Test Pilot

Neville Duke is well known in aviation circles, not only as a successful fighter pilot, but also as a test pilot with the Hawker Aviation Company.

Joining the RAF at the start of the war, he found himself in 1941 with 92 Squadron at RAF Biggin Hill. That spring and summer he survived the air battles over Northern France with the Biggin Hill Wing, often flying as wing man to the famous and legendary 'Sailor' Malan - Fighter Command's top-scoring pilot at that time.

Towards the end of the war he became an RAF test pilot and later a member of the RAF's High Speed Flight. This was the start of a successful career as a test pilot after leaving the Service in 1948, having been awarded the AFC. Working for Hawkers, he became Chief Test Pilot and did all the major flight development on one of the most famous of all RAF peacetime aircraft - the Hawker Hunter, and with it took the world speed record in 1953. 2003 marks the 50th anniversary of this record

Neville later set up his own test flying business, as well as becoming the personal pilot of Sir George Dowty. He worked for years as a freelance and highly respected test pilot, working on the Optica, Fieldmaster and Firemaster airplanes. He still flies his own plane.