FlightLine

摘要

On 10 July, I was privileged to attend the 91st birthday party of AVM George Black, one of the RAF's most distinguished fighter pilots who progressed rapidly through the ranks, gaining a reputation both for his flying abilities and as 'the man to get things done! His achievements are well-documented and too numerous to record here. It is, though, for his association with the English Electric Lightning that he is perhaps best-known, and it is thus highly appropriate that his birthday celebration was held at what was RAF Binbrook. During his 20 years with the RAF, it changed out of all recognition. He joined during National Service and was sent to Canada for basic flying training. Having returned to the UK for advanced flying training on the Meteor at Driffield, the realities and risks involved soon became evident; by the time his course ended, of the 12 pilots who started out, three had been killed, four 'chopped' and just five completed it. Following an exchange posting with the Fleet Air Arm that included 25 combat missions in a Sea Hawk in Operation 'Musketeer', he returned to the RAF and became an instructor on Vampires at Linton-on-Ouse. Here, he formed and led a four-ship Vampire formation aerobatic team, appropriately named the Linton Blacks.