The World’s Most Experienced Pilot? – Eric Brown: The Man Who Flew Everything

Although he was active for nearly three decades, it was during WW II and shortly thereafter—while he was evaluating foreign aircraft and helping develop UK aircraft—that Eric Brown flew the widest variety of the 487 aircraft he eventually was to fly during his lifetime. If it flew during WW II, whether Axis or Allied, Brown tested it. (Photos by John Dibbs/planepicture.com or courtesy of John Dibbs Archives)

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At the age of 97 years, Eric “Winkle” Brown left the pattern on February 21, 2016. His passing marked the end of one of the most remarkable careers in aviation’s long and storied history. His exploits as a British test pilot during World War II and after will be recounted for generations to come. What follows is not an obituary but a salute to the kind of man we’re not likely to see again. Captain...

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