That makes the decision seem even stranger. If there really wasn't a qualified Lightning test pilot available, I wonder whether the pressure to get the aircraft moved quickly was the main reason they took the risk. It would be interesting to know what the expected downside of waiting 24–36 hours actually was.
Holden's Lightning Flight
31–40 of 57 posts
Re: Holden's Lightning Flight
#32Earlier quoted context omitted.
I have no specific context here, but in case it's not obvious, I think you have to read the exchange in the context of British, and I guess RAF, indirectness and understatement. I'm guessing the air marshal means "what the hell were you thinking"; Holden is agreeing, indicating that he has learned his lesson and acknowledges the error; and the air marshal is then graciously moving on.
My read is that the Air Marshal was confirming a gap in the orders, which were amended after this flight. Less of a "what the hell were you thinking" and more of a "what the hell were we thinking allowing this in the first place?"
That's typical RAF. Same kind of thinking as the exploding marshmallow incident in a nuclear bomber (https://www.atlasobscura.com/foods/exploding-teacakes).
Re: Holden's Lightning Flight
#33The de Havilland Comet (involved in this event) also has a famously dark history as the first passenger jet. This status was short-lived when square windows popped out of their frames at high altitude when the cabin was pressurized. The line had a much longer service life hauling freight. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Comet
That's enough of an oversimplification as to not really be true. They developed an issue with explosive decompressions, because at the time we didn't fully understand how cyclic stress caused metal fatigue. It is true that they had square-er windows than modern planes, but they knew that and added reinforcement. The stress concentrations inducing fatigue cracks were around square cutouts for an antenna, not the passe…
Also: every modern airliner has windows with corners in the cockpit.
Re: Holden's Lightning Flight
#34I would say it's worth reading Holden's account of it directly, which starts on page 3 of this PDF: https://web.archive.org/web/20210319185656if_/http://www.nzr...
Here's a 2013 blog post from Holden's grandson with a copy of the same story as well as a video and some photos of a visit Holden took with his family to the Duxford Air Museum to see the Lightning (surprising a tour group):
https://web.archive.org/web/20141025130512/http://www.danros...
Same video on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Q-5ASHzFsI
Copy of the blog post (sans photos and video) here:
https://www.oldhaltonians.co.uk/post/wing-commander-taffy-ho...
With this single comment at the end left by garyl on Aug 23, 2026: "My father was there, your grandfather was my dad's boss. He was reminding me of the story this morning (he is now 97). He described himself as the new tea boy. Dad was deafened in the right ear as a result of the incident"
Holden passed away in Dec 2016 at 90 years of age:
Re: Holden's Lightning Flight
#35That makes the decision seem even stranger. If there really wasn't a qualified Lightning test pilot available, I wonder whether the pressure to get the aircraft moved quickly was the main reason they took the risk. It would be interesting to know what the expected downside of waiting 24–36 hours actually was.
I don't know that it was that deep, to be honest.
"Here, you're the electrics guy, go and see if you can reproduce the fault you get when you run that thing up to taxi"
Re: Holden's Lightning Flight
#36> According to Holden, in a review before Air Marshal Kenneth Porter, he was asked whether he agreed that "With the limited flying experience I had, the test would have been better left to an experienced and current Lightning test pilot", which he answered in the affirmative, following which Porter related some of his own unfortunate flying incidents. I feel like there’s something between these lines that I don’t und…
I have no specific context here, but in case it's not obvious, I think you have to read the exchange in the context of British, and I guess RAF, indirectness and understatement. I'm guessing the air marshal means "what the hell were you thinking"; Holden is agreeing, indicating that he has learned his lesson and acknowledges the error; and the air marshal is then graciously moving on.
You can't actually write down "No-one did anything really wrong but let's not do that again, okay?" but you can write down something that says that.
Re: Holden's Lightning Flight
#37Earlier quoted context omitted.
I have no specific context here, but in case it's not obvious, I think you have to read the exchange in the context of British, and I guess RAF, indirectness and understatement. I'm guessing the air marshal means "what the hell were you thinking"; Holden is agreeing, indicating that he has learned his lesson and acknowledges the error; and the air marshal is then graciously moving on.
My read is that the Air Marshal was confirming a gap in the orders, which were amended after this flight. Less of a "what the hell were you thinking" and more of a "what the hell were we thinking allowing this in the first place?"
A five-minute "toolbox talk" with an experienced Lightning pilot would probably have been sufficient to warn him of the afterburner detent, and "Let's maybe not do that, eh?"
Re: Holden's Lightning Flight
#38Small thing: there is a difference between a "test pilot" and a "maintenance test pilot" or MTP. A test pilot is an elite aviator who participates in the development of new aircraft and systems. An MTP is a pilot trained in prodeedures for verifying functionality of systems after repairs and maintenance. Test pilots are very rare whereas literally every squadron or base should have multiple MTPs availible for each type of aircraft.
Re: Holden's Lightning Flight
#39> Holden ran down the runway, narrowly missing a crossing fuel bowser TIL Bowser is an actual word, huh.
Common word in Australia.
For fuel and other liquids? Its used in Sri Lanka but specifically for water.
Sri Lankan's and Australians also both confuse monitor lizards with iguanas, although Australians have at least created a new word as a result.
Re: Holden's Lightning Flight
#40Earlier quoted context omitted.
Common word in Australia.
For fuel and other liquids? Its used in Sri Lanka but specifically for water. Sri Lankan's and Australians also both confuse monitor lizards with iguanas, although Australians have at least created a new word as a result.
Yes, exactly that. Most popular for used in a petrol station situation.
What new Australian word are your referring to?