Signatures

Concorde – The Golden Years

by Stephen Brown

Artist Stephen Brown is a self-taught artist who has specialised almost exclusively in aviation subjects for the last 15 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 Concorde flight deck crew have all signed the Artist Proof and Remarqued copies of “Concorde – The Golden Years”

Please note Captain Tim Orchard has signed only the Artist Proof and Remarqued editions.

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.

Captain Richard Boas joined the Fleet Air Arm in 1959 as an anti-submarine helicopter pilot, and on completion of training was posted to 815 Squadron, the first to be equipped with the Wessex HAS1, on Ark Royal. Subsequently served as an instructor at the Operational Flying Training School at Portland.

On leaving the Service in 1964, joined BEA and flew as a co-pilot on the Heron, Viscount and BAC1-11 before gaining command back on the Viscount. Converted to the Trident and then, in 1985, was selected for Concorde as one of the first short haul pilots to be allowed to apply after the merger of BEA and BOAC to form British Airways. Appointment as a Training Captain followed soon afterwards, and retired from the Concorde fleet in 1996.

Captain Vivian Gunton started flying in 1958 with an RAF Flying Scholarship - on a Tiger Moth - at a grass aerodrome called Fairoaks. On leaving school he took one of the 42 places offered at the College of Air Training, Hamble, when it opened in 1960.

After graduating from the College in 1962, Viv joined British European Airways and spent 8 years flying around Europe and the UK, first on the Vanguard then flying Tridents which were at that time the fastest civil passenger aeroplanes in the world. Promoted Captain in 1970, he spent 7 years flying in Scotland, which included three years flying the Scottish Air Ambulance Service and landing on the beach at Barra in the Outer Hebrides.

He returned to London to fly the Trident again, and with the demise of the Trident in late 1985, Viv needed to find something faster to fly and so became a Concorde Captain. He flew Concorde for 11 years until he retired in September 1996. He subsequently spent two years, part time, flying a King-Air for Cega Air Ambulance.
Viv lives with his wife in Odiham. When not gardening or flying aerobatics in a Chipmunk, they may be found narrow boating at a mind-bending 4 m.p.h.

Peter T Sinclair (Co-Pilot) joined British Caledonian in 1980 and after the airlines merged became a British Airways Concorde pilot in 1991. This was the highlight to a varied aviation career, which had included Game Park flying in East Africa, worldwide freighting and operating wide-bodied passenger aircraft. During his 6 1/2 years flying Concorde accumulated 2600 hours and over 600 Supersonic Transatlantic flights to New York, Washington and Barbados. He was also involved in The Concorde Fleet's Supersonic flights over the North Sea, Bay of Biscay and Mediterranean Sea, from many destinations, and a Tour of East and South Africa. On the day the Chatham Flag colour scheme was launched for Concorde operated on the air-to-air photographic publicity flight. Other responsibilities carried out on the Fleet included presentations on the aircraft and PR duties with the passengers. Left the Fleet to take a command on the B747, then finally the B777 before retirement. Since leaving British Airways has taken up a position flying the B747 once again, as well as continuing to operate his Auster light aircraft purely for pleasure.

Captain Tim Orchard began his flying career in 1971. He has flown over 50 types of aircraft and is currently licenced to fly Aeroplanes, Helicopters, Hot Air Balloons and Hot Air Airships.

Tim is an air-test pilot, a Display Pilot, a Flight Instructor and a Senior Examiner (of Pilots and Flight Instructors) for the Civil Aviation Authority.

He jointly holds the Concorde World Record time for the journey from New York to London: 2hrs 52 minutes (7th February 1996).

Tim has flown in formation with the Concorde on several occasions; the Heathrow 50th Anniversary with Red Arrows and several air-to-air photography sorties.

In his career with British Airways Tim has flown the Hawker-Sidley Trident, the Concorde and the Boeing 777 as well as spending nine years as personal pilot to the BA Board in an executive aircraft.

Tim is Managing Director of a BA subsidiary which runs its own airfield. He owns a hot air balloon and a 1950s DeHavilland Chipmunk aircraft.