, and his grandson, Alexander. His three sons – Richard, James, and Alexander – predeceased him.[3] He also had a second wife, Beverley, née Halford.
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Captain John Fairey". The Daily Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. 23 July 2009. Retrieved 15 March 2010.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Captain John Fairey: airline captain". The Times. News Corporation. 7 August 2009. Retrieved 15 March 2010.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Police name pilot killed in Bishop Norton air crash". Market Rasen Mail. Johnston Press. 10 July 2009. Retrieved 15 March 2010.
- 1 2 "Obituary: Captain John Fairey". Brimpton Airfield. 31 December 2009. Retrieved 15 March 2010.
- ↑ Wakefield, Ken. "Obituaries. John Fairey.". Cambrian Airways. Retrieved 11 April 2010.