Williams was born in 1934 in Canada and educated in Wales, where he first learned to fly in 1951. After completing an engineering apprenticeship he joined the Royal Air Force (RAF), and was trained as a pilot in Canada, winning the course trophy and gaining his wings. He served in Cyprus as a Canberra photo-reconnaissance pilot, and returned to the United Kingdom in 1961, where he joined an experimental squadron. In 1962 he graduated from the Empire Test Pilots' School (ETPS), and also started competitive aerobatic flying. He won all the U.K. domestic competitions in 1965 and went on to compete in the World Aerobatic Championships (FAI WAC).
In 1965 he was the highest placed British pilot in the Lockheed Trophy, and was Europe's best biplane pilot when he flew a Stampe SV.4B to 4th place in the Top French competition. He gained another 'first' for Britain in the following year by reaching the finals of the FAI WAC, and in 1967, flying a standard two-seater Zlin Akrobat, he won the Biancotto Trophy. In 1970 he was awarded the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air,[1] when he successfully crash landed a Zlin after a wing folded during aerobatic training.[2][3] Three weeks after receiving the replacement Zlin from Czechoslovakia, he reached 5th place in the FAI WAC, the highest place achieved by any Zlin pilot.
1974 was marked by the British teams' outright victory in the FAI European Aerobatic Championships and Neil's solo win in the Coupé Champion in France. In 1975 he became British Aerobatic Champion for the eleventh time, and in 1976 reached 4th place in the FAI WAC in Kiev. Captain of the British Aerobatic Team from 1966 until his death in 1977, he regularly flew at airshows and was best known for his displays in the Pitts Special, Rothmans Aerobatic Team, Spitfire, and the famous machines of the Shuttleworth Collection and for his test flying of unusual and tricky aeroplanes.
He was killed, along with three others, on 11 December 1977, when the CASA 2.111 he was ferrying from Cuatro Vientos Airport to the United Kingdom crashed in poor visibility into the Sierra de Guadarrama mountains north of Madrid.[4] The other deceased were his second wife, Lynn, Blackbushe Airport Chief Engineer (retired), Joseph Donaghy, and Blackbushe Ground Controller, Stephen Parnell.[5]
Williams, Neil (2003). Aerobatics. Marlborough, UK: Crowood Press. ISBN9780950454306.
Neil Williams, Aerobatic results, german-aerobatics-com
January 06, 2023
neil, williams, pilot, neil, williams, 1934, 1977, welsh, aerobatics, pilot, neil, williamsborn1934calgary, albertadied11, december, 1977sierra, guadarramacause, deathair, crashnationalitybritisheducationempire, test, pilots, schoolspouse, jean, wife, lynn, wi. Neil Williams 1934 1977 was a Welsh aerobatics pilot Neil WilliamsBorn1934Calgary AlbertaDied11 December 1977Sierra de GuadarramaCause of deathAir crashNationalityBritishEducationEmpire Test Pilots SchoolSpouse s Jean 1st wife Lynn 2nd wife RelativesElizabeth daughter David son Lynn brother AwardsQueen s Commendation for Valuable Service in the AirAviation careerAir forceRAFMemorialsNeil Williams Memorial TrophyRacing careerBest positionBiancotto Trophy FAI European Aerobatic Championships Coupe ChampionAircraftStampe SV 4B Zlin Contents 1 Life and career 2 Death 3 See also 4 References 5 Further readingLife and career EditWilliams was born in 1934 in Canada and educated in Wales where he first learned to fly in 1951 After completing an engineering apprenticeship he joined the Royal Air Force RAF and was trained as a pilot in Canada winning the course trophy and gaining his wings He served in Cyprus as a Canberra photo reconnaissance pilot and returned to the United Kingdom in 1961 where he joined an experimental squadron In 1962 he graduated from the Empire Test Pilots School ETPS and also started competitive aerobatic flying He won all the U K domestic competitions in 1965 and went on to compete in the World Aerobatic Championships FAI WAC In 1965 he was the highest placed British pilot in the Lockheed Trophy and was Europe s best biplane pilot when he flew a Stampe SV 4B to 4th place in the Top French competition He gained another first for Britain in the following year by reaching the finals of the FAI WAC and in 1967 flying a standard two seater Zlin Akrobat he won the Biancotto Trophy In 1970 he was awarded the Queen s Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air 1 when he successfully crash landed a Zlin after a wing folded during aerobatic training 2 3 Three weeks after receiving the replacement Zlin from Czechoslovakia he reached 5th place in the FAI WAC the highest place achieved by any Zlin pilot 1974 was marked by the British teams outright victory in the FAI European Aerobatic Championships and Neil s solo win in the Coupe Champion in France In 1975 he became British Aerobatic Champion for the eleventh time and in 1976 reached 4th place in the FAI WAC in Kiev Captain of the British Aerobatic Team from 1966 until his death in 1977 he regularly flew at airshows and was best known for his displays in the Pitts Special Rothmans Aerobatic Team Spitfire and the famous machines of the Shuttleworth Collection and for his test flying of unusual and tricky aeroplanes Death Edit CASA 2 111 Spanish built Heinkel He 111 of the type Williams was in when he was killed He was killed along with three others on 11 December 1977 when the CASA 2 111 he was ferrying from Cuatro Vientos Airport to the United Kingdom crashed in poor visibility into the Sierra de Guadarrama mountains north of Madrid 4 The other deceased were his second wife Lynn Blackbushe Airport Chief Engineer retired Joseph Donaghy and Blackbushe Ground Controller Stephen Parnell 5 The British Aerobatic Association organized the Neil Williams Memorial Trophy 6 See also EditCompetition aerobaticsReferences Edit No 45384 The London Gazette Supplement 4 June 1971 p 5988 Zlin wing Structural Failure Report Flight International 18 June 1970 Official UK report Official UK report Flight International 24 June 1978 p 1913 Flight International 24 December 1977 p 1846 Neil Williams Memorial Trophy The British Aerobatic AssociationFurther reading EditAAIB Accident Report Geza Szurovy Mike Goulian Basic Aerobatics TAB Books ISBN 978 0 07 062926 4 Neil Williams Flight International 24 December 1977 p 1846 Williams Neil 1975 Aerobatics Airlife Publishing Ltd Ramsbury UK ISBN 0 9504543 0 3 Williams Neil 2003 Aerobatics Marlborough UK Crowood Press ISBN 9780950454306 Neil Williams Aerobatic results german aerobatics com Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Neil Williams pilot amp oldid 1110737287, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
