John de Havilland (pilot)

John de Havilland
File:John de Havilland 1943 IWM TR 928.jpg John de Havilland (left) reviewing the flight log with two fitters beside a Mosquito following a test flight, 1943
Born	Template:Birth date Edgware, Middlesex, England
Died	23 August 1943(1943-08-23) (aged 24) Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England
Nationality	British
Occupation	Test pilot
Father	Geoffrey de Havilland

John de Havilland (17 October 1918 – 23 August 1943) was a British test pilot.

He was one of three sons of the renowned aircraft designer and manufacturer Geoffrey de Havilland, along with his brothers Geoffrey de Havilland Jr. and Peter. Each brother pursued careers as test pilots for the family firm, de Havilland. Prior to the outbreak of the Second World War, John served as a sergeant in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR). However, due to the pressing need for pilots within the de Havilland company, he was released from military duties to join his father’s enterprise.

Death

File:De Havilland Mosquito IV ExCC.jpg

Mosquito aircraft outside the Hatfield factory

While conducting a test flight in a de Havilland Mosquito Mark VI, accompanied by flight test observer John H. F. Scrope, John de Havilland was involved in a mid-air collision near St Albans. The other aircraft involved was also a Mosquito Mark VI, piloted by George Gibbins. Both planes broke apart during the collision, resulting in the deaths of all four individuals onboard. Godfrey J. Carter served as an observer in Gibbins’s aircraft at the time of the accident.

Three years later, his older brother Geoffrey Jr died during high-speed testing of the de Havilland DH 108 TG306, which disintegrated over the Thames Estuary on 27 September 1946.

Legacy

Following John's passing, Geoffrey de Havilland established the John de Havilland Scholarship Fund. This award is linked to the aviation sector and aims to foster growth within the industry by acknowledging outstanding young individuals aspiring to enter this field.

{{Tree chart|} |} {{Tree chart|} |} {{Tree chart|} |} {{Tree chart|} |} {{Tree chart|} |} {{Tree chart|} |} {{Tree chart|} |} {{Tree chart|} |} {{Tree chart|} |} {{Tree chart|} |} {{Tree chart|} |} {{Tree chart|} |} {{Tree chart|} |} {{Tree chart|} |} {{Tree chart|} |} {{Tree chart|} |} {{Tree chart|} |} Template:Tree chart

External links

• Commons category: John de Havilland (pilot)
• "Flight Archive 1943 | 2145" flightglobal.com. Accessed: 20 August 2009.
• "De Havilland Family Genealogy" worldroots.com. Accessed: 20 August 2009.