John Stephen Fairey | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1935-04-21)21 April 1935 Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire |
| Died | 8 July 2009(2009-07-08) (aged 74) Bishop Norton, Lincolnshire |
| Cause of death | Aircraft crash |
| Nationality | British |
| Spouse | Beverley Halford |
| Relatives | SirCharles Richard Fairey |
| Aviation career | |
| Full name | John Stephen Fairey |
| Air force | Rhodesian Air Force |
| Rank | Flight lieutenant |
John Stephen FaireyFRAeS (21 April 1935 – 8 July 2009) was an Englishaviator.
Fairey was the second son of SirCharles Richard Fairey, founder of theFairey Aviation Company.[1] He was educated atEton andMagdalene College, Cambridge.[1][2]
Fairey gained hispilot licence in Canada, flyingseaplanes.[1] While at theUniversity of Cambridge, he joined theCambridge University Air Squadron and flewde Havilland Canada Chipmunk andNorth American Harvard aircraft.[2] In the 1960s, Fairey became a pilot withCambrian Airways,[3] flyingDouglas DC-3,Vickers Viscount andBAC One-Eleven aeroplanes.[2]
After emigrating toRhodesia in 1978, he joined theRhodesian Air Force,[1] returning to England after theBush War.[3] He flew withChannel Express until his retirement in 2000.[3]
After his retirement, Fairey continued to fly indisplays, particularly in hisSpitfiretrainer.[4] He later sold this aircraft and commissioned the construction of aFairey Flycatcher, which is now on show at theFleet Air Arm Museum.[2]
Fairey was chairman of theMuseum of Army Flying's Development Trust, vice-president of the Historic Aircraft Association, a fellow of theRoyal Aeronautical Society, and aliveryman of theGuild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators.[2] He was also DeputyLord Lieutenant of Hampshire.[1]
Fairey died on 8 July 2009[5] when thePercival Provost T1 he was piloting crashed in a field nearBishop Norton in Lincolnshire.[2][3] The aircraft, which had been on display atRAF Waddington, was based atBrimpton Airfield in Berkshire.[1][4] He is survived by his daughter, his three sons predeceased him.[3] He also had a second wife, Beverley, née Halford.