The Jubilee Flight

by Stephen Brown

Artist

Stephen Brown is a self-taught artist who has specialised almost exclusively in aviation subjects for the last 17 years. Building on a background as a landscape and aviation photographer, his style carefully combines both these areas of interest. Stephen’s originals in oil are in much demand and have been regularly exhibited with the prestigious Guild of Aviation Artists. Demand for his originals is high with regular commissions being undertaken for commercial and private clients as well as the RAF.

The following pilots have signed all the copies of “The Jubilee Flight”.

We do hope you will find these biographies of interest. We think that by knowing a little about the men behind each signature, it will help you get the most pleasure from your limited edition print. We would ask you not to reproduce the biographies in any format without our permission.

Red Arrows Team Leader. Red I.

Squadron Leader Carl ‘Spike’ Jepson took command of the Red Arrows in November 2001. He joined the RAF in 1983 and his first front-line tour was on the Harrier GR3 with 1(F) Squadron, participating in exercises in Norway, Denmark and the USA. Sqn. Ldr. Jepson was selected for The Red Arrows in 1994. He was then posted to Dharan in Saudi Arabia where he trained the Royal Saudia Air Force Aerobatic Team from scratch. On his return to the UK, Sqn. Ldr. Jepson was once again posted to fly the Harrier and, amongst other things flew peacekeeping missions over the Balkans and operated from HMS Illustrious. He served as Flight Commander on 3(F) Squadron, RAF Cottesmore before taking command of the Red Arrows.

Civil Aviation Authority Chief Test Pilot and Concorde pilot on this day.

Jock Reid was born and raised in Renfrew, mid-way between the old and new Glasgow airports. He joined the Royal Air Force in 1966 and after training, flew the Lightning operationally before completing an instructors course and spending 2 years teaching on the Folland Gnat. He attended the US Navy Test Pilots School at Patuxent River, Maryland in 1976 before returning to the UK to spend 3 years testing fighter and trainer aircraft at the Aeroplane and Armament Establishment Boscombe Down. His final 3 years of RAF service was as an instructor at the Empire Test Pilots School, also at Boscombe Down.

He joined the Civil Aviation Authority as an airworthiness test pilot in January 1983, becoming Chief Test Pilot in 1995 before retiring in September 2003. During his CAA service Jock has flown most types of aircraft from the very small to the very largest and fastest. He admits to a great fondness for the Boeing 747 but it is Concorde which remains the focus of his affection. Jock converted to Concorde in 1989 and flew the aeroplane on a regular basis until his retirement in 2003. During that time, he was privileged to participate in all the flight test activities which arose, including in particular, the return to service tests after the Paris accident as well as participation in ceremonial flights such as the opening of the Scottish Parliament and the Queens Golden Jubilee.

Honours and awards include the Royal Aeronautical Society's British Gold Medal, 2002 and the Guild of Air Pilots and Navigators Derry and Richards Memorial Medal, 2003. He was appointed MBE in January 2004.