I have been fortunate enough to meet him twice, once at a talk at Yeovilton Fleet Air Arm museum, the second time at the Shuttleworth Collection nr. Biggleswade.
Not only is he an excellent speaker, on the second occasion talking for an hour and a half without notes, but he is a real gentleman, modest and seemed genuinely interested in the questions put to him. He stayed behind to talk to people and he must have spent another hour non-stop doing this. I think he was 91 at the time. After all this, and another hour or so signing books in the afternoon after lunch, he drove himself and his wife home which was over two hours away. I just hope I have as much about me if I reach his age.
As you might guess from the above, he is one of the most remarkable people I have ever met, and a real inspiration
He didn’t do the first carrier landing, that was in 1911, but he was the first to land a Jet on a carrier, the first to land a twin engined aeroplane on a carrier, the first to land a nosewheel aircraft on a british carrier etc. etc.
