Pat Fillingham

William Patrick Ingram Fillingham
Born	(1914-02-27) 27 February 1914 Sutton Coldfield, England
Died	17 July 2003(2003-07-17) (aged 89)
Occupation(s)	Test pilot, Aeronautical engineer
Years active	1937–1975
Known for	Test pilot for de Havilland aircraft including the Mosquito, Comet, Trident

William Patrick Ingram Fillingham Template:Postnominals (27 February 1914 – 17 July 2003) was a British test pilot associated with the de Havilland firm. Throughout his career, Fillingham piloted over 120 different aircraft models, including every variant of the de Havilland Mosquito.

Early life

Born in 1914 in Sutton Coldfield, Fillingham received his education at Worksop College followed by the de Havilland Aeronautical Technical School. He acquired his pilot training through the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve at Perth, Scotland, completing his first solo flight in February 1937. After graduating as an aeronautical engineer from the de Havilland technical school in 1939, he joined the main company as a test pilot.

Wartime test pilot

File:De Havilland DH-98 Mosquito ExCC.jpg

Mosquito in 1943

With the outbreak of the Second World War, aircraft production surged at de Havilland. By April 1940, Fillingham was conducting test flights on approximately 150 de Havilland Tiger Moth biplane trainers monthly. By September 1942, he had advanced to chief production test pilot, focusing on new de Havilland Mosquito twin-engine light bombers. In 1943, he traveled to de Havilland’s branches in Toronto and Sydney to provide guidance on Mosquito test flying. During his Canadian visit, he showcased the Mosquito at various air bases and also demonstrated it to the United States Army Air Force. As Mosquito output in England reached five units daily, Fillingham completed an impressive total of 2,200 flights in this aircraft type. Besides the Mosquito, he also flew the twin-engine De Havilland Hornet, which was then recognized as the fastest propeller-driven plane worldwide.

Peacetime test pilot

Following the war’s conclusion, Fillingham remained busy with de Havilland’s production of commercial transports such as the Dove and Heron. In 1946, he piloted the prototype de Havilland Canada Chipmunk in Canada. His flight logs from that period include military aircraft alongside civil types; within the same month, he flew de Havilland Vampire jet fighters, de Havilland Canada Chipmunk trainers, and Mosquitos.

During the 1950s, Fillingham conducted test flights for the four-engine de Havilland Comet airliner followed by the three-engine de Havilland Trident. In 1972, he delivered a Trident to China—marking the first western jet imported there. By 1975, after de Havilland had become Hawker Siddeley Aviation, Fillingham held the position of Deputy Chief Test Pilot before retiring. In his final years with Hawker Siddeley, he flew the Hawker Siddeley HS.125 and performed display flights with what was then one of the last operational Mosquitos. Over his extensive career, Fillingham accumulated 11,450 flying hours across more than 120 aircraft types. In recognition of his service, he received a Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air in 1970.

Family life and leisure

In 1952, Fillingham wed Sonja Couper, and together they had two children, a son and a daughter. Alongside his role as a test pilot, Fillingham participated in competitive air racing, securing victory in the Goodyear Trophy in 1952 and triumphing in the King's Cup in 1953 piloting a de Havilland Canada Chipmunk. He was also an enthusiast of classic automobiles, owning several vintage cars and competing in three Monte Carlo Rallies. Fillingham passed away on 17 July 2003 at the age of 89.

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