EE Lightning pilots

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Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 44

As a lifelong 'Frightning Freak' I've always wondered which pilot topped the charts for most hours logged. I heard some years ago it could have been Hedley Molland, and I know Dave Carden logged over 3000 hrs.
It would be great to see the Top 10 list.....anybody know?

Original post

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 98

RE: EE Lightning pilots

mmm.. Good question!!
Roland Beamont must have clocked up a good few hours I would have thought, and now people like Keith Hartley are still adding hours on the T.5. Also the pilots involved in the Warton Foxhunter radar trials will have more hours than most pilots.
Have a look at my website btw http://www.englishelectriclightning.com
James Scott

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 44

RE: EE Lightning pilots

Unlikely the Warton pilots clocked up that many hours as those aircraft didn't get over used, and only Keith and Peter Gordon-Johnson were ex-RAF Lighning pilots and therefore would have added to their RAF hours. Not so sure Bee would have clocked more than the 3000 mark.
I'm sure the ex-pilots probably know, it's just a matter of finding out ..... anybody know how to get in touch with Ian Black, he must know. He was on exchange with the French Airforce flying Mirage 2000's. In fact his father might even be a candiate for a place in the top 10.
Incidently, I wonder if Furz Lloyd is still heading up the Lightning Pilots Assoc.?

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 98

RE: EE Lightning pilots

go to my site and via the links page go to the Lightning preservation group, the guys there should know how to contact a lot of Lightning pilots.
http://www.englishelectriclightning.com

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 1,271

RE: EE Lightning pilots

I have spoken to Keith Hartley and he tells me that the pilot with most hours on the Lightning is a guy called Tony Winship. He has an amazing 5000 hours on type, achieved between RAF tours and with the Saudi AF, where upon retirement he had reached the rank of a colonel equivalent in the Saudi AF.

Hope this helps

Mark Russell

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 98

RE: EE Lightning pilots

Could this be the luckyest man in the world? I think yes!

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 44

RE: EE Lightning pilots

I'm not surprised that he achieved that rank as when he completed LCC course number 30 in Aug 1966 he was Wg.Cdr.Winship!! If that was his first taste of Lightnings, assuming it wasn't a refesher course from the pre-OCU days, then he could have been flying the beast for another 20 years after that. That's still an average of 1 hour a day for 20 years. Didn't know the RSAF clocked up that amount of hours with their Lightnings. Obviously the privilge of rank!!
Interestingly, I'd used Dave Carden as an example of high hours, because fellow Lightning pilot Chris Allen photographed him airborne during his 3000th Lightning hour for his book "Fast Jets - A pilots eye view". That photo was taken 1985 or 1986 and by coincidence the then Sgn.Ldr.Dave Carden as Fg.Off. Carden passed out on LCC course number 31, 3 months after Tony Winship.
Tony Winship obviously spent 20 years flying Lightnings almost continually to get his 5000 hours whereas Dave Carden spent years flying desks and possibly other aircraft before returning to go through Number 42 LTF course in 1981, and ressume his Lightning career.
Still like to see that top 10 list though ..... Keith doesn't fancy complilimg it does he? (in between his Euro-whatzit testing, his Hunter sorties with Classic Jets, not to mention flying Mike Beachyhead's Lightnings in sunny SA ..!!)