It was a unique opportunity for the unit test pilot on No 33 Maintenance Unit — to sample the one-off prone pilot Gloster Meteor, one of the most notable trials platforms of its day, from both the conventional and prone positions. Naturally, he took full advantage
It was among the important, if unappreciated, aspects of postwar aircraft development: how to provide a more comfortable workplace for the pilots who would fly the latest generation of ever more manoeuvrable aeroplanes. The design of the fighter pilot’s ‘office’ would largely be determined by the adoption of the ejection seat, but research was also being undertaken to see whether front-line combat aircraft could safely be flown by pilots lying in a prone position.
