Millett, Paul (Oral history)

British officer served as pilot with 825 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm aboard HMS Ocean off North Korea, 5/1952-11/1953; served as instructor with Fleet Air Arm in GB, 1953-1958; attended Empire Tests Pilots Course at Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, GB, 1958; served as test pilot with Royal Aircraft Establishment at Bedford, 1958-1961; test pilot with Hawker Siddeley Aviation at Brough, GB, 1961-1964; chief test pilot with British Aircraft Corporation in GB, 1964-1977; Director of Flight Operations with British Aerospace at BAE Warton in GB, 1977-1982

REEL 1 Recollections of period as pilot with Fleet Air Arm in GB, 1950-1951: reasons for joining Fleet Air Arm, 1950; basic training aboard HMS Victorious; pre-flight training HMS Merlin, Royal Naval Air Station Donibristle; flying Percival Prentice and North American Harvard at RAF Syerston; failing decompression tests; advanced training on Fairey Firefly at HMS Fulmar, Royal Naval Air Station Lossiemouth; anti-submarine training at HMS Gannet, Royal Naval Air Station Eglinton. Recollections of operations as pilot with 825 Naval Air Sqdn aboard HMS Ocean off North Korea, 5/1952-11/1952: change of squadron role; joining aircraft carrier in off North Korea, 9/1952; strike operations against Communist forces; operating from aircraft carrier, duration of carrier patrols; question of fatigue; reaction to anti-aircraft fire; activities of South Korean 'wolfpacks'; listening to air battles on radio; spotting targets for USS Missouri. REEL 2 Continues: opinion of Captain Godfrey Place VC; visit to front line; Fleet Air Arm aircrew losses on tour; end of tour 1953. Aspects of period as flying instructor with Fleet Air Arm in GB, 1953-1958: volunteering as trainee instructor to fly jets at RAF South Cerney; flying Gloster Meteor T.7 at RAF Little Rissington; move HMS Dadaelus, Royal Naval Air Station Lee-on-Solent; training jet conversion students on De Havilland DH.115 Sea Vampire T.22 with 738 Naval Air Sqdn at HMS Fulmar, Royal Naval Air Station Lossiemouth; move to RAF Valley; attending Empire Test Pilots Course, Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, 1958. Recollections of period as test pilot with Royal Aircraft Establishment, Bedford, GB, 1958-1961: flying wide range of experimental aircraft. REEL 3 Continues: flying Avro 707A and Avro 707C; work on test models for Avro Vulcan; opinion of flying Bristol 188; flying Short SB.5 and Handley Page HP.115 test model for BAC/Aérospatiale Concorde; difficulty of flying Fairey Delta 2 and opinion of test pilot Peter Twiss. Aspects of period as test pilot with Hawker Siddeley Aviation at Brough, GB, 1961-1964: opinion of Blackburn Buccaneer S.1; transformation of Blackburn Buccaneer S.1 with introduction of Rolls-Royce Spey Engines; work on Hawker Siddeley Buccaneer S.2. REEL 4 Continues: Recollections of period as test pilot, chief test pilot with British Aircraft Corporation and Director of Flight with British Aerospace at BAE Warton in GB, 1964-1977: role as Sepecat Jaguar project pilot; flying English Electric Lightning to 70,000 feet; story of development of Anglo-French Sepecat Jaguar project; contrasts in British and French methods of working; differing national attitudes towards aviation; flying characteristics of Sepecat Jaguar including dangerous spinning problems; reaction to Sepecat Jaguar's characteristics; moving map display in Sepecat Jaguar; low-level flying over the Andes Mountains. REEL 5 Continues: naval Sepecat Jaguar project; promotion to chief test pilot; differences between British and French Jaguars; becoming project pilot on Multi-Role Combat Aircraft which became Panavia, Tornado; making first flight of Multi-Role Combat Aircraft in West Germany; contrast between working with West Germans and French; his wish to exceed official limits for progress to be made on project; 'Fly by Wire' system; story of design of Panavia Tornado's fin; first military use of reverse thrust; reasons for Panavia Tornado's variable sweep wings; aspects of development of Panavia Tornado ADV interceptor including problems of engine stalling on sharp turns caused by shock waves in intakes; length of time spent on Panavia Tornado projects and opinion of aircraft; retrospective view of career. REEL 6 Continues: Recollections of period with Royal Aircraft Establishment, Bedford, Hawker Siddeley Aviation, British Aircraft Corporation and British Aerospace in GB, 1958-1982: problem with Hawker Siddeley Buccaneer S2 stalling on catapult launches; ejecting from Blackburn Buccaneer S1 prototype; visit to United States of America during time with Royal Aircraft Establishment, Bedford; flying in Lockheed F-104 Starfighter to observe North American X-15 launch; flying characteristics of Lockheed F-104 Starfighter; explanation of German Air Force Lockheed F-104 Starfighter accidents; opinion of performance of McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom; involvement in selling Sepecat Jaguar to India; flight refuelling trials on Panavia Tornado. Aspects of period working for BAC Saudi Arabia supporting Panavia Tornado programme in Saudi Arabia, 1983-1989: managing Saudi Arabia contracts; difficulties with British staff rather than Saudi Arabians; aspects of training people with no aviation tradition. REEL 7 Continues: reaction of Saudi Arabians to aviation; tailoring aircraft to customer; competence of ground crews; later work advising on BAE Hawk and Sepecat Jaguar in Oman; attitude to Gulf War, 1990-1991. Reflections on period with Fleet Air Air, Royal Aircraft Establishment, Bedford, Hawker Siddeley Aviation, British Aircraft Corporation and British Aerospace, 1953-1982: favourite aircraft; paragliding course; flying BAC/Aérospatiale Concorde during development phase and reaction to flight; flight in McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle jet fighter.