Farley, John (Oral history)

British student apprentice with Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, GB, 1950-1955; trained as pilot with No 8 Flying Training School, RAF at RAF Swinderby, No 7 Flying Training School, RAF at RAF Valley and No 229 Operational Conversion Unit, RAF at RAF Chivenor in GB, 1955-1957; officer served as pilot with 4 Sqdn, RAF at RAF Jever, West Germany, 1958-1960; student attended Flying Instructors' Course with Central Flying School, RAF at RAF Little Rissington, GB, 1960; served as instructor with Royal Air Force College, Cranwell, GB, 1961-1962; student with Empire Test Pilots' School, Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, GB, 1963; served as test pilot with Air Dynamics Research Flight, Royal Aircraft Establishment at Bedford, GB, 1963-1967; civilian test pilot with Hawker Siddeley in GB, 1967-1978; chief test pilot with British Aerospace in GB, 1978-1983

REEL 1 Background in Hastings, GB, 1933-1949: family; early interest in aviation; reaction to reading medical requirements to enlist in RAF; character of education. Recollections of period as student apprentice with Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, GB, 1950-1954: background to learning of apprentice scheme; educational preparation for application; selection procedure; character of apprenticeship scheme; volunteering to become flight test observer; story illustrating number of aircraft present at Farnborough; importance of practical engineering training; role of Royal Aircraft Establishment in advances in aviation during early 1950s; interview with commandant of Empire Test Pilot School; role of apprentice masters within establishment; reasons for construction of research site at Bedford; wind tunnels; story of meeting with Ralph Maltby. REEL 2 Continues: number of departments visited whilst apprentice; number of apprentices; attitude of establishment towards training; atmosphere at Farnborough. Aspects of enlistment and flying training with No 8 Flying Training School, RAF at RAF Swinderby, GB, 1955-1956: background to applying for short service commission; relations with instructor; nature of flying instruction; advantage he had with his training at Farnborough; question of flying abilities during elementary flying training; instructors assessment of his flying abilities; attitude to soloing; need to give every aircraft respect; question of contrast between flying civil aircraft and high performance jet aircraft; move to RAF Swinderby; memories of instructor Dickie Lord; incident of finding problem with his aircraft during pre-flight check; Dickie Lord's method of dealing with pupil crashes; configuration of pilot and pupil of De Havilland DH.115 Vampire, T.11; attitude to accidents. REEL 3 Continues: effect of government cut backs made in 1957 Defence White Paper. Aspects of flying training as pilot with No 7 Flying Training School, RAF at RAF Valley, GB, 1956: reporting to RAF Valley; character of De Havilland DH.115 Vampire T.11; description of term 'angle of attack'; attempt to break sound barrier in De Havilland DH.115 Vampire T.11. Aspects of flying training as pilot with No 229 Operational Conversion Unit, RAF at RAF Chivenor, GB, 1957: posting to RAF Chivenor for conversion onto Hawker Hunter; contrast between flying De Havilland DH.115 Vampire T.11 and Hawker Hunter; reaction to posting to ground duties at Experimental Radar Establishment at Malvern; method of simulating high level interceptions; method of achieving posting to unit at RAF Chivenor; how group captain dealt with tampering with posting system; fate of other pilots. Recollections of period as pilot with 4 Sqdn, RAF at RAF Jever, West Germany, 1958-1960: posting to squadron; character of squadron; role of squadron; incident of being scrambled to meet threat from Soviet Air Force aircraft. REEL 4 Continues: question of effectiveness of squadron if engaged in actual combat; number of days spent on stand by; secondary role as squadron engineering officer; avoiding Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ); degree of reliability of squadron aircraft; lack of constraints on flying; squadron morale; character of fighter pilots; changes in character of fighter pilots between 1958 and 2006; degree of knowledge of Warsaw Pact air forces; briefings; flying battle formation; cross-over turns; flying equipment; navigation; question of military productivity; weapons used for ground attack; use of gun pod to mount Aden 30mm Cannon. REEL 5 Continues: degree of co-operation with other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) forces; competition within RAF; squadron ground staff; servicing problems with Hawker Hunter electrics; communications in air; opinion of flying characteristics of Hawker Hunter; contrast with how squadron and test pilots fly aircraft; deficiencies of Hawker Hunter; recovery technique from spinning Hawker Hunter; explanation of term 'Dutch roll'; differences between Hawker Hunter F.4 and F.6; applying for Empire Test Pilots' School, Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough. REEL 6 Continues: Aspects of period as student on Flying Instructors' Course with Central Flying School, RAF at RAF Little Rissington, GB, 1960: background to becoming instructor with Central Flying School; changes in approach handling; clash with instructor over approach handling; conservative nature of instructors and pilots; question of not accepting standard procedures; standard instructional techniques; examinations during Flying Instructors' Course; use of 'patter'; outcome of his clash with instructor over approach handling; opinion of BAC Jet Provost. Aspects of period as instructor with Royal Air Force College, Cranwell, GB, 1961-1962: reaction to posting as basic flying instructor; pattern of instruction; question of responses in high-speed aircraft. REEL 7 Continues: gaining ability to predict nature of landing; similarities between flying aircraft and driving cars; explanation of term 'airmanship'; character of his pupils; need to accurately access student capabilities at an early stage; RAF selection procedures for pilots; loss of medical category after skiing accident; grading of instructors; conversion course onto Gloster Meteor, 12/1962; question of speed at which Gloster Meteor could be flown on one engine; opinion of Gloster Meteor. Recollections of period as test pilot with Empire Test Pilots' School at Farnborough, GB, 1963: posting onto Empire Test Pilots' Course; conditions during winter, 1962-1963; importance of aviation background; ground school. REEL 8 Continues: daily routine; use of test cards; assessment of aircraft during flight test exercises; reasons why standard service pilot understood their aircraft better than test pilot; stories illustrating how test pilots can learn from standard service pilots; question of importance of up to date service information on aircraft; reasons why test pilots were given experience on a wide range of aircraft; use of Gloster Javelin during final 'preview' exercise; nature of 'preview' exercise; characteristics of Gloster Javelin; limitations on Gloster Javelin; improvements in present day designed aircraft. REEL 9 Continues: explanation of term 'superstall'; reasons for giving aircraft high tail-planes; limitations of wind tunnel; advances in aerodynamic design with the introduction of Computational Fluid Dynamics; aircraft specifications; development programme for four engined long range jet aircraft in GB during 1950s; need for radar operator in Gloster Javelin; concept of all weather fighter; degree to which weapon systems were integrated into design of aircraft; test flying Hawker Siddeley Harrier. REEL 10 Continues: question of degree of danger involved in test pilot work; improvements in test flying since early 1950s; reasons for high accident rate amongst test pilots during 1940s-1950s; ethos of test pilots; move of Air Dynamics Research Flight at Royal Aircraft Establishment, Bedford. Recollections of period as test pilot with Air Dynamics Research Flight at Royal Aircraft Establishment, Bedford, GB, 1963-1966: posting to Bedford; division of activities between Farnborough, Bedford and Boscombe Down; composition of flight test team; types of aircraft at Bedford; conversation with experienced pilot about flying experimental aircraft; experimental Handley Page HP.115. REEL 11 Continues: character of experimental BAC 221; nature of slender delta winged aircraft; explanation of term '0 rate of climb'; background to development of take off director; characteristics of Handley Page HP.115; flying Avro Vulcan on take off trials; development of Hawker P.1127; collecting Hawker P.1127 for comparison trials with Short SC.1; need to use visual cues when flying vertically; control of lift engines in Short SC.1; control system on Hawker P.1127. REEL 12 Continues: use of reaction controls on Hawker P.1127; personal preparations for test flights; need to not think instinctively when initially flying Hawker P.1127; keeping vertical aircraft in hover; use of 'press up' technique during training; engine lifespan of Hawker P.1127; cost of overhaul of engine; need to use test times efficiently; vertical flying training on Hawker P.1127; controlling Hawker P.1127; question of ability to recover aircraft; configuration of undercarriage on Hawker P.1127 and its successors; development of undercarriage on Hawker Siddeley Harrier. REEL 13 Continues: initial problems with undercarriage on Hawker P.1127; short take offs and slow landings; reasons of misapprehension of concept of vertical take off aircraft; fuel needed for vertical take off; nature of research development programmes; research development programme with Hawker P.1127; research role of British Aircraft Establishment at Bedford; other development work he participated in at Bedford; background to leaving RAF, 9/1967. Recollections of period as civilian test pilot with Hawker Siddeley and British Aerospace in GB, 1967-1983: test work; collapse of nose wheel during rough ground tests with Hawker Siddeley Harrier; fatigue problem with undercarriage; need to vary weight on test aircraft; character of field engine training trials. REEL 14 Continues: nature of operational specifications; G specifications for Hawker Siddeley Harrier; attempts to pull 6 G in Hawker Siddeley Harrier; development of Hawker Siddeley Harrier wing; story of solving problem of air flow on rear end of British Aerospace Hawk; operational specification for Hawker Siddeley Harrier; question of operating Hawker Siddeley Harrier from rural and urban environments; marketing Hawker Siddeley Harrier; arrival of US Marine Corps officers to view Hawker Siddeley Harrier at Farnborough Air Show; number of vertical take off programmes worldwide; role converting US Marine Corps officers to fly Hawker Siddeley Harrier; US Marine Corps officer's accident during taxiing of Hawker Siddeley Harrier; briefing given to pilots flying Hawker Siddeley Harrier for first time. REEL 15 Continues: nature of 'power bouncing'; use of 'press up' training process; pattern of training; introduction of Harrier Conversion Course; lack of failure during conversion course to Hawker Siddeley Harrier; writing pilot notes for Hawker Siddeley Harrier; how his background aided him in the training programme; carriage and release trials on Hawker Siddeley Harrier; present day use of ERU charges; long range trials; start of development work on Hawker Siddeley Sea Harrier; changes need to operate Hawker Siddeley Harrier from aircraft carrier; navigational system; development trials of ski jump, 1977; criteria for determining angle of ski jump. REEL 16 Continues: fitting targeting laser into nose of Hawker Siddeley Harrier; development of Royal Navy aircraft carriers; need not to use principle of minimum change during development of British Aerospace Sea Harrier; changes Hawker Siddeley wanted to make in development of Sea Harrier; amusing story illustrating character of John Fozard; input from fighter pilots in team; attitude of foreign governments towards Hawker Siddeley Sea Harrier; landing Hawker Siddeley Sea Harrier on Argentinean aircraft carrier in English Channel; initial hostility of Fleet Air Arm pilots to accepting Hawker Siddeley Sea Harrier; story of conversation with pilot flying British Aerospace Hawk in mock air combat; method of landing aircraft vertically on ships. REEL 17 Continues: effect of a ship's motion on landing British Aerospace Sea Harrier; method of solving problem of short take offs from aircraft carriers; development programme on British Aerospace Sea Harrier; story illustrating misunderstanding of vertical take off aircraft; weapons trials; improvements in head up display; radar trials using modified Hawker Hunter; realisation that a Fleet Air Arm pilot was needed on the development team; impact of Lieutenant Commander Taylor Scott on development team; hearing of start of Falklands War at Dunsfold Airfield, 4/1982. REEL 18 Continues: watching American news coverage of Falklands War in US; effect of loss of Hawker Siddeley Sea Harrier XZ 450; opinion that if Argentinean aircraft had engaged British Aerospace Sea Harriers during conflict the outcome of the war would have been different; explanation of term 'viffing'; lessons learnt from Falklands War; role of British Aerospace Sea Harrier during Falklands War; work on programme for United States Marine Corps, 1982-1983; retirement from flying at age of 50. Aspects of period of employment in aviation industry in GB, 1983-1995: work with British Aerospace until taking redundancy in 1990; work as self-employed test pilot, 1990-1995; test flying Russian Mikoyan MiG-29; test flying a variety of aircraft; test programme he got most satisfaction from working on; attitude to career as test pilot.