[Dodo]

Either google this or go straight to

https://assets.digital.cabinet-office.g ... G-AWAR.pdf.

This must be the leading contender for the most steely nerved pilot I have ever come across.

Sadly, it seems, he perished in an unrelated aircraft incident years later.

[Paul_Sengupta]

Ah, the legendary Neil Williams Zlin incident.

This (and the other you mention) was mentioned on here recently in the "What makes a good pilot?" thread.

[seanjd]

When I was a small child, I had a photo taken with him and the Rothmans team when they were operating the Stampe

[davef77]

The British Unlimited aerobatic champion still awarded this trophy that commemorates Neil's amazing recovery.



An astounding piece of flying, and a big chunk of luck.

[Iceman]

The Redhill Tiger Club days were before my time, I wished I'd been there.

My first aircraft engineer was supposed to be on the flight ion which Neil Williams was killed.

Iceman

[neaton]

1.9 Communications

The aircraft was not equipped with radio.

Well, there's your problem, right there...

[Sir Morley Steven]

Either google this or go straight to

https://assets.digital.cabinet-office.g ... G-AWAR.pdf.

This must be the leading contender for the most steely nerved pilot I have ever come across.

Sadly, it seems, he perished in an unrelated aircraft incident years later.

Massive cojones.

[patowalker]

Maybe so. But I would suggest a combination of self-preservation instinct, the knowledge required to quickly identify the problem and the skill to take remedial action, played a greater role than cojones.

[carlmeek]

An amazing story. If it happened in a James Bond movie we would all be giggling at how ridiculous and unrealistic!

[MichaelP]

The Redhill Tiger Club days were before my time, I wished I'd been there.

Those of us who were there in those days were highly privileged to have been so lucky in life.
It was freedom that few can imagine in today's controlled environment.



Neil was the boss when I joined.

I was told that "You'll never be accepted in the Tiger Club", but I got my two signatures and joined.

[john ball]

Yes, the Tiger Club days at Redhill were the best flying days of my life. The two who signed my papers to join were Fred Marsh ( Pie in the Sky Rollason Beta ) and thanks Mike Peare ( Rollason Condor ). A great privilege to join that club.
Neil was killed flying a Heinkel 111 back from Spain - CFIT . What a waste !
Actually went to Redhill the other day by car --- the Cafe does very good homemade cakes. Would love to be based there again but still soggy in winter even with access to 'new' hard runway ! Also even more expensive hangar prices than Biggin for my RV6 !! ---- Maxi Gainza took me for a low level aerobatic flight in his ZLIN over 26/08. Such a gentle smooth aircraft with a beautiful sound. Nowadays the wreck of ZLIN G-AWAR would be rebuilt ? What happened to the airframe ?