He joined the Fleet Air Arm, flying his first solo on a Tiger Moth in 1941, and served in 818 Naval Air Squadron on the carrier HMS Unicorn off Norway, Biscay and in the Salerno landings,[3] flying the Fairey Swordfish.
He saw service in the Far East on aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious, flying the Grumman TBF Avenger off Sumatra and Japan.
[3] In August 1949 he joined the Air Registration Board as chief test pilot.
Aircraft he tested included the de Havilland Comet, Bristol Britannia, Vickers VC10, Hawker Siddeley Trident, BAC One-Eleven, Boeing 747, Boeing 737, McDonnell Douglas DC-10, Lockheed L-1011 TriStar, and Concorde.
He insisted the Trident, One-Eleven and Boeing 727 be fitted with stick pushers, to avoid deep stalls.