Pilot Collection (page 3)

Henri Mignet sitting in a Le Pou-du-Ciel talking to S.W. Appleby, also a Flying Flea pilot, at the International Air Rally organised by the Cinque Ports Flying Club at Lympne Airport, Hythe, Kent

The first Hawk XX154 takes to the air for the first time
The first Hawk, XX154, takes to the air for the first time on 21 August 1974 with chief test pilot, Duncan Simpson, at the controls

Boeing 247 airliner, 1930s
Boeing 247 airliner. Passengers in the 1930s boarding a United Airlines and National Air Transport aircraft that is also being used as a US Mail flight (AM17 Express, shown on the tail of the plane)

Gremlin and Pilot
A Gremlin tries to fog the aircrafts windscreen with his breath, but the pilot foils him by chewing a carrot to improve his sight

WW2, R. A. F. Christmas Card
A WW2 Christmas greetings card with a portrait illustration of a Royal Air Force pilot officer, under the foil badge. Date: circa 1939

Taylorcraft DC-65 XK-ATY (msn 0-4247. built as an L-2A ), at Mangere, NZ. (The aircraft and pilot Alexander N. Clark went missing on 23 November 1956, and were found in the bush 30 months later)

Wright Brothers Glider Tests, Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, USA, October 10, 1902. Historic photo of the Wright brothers third test glider being launched

Phillips-Powis Miles Magister Elementary Trainer Aircraft
RAF Phillips and Powis Miles Magister Elementary Trainer Aircraft, WW2 Date: 1942

Sergeant S. W. Loader of New Barnet climbs into his Spitfire to join a Channel sweep
Sergeant S.W. Loader of New Barnet climbs into his Spitfire to join a Channel sweep during the Second World War. February 1944

Four Supermarine Spitfire F Mark XIVs, of No. 610 Squadron on patrol over Southern England. September 1944

Richard Branson holding a bottle of champagne and pilots hat as he celebrates Virgin Atlantic Airlines inaugural flight June 1984

Ernest Maund Early Aviator / Pilot with His Monoplane in?
Ernest Maund Early Aviator / Pilot with His Monoplane in Craven Arms, Shropshire, UK

Louis Bleriot about to make the first successful flight across the English Channel, 1909. French aviator Bleriot (1872-1936)

Airport Scene Paris 1934
A De Havilland Dragon of Hillmans Airways and a private Swiss plane on the runway at Paris airport, France. Date: 1934

Edward Vernon Rickenbacker, US pilot and ace
Edward Vernon Rickenbacker (1890-1973), US pilot and leading fighter ace with 26 confirmed victories, seen here with his Nieuport 28. Date: circa 1918

William George Barker, RFC pilot and air ace
William George Billy Barker (1894-1930), Canadian member of No. 9 Squadron, RFC, seen here wearing a fur coat, standing by his Sopwith Camel. His confirmed victories totalled 50

Teasing Tirpitz, or luring a U boat to Dover, Heath Robinson
A battered British plane suspends a tiny toy boat on a string, fooling a German U boat into pursuing it all the way to Dover. Another mischievous war tactic dreamed up by William Heath Robinson

De Havilland Tiger Moth British biplane
De Havilland Tiger Moth British trainer biplane. Date: 1930s

Pilot (on first job) This war-flying seems easy, but WW1
Pilot (on first job). This war-flying seems easy, but I wish people would not test their guns quite so close. By Lieutenant George Arthur Hyde, MC

Lieutenant and Mrs Vernon Castle, dancers
Vernon Blythe Castle (1887-1918), and American wife, Irene (nee Foote), ballroom dancers, performers and dance teachers, pictured in 1917 when he was serving in the British Army in the Royal Flying

Sketch cover featuring Amelia Earhart by Olive Snell
Portrait of pioneering American aviator, Amelia Earhart (1897 - 1937) by society portraitist Olive Snell on the front cover of The Sketch magazine. Date: 1928

The UK Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Harold Macmillan, insp?
The UK Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Harold Macmillan, inspects a de Havilland Firestreak air-to-air missile on Gloster Javelin F(AW)7, XH900, as the pilot, Flt Lt Ian Keppie, looks on at Cottesmore

A shooter signals the launch of an F / A-18 Super Hornet
Persian Gulf, February 7, 2008 - A shooter on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, gives the signal for an F/A-18E Super Hornet to launch off ship

A Royal Air Force Harrier GR9 flying low over North Wales. The Harrier GR9 is a single seat, multi-role combat aircraft that is capable of operating in extreme environments

Pope Pius X watching the airplane of Andre Beaumont flying over Rome from the Vatican terrace
XIR346342 Pope Pius X watching the airplane of Andre Beaumont flying over Rome from the Vatican terrace, illustration from Le Petit Journal, supplement illustre

WW2 - Fit and ready to join the RAF - strong like Father
" We Must Hand it to the RAF" WW2 - Fit and ready to join the RAF - strong like Father! A girl is happy to hand over her boy to the service of the country

Monck Masons Airship
The Victoria, an early airship built by English aviator Thomas Monck Mason, 1843. American author Edgar Allan Poe (1809 - 1849)

A Hawker Hart of No. 23 Squadron RAF flying over the Medway area in Kent. 1939

RAF fighter pilot of 602 Squadron at dispersal - playing chess while waiting for the call to scramble. Perranporth, Cornwall, 1943 eTopFoto

The first Hawk XX154 during its second flight
The first Hawk, XX154, during its second flight, 22 August 1974, chief test pilot, Duncan Simpson, again at the controls. Date: 1974

Wright Model A aircraft flight, 1909 C017 / 7837
Wright Model A aircraft flight, 1909. US aviation pioneer Wilbur Wright (1867-1912) taking off in a Wright Model A, one of several aircraft built by him and his brother Orville Wright (1871-1948)

Sir Alan Cobham (1894 - 1973), English aviation pioneer. In the 1930s, when this photograph was taken (with his wife?), he pioneered inflight refuelling. Date: 1930s

Captain Albert Ball
British flying ace of World War One, Captain Albert Ball (1896 - 1917) seated in his SE5 biplane. Britains highest scoring profile fighter pilot during World War One; died in action shortly before

British SE5A biplane on airfield, WW1
A British SE5A biplane, one of the main aeroplanes in use by the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War. Seen here on an airfield, with crew. 1914-1918

Air Scouts learning to glide
Two Scouts sit in a Slingsby T.21 while another Scout connects it to a cable prior to launch at the first Air Scout Gliding Course at Lasham. An Avro York G-ANTK can also be seen in the background

Fokker triplane of Baron Manfred von Richthofen, WW1
A Fokker triplane of Baron Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen (1892-1918), also known as the Red Baron, legendary German fighter pilot during the First World War

Yuri Gagarin as a student, 1953
Yuri Gagarin as a student. Students at the Saratov Industrial Polytechnic, Saratov, USSR, in 1953. At centre is Yuri Gagarin (1934-1968), who later became famous as the first man in space

Wright airplane over a French farm
A Wright airplane over a hayfield in France, 1908, flown by Wilbur Wright and a pupil. Printed halftone reproduction of a photograph

Alcock and Brown - Aviators
British aviators John Alcock (1892 - 1919) and Arthur Whitten Brown (1886 1948) made the first non-stop transatlantic flight in June 1919.[1] They flew a modified World War I Vickers Vimy bomber

Gustav Hamel arriving at Windsor with the airmail
The aviator Gustav Hamel arriving at Windsor from Hendon on the very first airmail flight. The first aerial mail service took place on 9 September 1911 from Hendon Aerodrome to Windsor

Pilot Stanley Hausner saying goodbye to his wife
Stanley Hausner, pilot who went missing during his flight between New Jersey and Warsaw. Picked up by British steamer, the Circe Shell

Apollo 7 Prime Crew
The prime crew of the first manned Apollo space mission (from l to r) Module Pilot Don F Eisele, Commander Walter M Schirra Jr. and Lunar Module pilot Walter Cunningham

Gustav Hamels plane ready to leave Hendon for Windsor
Gustav Hamels aeroplane ready to leave Hendon Aerodrome for Windsor on the very first airmail flight. The first aerial mail service took place on 9 September 1911 from Hendon to Windsor

French Air Force Poster
Poster advertising for pilots to join the French Air Force from the age of 17 years

Flight / Flying Girl
Pretty young aviatrix in a belted leather flight coat, leather gauntlets, helmet & goggles

First flight, Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, 120 feet in 12 seconds, 10. 35am December 17th 1903 (b / w photo)
1273724 First flight, Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, 120 feet in 12 seconds, 10.35am December 17th 1903 (b/w photo) by Daniels, John T

Man in a Flying Jacket, 1916
CMY40171 Man in a Flying Jacket, 1916 by Philpot, Glyn Warren (1884-1937); Private Collection; English, out of copyright

The Prince and Princess Michael of Kent Prince Michael and Captain Eric Westropp, both officers of the 11th Hussars, stationed at Tidworth

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"Pilot: Defying Gravity, Embracing Destiny" From the skies of history to the dreams of tomorrow, pilots have always been at the forefront of human ambition. Their courage and skill have shaped our world in ways unimaginable. Churchill's praise for RAF Pilots echoes through time as a testament to their unwavering dedication and heroism. In the face of adversity, they soared high, defending freedom with every flight. Elizabeth Bessie Coleman shattered barriers as she became the first African-American woman pilot. Her determination defied societal norms, inspiring generations to reach for the stars. Amelia Earhart, an iconic US aviation pioneer, fearlessly charted new horizons and proved that women could conquer any sky-bound challenge. Her legacy continues to inspire countless dreamers around the globe. The Ford V8 Pilot 1954 Green light symbolized not only automotive innovation but also represented a spirit of adventure that resonated with pilots worldwide. It was a beacon calling them towards endless possibilities in uncharted territories. Flying Officer W E Johns immortalized aviators' bravery through his captivating Biggles stories in Modern Boy magazine. His tales ignited young imaginations and instilled a sense of wonder about aviation's limitless potential. A wartime poster bearing Churchill's famous words "Never was so much owed by so many to so few" encapsulated gratitude towards those who defended nations from above during World War II—a reminder that heroes don't always wear capes; sometimes they wear wings. The Bismarck dropping its pilot serves as a poignant metaphor for letting go of old limitations and embracing new beginnings—an allegory mirrored by pilots who constantly push boundaries both within themselves and their aircrafts. Amy Johnson blazed trails as an English pilot whose pioneering spirit knew no bounds. With each flight she took, she challenged gender stereotypes while leaving an indelible mark on aviation history.