Alan Derek Piggott MBEThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 27 December 1922) is one of Britain's best known
gliderGliding is a recreational activity and competitive sport in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders using rising air to gain altitude or speed. The word soaring is also used for the sport...
pilots and instructors. His flying career has been long and varied. He first flew in an
Avro 504The Avro 504 was a World War I biplane aircraft made by the Avro aircraft company and under licence by others. Production during the War totalled 8,970 and continued for almost 20 years, making it the most-produced aircraft of any kind that served in World War I, in any military capacity, during...
as a passenger at the age of four. He has over 5,000 hours on over 153 types of powered aircraft and over 5,000 hours on over 184 types of
gliderUnpowered aircraft are a group of aerial vehicles that can fly without propulsion. They can be classified as gliders, balloons and kites. In this instance, 'flight' means a trajectory that is not merely a vertical descent such as a parachute. In the case of kites, the flight is not free, but...
.
Royal Air Force
Derek Piggott joined the
Royal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts.The RAF operates almost 1,109...
in 1942 as aircrew and made a first solo in a DH82
Tiger MothTiger moths are moths of the family Arctiidae.Tiger moth may also refer to:*de Havilland Tiger Moth, an aircraft; an aerobatic and trainer tailwheel biplane*de Havilland DH.71 Tiger Moth, an earlier monoplane produced by de Havilland...
after only six hours dual. He completed his training in Canada and was commissioned as a
Pilot OfficerPilot Officer is the lowest commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks immediately below Flying Officer...
in 1943. He was then sent on a multi-engine instructors' course and then on a course for elementary instructors before returning to England. By 1944 there was a surplus of trained pilots and he so volunteered to fly military gliders. After a short conversion to
Airspeed HorsaThe Airspeed AS 51 Horsa was a British World War II troop-carrying glider built by Airspeed Limited and subcontractors and used for air assault by British and Allied armed forces...
,
General Aircraft HotspurThe General Aircraft GAL.48 Hotspur was a military glider designed and built by the British company General Aircraft Ltd during the Second World War. When the British airborne establishment was formed in 1940 by the order of the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, it was decided that gliders would...
and Waco Hadrians, he was posted to India and then on to Burma where he flew
DakotasThe Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing, propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Because of its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II it is generally regarded as one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
dropping supplies to front-line troops. During his stay in India, he instructed
Indian Air ForceThe Indian Air Force is the air arm of the armed forces of India. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...
students and flew low anti-riot patrols just before partition.
Back in the UK he was posted as a Staff Instructor at RAF's
Central Flying SchoolThe Central Flying School is the Royal Air Force's primary institution for the training of military flying instructors. It was established at Upavon Aerodrome, near Upavon, Wiltshire in 1912, and is the longest existing flying training school. The CFS's first commandant was Captain Godfrey Paine...
at
Little RissingtonRAF Little Rissington is an RAF Aerodrome and former RAF station in Gloucestershire, England. It was once home to the Central Flying School, the Red Pelicans and the Red Arrows.Built during the 1930s, the station was opened in 1938 and closed in 1994...
where he trained instructors and flew
HarvardThe North American T-6 Texan was a single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train fighter pilots of the United States Army Air Forces, United States Navy, Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II. Designed by North American Aviation, The T-6 is...
s,
BalliolThe Boulton Paul Balliol and the related Sea Balliol were monoplane military advanced trainer aircraft built for the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm by Boulton Paul Aircraft...
s,
AthenaThe Avro 701 Athena was a British advanced trainer aircraft built by Avro in the late 1940s. It was designed to replace the North American Harvard in the Royal Air Force, but was only brought in small numbers, the competing Boulton Paul Balliol being preferred.-Design and development:The Athena was...
s,
MeteorThe Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' first operational jet. Designed by George Carter, it first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with 616 Squadron of the Royal Air Force...
s,
SpitfireThe Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries through the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used into the 1950s both as a front line fighter and in secondary roles...
s,
MosquitoThe de Havilland Mosquito was a British combat aircraft that excelled in versatility during the Second World War. Originally conceived as an unarmed fast bomber, the Mosquito adapted to many other roles in during the air war in both the Pacific theatre of Operations and the European theatre,...
s and
LancasterThe Avro Lancaster was a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF and squadrons from other...
s. After being awarded the A1 Instructor Rating, he joined the Home Command Gliding Instructors' School teaching civilian instructors for the
Air Training CorpsThe Air Training Corps is a cadet organisation based in the United Kingdom. It is a voluntary youth group which is part of the Air Cadet Organization and the Royal Air Force . It is supported by the Ministry of Defence, with a regular RAF Officer, currently Air Commodore Ian R W Stewart, serving...
on Slingsby T21 and
Slingsby Kirby CadetThe Slingsby T.7 Kirby Cadet is a British training glider designed and built by Slingsby that first flew in 1935 and saw service with the Royal Air Force for use by the Air Training Corps as the Cadet TX.1 throughout the 1950's and 1960's...
gliders. As Chief Flying Instructor he introduced improved training methods. He also taught school teachers in the
Combined Cadet ForceThe Combined Cadet Force is a Ministry of Defence sponsored youth organisation in the United Kingdom. Its aim is to "provide a disciplined organisation in a school so that pupils may develop powers of leadership by means of training to promote the qualities of responsibility, self reliance,...
how to teach flying in primary gliders. Flying with an ATC cadet as co-pilot in the National Gliding Championships, he established a British two-seater altitude record climbing to over in a thunderstorm over
SheffieldSheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, the city has grown from its largely industrial roots to encompass a wider economic base...
. In 1953 Piggott received the Queen's Commendation for work on developing and introducing new instructional techniques for gliding in the ATC.
In 1953, he left the RAF as a Flight Lieutenant and joined
Lasham Gliding SocietyLasham Airfield is located south-south-east of Basingstoke in Hampshire, England, near the village of Lasham. The airfield frequency is 131.025 MHz.The airfield is owned by one of the world's largest gliding clubs, Lasham Gliding Society...
and became its Chief Flying Instructor.
Gliding career
Derek Piggott is perhaps best known as a gliding instructor. In addition he had success as a competition glider pilot winning three regional championships, was the UK National aerobatic glider champion in 1961 and set several national gliding records including the single-seat altitude record of over in an active thunderstorm in a
Slingsby SkylarkThe T.37 Skylark was a sport sailplane of moderate dimensions, built during 1952-3 at Kirbymoorside, Yorkshire by Slingsby Sailplanes-Design and development:...
. He holds the
FAIThe Fédération Aéronautique Internationale is the world governing body for air sports and aeronautics and astronautics world records. This includes man-carrying vehicles from balloons to spacecraft, and unmanned vehicles...
Diamond Badge. Between 1953 to 1989, Derek Piggott was the Chief Flying Instructor at
Lasham Gliding SocietyLasham Airfield is located south-south-east of Basingstoke in Hampshire, England, near the village of Lasham. The airfield frequency is 131.025 MHz.The airfield is owned by one of the world's largest gliding clubs, Lasham Gliding Society...
, though he took a break during this time to do stunt flying.
He has travelled widely lecturing and advising gliding associations such as the
Soaring Society of AmericaThe Soaring Society of America was founded at the instigation of Warren E. Eaton to promote the sport of gliding in the USA and internationally. The first meeting was held in New York City in the McGraw-Hill building on February 20 1932. Its first objective was to hold a national soaring...
and the Dutch gliding association on matters such as the use of motor gliders in training. As a leading authority on
glidingGliding is a recreational activity and competitive sport in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders using rising air to gain altitude or speed. The word soaring is also used for the sport...
, he has written seven books on the subject, an autobiography, several monographs and many magazine articles. His first book 'Gliding' was first published in 1958 and is still in print in its eighth edition. In 2003 at the age of 81, he completed a 505 km task in an Me7 glider with only a 12.7 metre span in a national competition in a time of 7hr 14min. (Several much younger pilots with superior machines failed to complete this task). At the age of 85, he is an active gliding instructor and competitor, though he no longer holds a full Private Pilot's Licence.
He was a member of a test group for the
British Gliding AssociationThe British Gliding Association is the governing body for gliding in the United Kingdom. Gliding in the United Kingdom operates through 85 gliding clubs which have 2,641 gliders and 8,242 full flying members, though a further 26,000 people have gliding air-experience flights each year.-History:A...
and tested a number of prototype
gliderUnpowered aircraft are a group of aerial vehicles that can fly without propulsion. They can be classified as gliders, balloons and kites. In this instance, 'flight' means a trajectory that is not merely a vertical descent such as a parachute. In the case of kites, the flight is not free, but...
s and foreign machines for approval to be imported. He made a successful emergency parachute descent from a damaged Bocian making him a member of the
Caterpillar ClubThe Caterpillar Club is an informal association of people who have successfully used a parachute to bail out of a disabled aircraft. After authentication by the parachute maker, applicants receive a membership certificate and a distinctive lapel pin....
. He researched the effect of sub-gravity sensations as a cause for many serious and fatal gliding accidents.
Stunt flying
In 9 November 1961, flying Southampton University's Man Powered Aircraft (SUMPAC), Derek Piggott became the first person to make an officially authenticated take-off and flight in a man-powered aircraft. The longest flight was 650 yards (594 m). Turns were attempted, with 80 degrees the best achieved. He made a total of 40 flights in SUMPAC.
He took a break from being a gliding instructor to become a stunt pilot and was also technical advisor on several feature
filmFilm encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects....
s. His role as a stunt pilot, began in 1965 with the film
The Blue MaxThe Blue Max is a British film about a German fighter pilot on the Western Front during World War I. It was directed by John Guillermin, stars George Peppard, James Mason and Ursula Andress, and features Karl Michael Vogler and Jeremy Kemp. The screenplay was written by David Pursall, Jack Seddon,...
which tells the story of the competitive rivalry between two German pilots in the First World War. He was enlisted as one of several pilots who helped recreate the live dog-fight scenes for the film. However, he was the only stunt pilot to agree to fly for the climax of the film in which the two rivals challenge each other to fly beneath the spans of a bridge over a river. Taking the role of both German pilots and with multiple takes from contrasting camera angles, he ended up flying through the wide span of this bridge in
IrelandIreland is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland, separated by the Irish Sea, is the island of Great Britain...
15 times and 17 times through the narrower span. The two
Fokker Dr.IThe Fokker Dr.I Dreidecker was a World War I fighter aircraft built by Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. The Dr.I saw widespread service in the spring of 1918...
triplane replicas had about four feet of clearance on each side when passing through the narrower span. Piggott was able to fly through the arch reliably by aligning two scaffolding poles, one in the river and one on the far bank. The director had placed a flock of sheep next to the bridge so that they would scatter as the plane approached in order to demonstrate that the stunt was real and had not used models. However, by later takes, the sheep had become accustomed to the planes and continued to graze and, so had to be scared by the shepherd.
In
Darling Lilli, he was responsible for the majority of the designs of six replica aircraft and for supervising their construction in a period of nine weeks. Some of the dog fight scenes are considered to be among the best made. However, they had to be re-shot the following year because the film was changed from being comic to serious.
Another notable film role, was Derek Piggott's contribution to
Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying MachinesThose Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines, Or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes is a British comedy film directed by Ken Annakin...
in which he flew and advised on the construction of several of the early aircraft recreated for use in the film. Many of the planes employed
wing warpingWing warping was an early system for lateral control of an aeroplane. The technique, used and patented by the Wright brothers, consisted of a system of pulleys and cables to twist the trailing edges of the wings in opposite directions...
for directional control, which involved re-discovering how to fly them safely. Several of the aircraft had dangerous features and he had a number of narrow escapes.
In
Villa Rides he had to crash an aircraft that was flying towards a cliff by making the undercarriage collapse. This stopped it from 110 km/h in about 10 metres.
In summary Derek Piggott flew some or all the aerial stunts in the following films:
and for several television programs. For one of these a replica of the
Sir George Cayley'sSir George Cayley, 6th Baronet was a prolific English engineer, one of the most important people in the history of aeronautics. Many consider him the first true scientific aerial investigator and first person to understand the underlying principles and forces of flight...
first heavier-than-air flying machine was built in the early 1970s. The machine was flown by Derek Piggott at the original site in Brompton Dale in 1973 for a TV programme and again in 1985 for the I-Max film
On The Wing.
Piggott Hook
Derek Piggott also is the inventor of the "Piggott-Hook", which is to prevent air brakes opening on a launch. The system is installed in all new gliders built by
DG FlugzeugbauDG Flugzeugbau GmbH is a manufacturer of sailplanes based in Bruchsal near Karlsruhe, Germany. The business was founded in 1973 by Gerhard Glaser and Wilhelm Dirks as Glaser-Dirks Flugzeugbau GmbH....
Honours
In 1987 Derek Piggott was appointed Member of the
Order of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions...
(MBE). In 2007 Derek Piggott was awarded the
Royal Aero ClubThe Royal Aero Club is the national co-ordinating body for Air Sport in the United Kingdom.The Aero Club was founded in 1901 by Frank Hedges Butler, his daughter Vera and the Hon Charles Rolls , partly inspired by the Aero Club of France...
Gold Medal - the highest award for aviation in the UK. Also in 2007 the
Royal Aeronautical SocietyThe Royal Aeronautical SocietyFounded in 1866 The Royal Aeronautical Society, also known as the RAeS, is a multidisciplinary professional institution dedicated to the global aerospace community....
appointed Derek Piggott an Honorary Companion of the Society. In 2008 he was awarded the Lilienthal Medal by the
Fédération Aéronautique InternationaleThe Fédération Aéronautique Internationale is the world governing body for air sports and aeronautics and astronautics world records. This includes man-carrying vehicles from balloons to spacecraft, and unmanned vehicles...
for outstanding service over many years to the sport of gliding
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