1944 My initial interest in aviation was inspired by watching the P51 fighters of 357sq Leiston passing at low level over my home in Thorpeness Suffolk on their way home from Germany. I was four years old at the time.
1951 The Bentwaters 81st TFS with F84 and F86 jets maintained my interest, as did the Thorpeness based USAF fighter pilots. During this period many model aeroplanes were built and flown from the Thorpeness cricket field.
1959-63 RAF Service, Initially Airframes, later flew with TII Vampire, Jet Provost T3/T4, Hawker Hunter T7 and Victor Bombers.
1973 Built the VJ23 rigid wing hang glider in an attempt to win the Selsey Birdman Rally. Won in 1974 and 1975 however, the organisers did not pay the 3000 pound prize even though I covered the distance.
1975-77 Won every hang gliding competition entered, both National and international, with the VJ23.
1977 Designed and built power unit for VJ23e and propeller.
1978 Flew the English Channel to France and became the first hang glider to complete the trip. Lowest powered flight across the channel in the history of aviation. Bleriot had 25hp, I had 9hpin the VJ23e.
1978 Royal Aero Club. Presentation of "Medal of Achievement" from HRH Prince Charles.
1978 Invited to Glendale California by designer Volmer Jensen, who purchased the engine installation rights from me for the VJ. I flew several of his designs and we became close friends. I also met Volmer's friend, Ivy Culver who had designed the VJ wing. (Drooped L/E-unique- and in principle used later on my Shadow series)
1979 With Neil Moran we designed and built 'Musfly', a man powered aircraft.
1979 The VJ23e over the years was displayed at more than 80 major air shows. I was sponsored by Duckhams Oils. Highest honour was, first flight of the day opening the show at SBAC Farnborough 1980. This machine was an exhibit at Shuttleworth and Old Warden for several years before being transferred to Manchester Air/space Museum, where it currently resides.
1980 Volmer and I modified his VJ24 foot launched design in 3 weeks to a wheeled/powered version-VJ24w, probably the worlds first microlight, again built in my basement. This aircraft was displayed at major air shows in the UK for several years. Currently at Newark Air Museum.
1981 Working for Blois Aviation at Yoxford Suffolk. I assembled his imported microlights and instructed over 50 pupils to fly.
1982 Designed the Shadow. Even in 2007 it is still considered one of the best microlights in the world. My Son Jacob is still flying the prototype (02) twenty five years later.
1983 The Shadow takes FIA world speed record over 3km-cat. CI-A/O. Pilot D Cook.
1983 The Shadow takes FAI distance record. Parham Suffolk to St Just, (Land's End) More than double the distance of previous records. Pilot, P Troy Davies.
1984 Production started on the Shadow Aircraft at Leiston Suffolk as CFM. (Cook Flying Machines)
1986 The Shadow was flown from Biggin Hill to Sydney Australia by Eve Jackson.
1986 International competition 'Dawn to Dusk' won by D Cook/D Southwell. 67 airfields (of the 8th airforce) in a day, with Shadow 02. Winning the 'Precision Navigators Award', 'Duke of Edinburgh Award', 'Microlight Award' and 'Outright Winner all categories'. Presented by HRH Duke and Duchess of York.
1986 Shadow and Optica used in the film 'Slipstream' I was stand-in for Bill Paxton (Apollo 13 film). Filmed in Turkey.
1987 Shadow won British Design Award. Presented by HRH Prince Philip.
1987 Attended Royal Premier for 'Slipstream' at Leicester Square London. Duke and Duchess of York attended. I took the whole CFM factory personnel and spouse.
1987 HRH Prince Philip visits CFM in Leiston Suffolk as president of WWF for presentation of Shadow to Zimbabwe-I told him,"We were so proud to have the 'King' to come to poor Leiston"!
1988 Invited with wife to Buckingham Palace party, met the Queen and all.
1988 Segrave trophy presented to Eve Jackson-D Cook Segrave medal.
1992 UK National category altitude records-Shadow 23000ft UK Microlight category-Streak 27150ft FIA Microlight category. Both took place from Thorpeness Suffolk cricket field.
1994 Shadow chosen as aerial unit for filming 'Dragonheart' a $92m production, shot in Slovakia. I flew P.O.V. and computerised track. It stared Dennis Quaid and Sean Connery.
1994 Time to climb records; 0-3000meters, both Shadow and Streak halved existing records- unconfirmed by F.I.A. Pilots D Cook and J Cook crew David Foster.
International Airshows
....................SBAC Farnborough 1980/86
....................LeBorget Paris
....................Sun'n Fun Florida
....................Stauning Lufthan Denmark
....................Aero 87 Friedrichshafen Germany
....................Kjula Sweden
............/........Koksede Belgium
Military Work
UK. British Aerospace:Trials with Linescan (infra red) used with Boffins locally and at Hatfield for trials.
UK. A covert equipped Shadow used at Farnborough SBAC 1986, to scan all the russian military aircraft present.
Yemen. World Health organisation (Dutch UN) Supposedly to be operated for water resource search using Hasselbladd cameras. After training crews I saw PLO take over.
Turkey. Specialised Streak Version-bullet proof-using thermal imagery Equipment-replaced helicopters-and F16, on boarder work against Kurds.
India. Armed version for border surveillance. 7.6mm chain gun. Installation trials held in Enfield, London
UK. RAF demo at High Wycome.
D.E.A. Assignment for silent covert intrusion.
Botswana. Specialised Streak version. Border patrol against Namibia. Used by B.D.F.
Iraq. Study by delegation for sidewinder version. (no fixed base required-1/5000 cost of a fighter)
Zimbabwe. Sponsored by Goldfields trust, used by anti poacher squad, protecting Black Rhino also used for elephant counts.
Overseas flying experience with my own deigned aircraft. New Zealand, Eire, Guernsey, Australia, Thailand, India, Turkey, Italy, France, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Sweden, Botswana, South Africa, USA (14 states), Slovakia, Yemen, Greece and Zimabwe.
Lectures Cambridge University of Engineering, Royal Aeronautical Society, Nec, Universities (mostly under the auspices of the Institute).
World Distance Flights; In Shadow and Streak versions.
....................England /Australia..........Eve Jackson
....................England/India.................V.P. Singhalia
....................England/Australia...........Brian Milton
....................England/Beijing.............James Edmund
....................USA. Coast to Coast.....Andy Nightingale
....................UK. Hurn/Kirkwell..........2 Shadows non stop. Brian Milton and P ..........................................................Troy Davies
International Competitions (Microlights)
....................Germany - Aero 87 Friedrichshafen
....................Italy - Bosano Monti Grappa
....................France - Toulouse
Private Airshows; VJ-23e
....................Mostly with Ken Wallis, e.g. 'Its a Knockout' final. Arundel
Design Work
....................VJ23 to VJ23e engine mounting, systems, and propeller.
....................Musfly-manpower aircraft
....................VJ-24 to VJ-23e (wheels), First Microlight
....................Shadow series; A, B, B-D, C-D, D, G, and Float versions
....................Streak, Starstreak, Image, Twin Shadow, Glint-(paper study)
....................DTO 'Smart' award
....................British Design award
Television/Films
....................Blue Peter visit
....................BBC ......Look East..X..20
....................I.T.A.......About Anglia .X.15
....................Discovery Channel-Superwings
....................DTI in Zimbabwe
....................Shell advert for television
Featured in;
....................Newspapers
.....................Magazines
....................Readers Digest-'The Story'
....................The Colin Chapman story
....................Gordon Kinsey's 'Aviation' on the Eastern Counties
....................'To Beijing' by James Edmunds
....................'To Australia' by Brian Milton
