HE was a giant of the skies, who took part in the Battle of Britain and was known as the “world’s greatest test pilot”.
Now Captain Eric “Winkle” Brown is to be honoured with the creation of a flying scholarship in his name for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Two years after he died at the age of 97, the most decorated pilot in the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) has been permanently honoured with a statue at Edinburgh Airport, his old base.
And there are additional plans for a more far-reaching memorial to the Leith-born aviator, with the scholarship being considered by a group of former pilots connected to his old university.
Eric Brown in a Wildcat, one of the 487 different types of aircraft he flew – a world record
The ex-pilots from the Edinburgh University Air Squadron Association (EUASA) got together to raise the funds for the life-sized bronze statue of Captain Brown, by Scottish sculptor David Annand.
Now Dr Hamish Macleod, chairman of EUASA, said the squadron also wants to put the scholarship in place to allow young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to access light aircraft flying.
He said: “Winkle was not only a man who loved to fly, but he also inspired a generation of pilots with his modest good humour and outstanding courage. The statue of him outside Edinburgh Airport will give the many thousands of passengers the opportunity to reflect on this Scottish hero who can inspire us all.
“Winkle’s legacy can also bring a life-changing experience to today’s youngsters assisting them to learn to fly, or simply experiencing the thrill of flying in small aircraft.”
The squadron raised £50,000 for the statue and are bidding to raise a further £50,000 to set up scholarships, with the estimated cost to achieve solo flying standard being £3,000.
Captain Brown’s own flying experience started with a bumpy but exhilarating ride in his father’s First World War Royal Flying Corps bi-plane, which sowed the seed of ambition in an eager eight-year-old.
He learned to fly himself at the earliest opportunity he could after leaving Fettes College as a student at Edinburgh University, which was an RAF recruitment route.
Prince Andrew unveiled statue of Captain Eric Brown
During his early adventures, he saw Hitler’s oratory at the 1936 Berlin Olympics with his father and at one stage in his life managed to sing with the Glenn Miller band.
He became a British Royal Navy officer after training at RAF Turnhouse, now Edinburgh Airport, in the late 1930s and came to be affectionately called Winkle, short for periwinkle, by his friends because of his physical stature.
His most amazing achievements were in his role as a Royal Navy test pilot, during which he pioneered the perfecting of breakneck aircraft carrier deck landings.
Captain Brown holds the world record for flying the greatest number of different types of aircraft, a total of 487, which is a feat unlikely to be rivalled. The highly-decorated pilot also holds the world record for landings on aircraft carriers, at 2,407, and for take-offs on aircraft carriers, at 2,721.
Also in action, he used his language skills to interview Luftwaffe chief Hermann Goering, and was among those who liberated Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.
He flew home a rocket-powered enemy aircraft, a Messerschmitt Me 163B-1a Komet, back to Britain from Germany after the aircraft was captured in 1945.
Sir John Elvidge, chairman of Edinburgh Airport, said: “Captain Eric ‘Winkle’ Brown is a someone who is synonymous with RAF Turnhouse and, in turn, a key figure in the history of what is now Edinburgh Airport.
“His achievements speak for themselves and the fact his remarkable career is still held in such high regard after all these years is testament to the man himself.
“We are proud of the connection between Edinburgh Airport and the RAF and we want people to share that by learning about this truly inspiring man who served his country with great honour, and this statue is a small token of thanks to him and his legacy.”
The statue to honour Leith-born Captain Brown was unveiled at Edinburgh Airport by the Duke of York, who himself served as a pilot in the Royal Navy for almost 20 years and now holds the rank of Vice Admiral.
The pilot has also received high praise from British astronaut Tim Peake who when he died tweeted a tribute from the International Space Station saying Capt Brown was “to my mind the greatest test pilot who has ever lived”.
First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir George Zambellas, said when Captain Brown died that he was one of the Royal Navy’s greats.
Paying tribute after his death, he said: “The Fleet Air Arm may have lost one of its finest and best-known pilots, but British aviation has lost something even greater – the most accomplished test pilot of his generation and perhaps of all time, and a huge advocate of military aviation.”
His family said in a statement released after his death: “Eric was the most decorated pilot of the Fleet Air Arm, in which service he was universally known as ‘Winkle’ on account of his diminutive stature.
“He also held three absolute Guinness World Records, including for the number of aircraft carrier deck landings and types of aeroplane flown.”
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