A . E . Clouston Arthur Edmond Clouston CB DSO DFC AFC ( 7 April 1908 - 1 January 1984 ) was a British test pilot , who also took part in 1930s air races and record - breaking flights , and in the 1950s rose to the rank of Air Commodore in the Royal Air Force . Early life . Arthur Clouston was born on 7 April 1908 at Motueka , New Zealand , the eldest of nine children of mining engineer Robert Edmond Clouston ( 1874 – 1961 ) and his wife Ruby Alexander Scott ( 1886 – 1943 ) . As a teenager , Arthur developed engineering and practical country skills , and established a business repairing and re - selling motor cars . His ambition was to be a master mariner , that was abandoned due to incurable seasickness . He was inspired by the expansion of aviation , and particularly the pioneering flights in Australia and New Zealand by aviators such as Charles Kingsford - Smith and C . W . A . Scott in the late 1920s . He learned to fly at the Marlborough Aero Club at Omaka Aerodrome , near Blenheim . In 1930 , after failing his attempt to join the Royal New Zealand Air Force , he moved to the United Kingdom . 1930 – 1935 RAF service . In 1930 , after arriving in England , Clouston found that there was a waiting list to join the RAF , so he then joined Fairey Aviation Company as a working student . Applications to the RAF were repeatedly halted , until it was found that his blood pressure was lower during flying than while awaiting medical examinations on the ground . In October 1930 , he joined No . 3 FTS at RAF Spitalgate , where he went solo after about two hours flying . In April 1931 , he was posted as Pilot Officer to No . 25 Squadron at RAF Hawkinge , flying Hawker Fury I fighter biplanes . In April 1932 , he was promoted to Flying Officer . He was one of the team that performed formation aerobatics , including loops , with nine Furies at the April 1934 RAF display at RAF Hendon . In August 1934 , he was posted to No . 24 Squadron at Hendon . In October 1935 , he declined to renew his short service commission , and left the RAF , although remaining as a Reserve Air Force Officer ( RAFO ) pilot with the RAFVR . 1935 – 1939 civilian flight testing . In October 1935 , Clouston accepted the offered post of Civilian Test Pilot at RAE Farnborough . Soon after he had started flying a Cierva C . 30 autogiro at Farnborough , he was invited by Raoul Hafner to carry out test flying of the Hafner AR . III in his off - duty time , and Clouston later flew demonstrations of that gyroplane at many aviation events . He conducted official flight test aerodynamics work on aircraft including Parnall Parasol and Miles Falcon ; ice formation research on Airspeed Courier , Handley Page Heyford and Northrop Gamma ; and anti - intruder wire strike tests with Miles Hawk and Fairey P . 4 / 34 . In January 1938 , he was awarded the AFC . In October 1938 , Air Vice Marshall Tedder asked him to conduct test flying of the prototype of the Westland Whirlwind , in place of Westland test pilots . Clouston piloted its first flight from Yeovil Aerodrome to Boscombe Down . 1935 – 1939 races and record - breaking . While employed at RAE , Clouston developed a spare time interest in civil aviation , air racing and record - breaking . On 13 April 1936 , he displayed his Aeronca C - 3 ( G - ADYP ) at the Pou - du - Ciel ( Flying Flea ) rally at Ashingdon . He test flew several Flying Fleas from Heston Aerodrome and from Gravesend Aerodrome . On 30 May 1936 , he flew his Aeronca C - 3 from Hanworth Aerodrome in the London to Isle of Man Race , but missed the final turning point in fog . On 14 June 1936 , he flew the Aeronca in the South Coast Race at Shoreham , and came first , but was then disqualified on a technicality . On 11 July 1936 , he flew a Miles Falcon ( G - AEFB ) in the King ' s Cup Race at Hatfield . On 3 August 1936 , he borrowed a Flying Flea ( G - ADPY ) , and raced it in the First International Flying Flea Challenge Trophy Race at Ramsgate Airport , but retired when an oil pipe fractured . On 29 September 1936 , he took off from Portsmouth Airport in his Miles Hawk Speed Six ( G - ADOD ) , at the start of the Schlesinger Race to Johannesburg . He was one of nine starters , but force landed 200 miles short of the race destination , and was the last of eight entries that failed to reach Johannesburg . On 29 May 1937 , he flew a Miles Hawk Major ( G - ADGE ) from Hanworth in the London to Isle of Man Race . In June 1937 , he learned that the DH . 88 Comet ( G - ACSS ) , that won the 1934 MacRobertson Race , was for sale by a scrap dealer , after it had been damaged in Air Ministry testing . He persuaded architect Fred Tasker to purchase the Comet , and then arranged for it to be repaired with upgraded engines and propellers , by Jack Cross of Essex Aero at Gravesend Aerodrome . He entered the Comet for the planned 1937 New York to Paris air race , but the US Department of Commerce refused all necessary permissions for the race . The French government reorganised the race to run from Istres Airfield near Marseille , via Damascus , to Paris . The only inscriptions on the Comet were the registration and race number " G - 16 " , but it was also nicknamed " The Orphan " to reflect the lack of sponsors . On 20 August 1937 , accompanied by Flt Lt George Nelson as co - pilot of the Comet , Clouston took off from Istres as one of 13 entrants , of which all the others were more powerful , and all heavily sponsored by European governments . He arrived at Le Bourget in fourth position , a few minutes behind the Savoia - Marchetti S . 73 of Bruno Mussolini . In 1937 , Clouston became interested in breaking the record for a flight from England to Cape Town and return . Mrs Betty Kirby - Green was a beginner pilot keen to break records , and she agreed to help raise money for an attempt on the Cape record . DH . 88 Comet G - ACSS was hired from Fred Tasker , then sponsored by Burberry , and named " The Burberry " . On 14 November 1937 , Clouston and Betty took off from Croydon Aerodrome , and on 16 November reached Cape Town , via Almaza ( Cairo ) , Khartoum , Broken Hill and Johannesburg . On 20 November , they arrived back at Croydon in dense fog , having broken several records and covered about 14 , 690 miles in less than six days . As a result , Clouston was awarded the Britannia Trophy and the Segrave Trophy , and Betty was awarded the Segrave Medal . On 4 December 1937 , Clouston married Elsie Turner , the daughter of engineer Samuel Turner of Farnborough ; they subsequently had two daughters . In December 1937 , Daily Express air correspondent Victor Ricketts proposed to Clouston that they should attempt to break the England to Australia flight record . Ricketts arranged for sponsorship from the Australian Consolidated Press , and once again the DH . 88 Comet G - ACSS was hired . It was overhauled and equipped with a small typewriter to compile press reports in flight for dispatch at refuelling stops . It was named " Australian Anniversary " , representing the 150th anniversary of Australia . On 6 February 1938 , Clouston and Ricketts took off from Gravesend Aerodrome . The first scheduled stop was to be Aleppo , but bad storms forced Clouston to land at a flooded airfield at Adana in Turkey . His permits were dismissed by Turkish officials , but next day he refuelled with unofficial help , and took off from a roadway , although damaging the undercarriage . He flew to an unmarked airfield on Cyprus , having abandoned the record attempt . Engineer Jack Cross , plus the financier and some equipment , was flown to Cyprus by Alex Henshaw in his Vega Gull . After repairs to the Comet , Clouston flew it back to Gravesend , accompanied by Jack Cross . On 15 March 1938 , Clouston once again departed from Gravesend with Victor Ricketts in DH . 88 Comet G - ACSS . He flew via Cairo , Basra , Allahabad , Penang and Singapore to Darwin , but without beating the 1934 record set by C . W . A . Scott and Tom Campbell Black in the same aircraft . He flew on to Sydney via Charleville , without being aware of the London to Sydney record , until massive crowds welcomed him there as a record - breaker . The next day , 20 March 1938 , he flew across the Tasman Sea to Blenheim Municipal Aerodrome ( Omaka ) in New Zealand , setting more records . He then flew back to Australia , and continued on a return flight to Croydon , arriving in fog on 26 March 1938 . He had established eleven records at the end of a round trip of about 26 , 000 miles . On 2 July 1938 , he flew BA Eagle 2 ( G - AFIC ) in the King ' s Cup Race at Hatfield Aerodrome , but was placed outside the top three . Second World War . On 1 October 1939 , Clouston rejoined the RAF , and served as a test pilot with the rank of Flight Lieutenant and acting Squadron Leader , in the Aerodynamics Flight at Farnborough . His activities included test flying of radio - controlled Airspeed Queen Wasp target drones . In June 1941 , he was promoted to Squadron Leader . Although the unit operated some high speed fighters , it was forbidden to arm their weapons , but Clouston chased intruding German aircraft without damaging them . Increasing incursions led to orders to arm the fighters , and Clouston then claimed a shoot - down of a Heinkel 111 and a Messerschmitt Bf 110 during the same flight in a Spitfire . He carried out many flight tests using both tethered and untethered flares launched from a Handley Page Hampden flying behind a Whitley bomber , in experiments to illuminate target aircraft at night . He also flew tests with a Douglas Havoc , dispensing flash flares . In April 1941 , he was attached to No . 219 Squadron , operating Beaufighter s from RAF Redhill , to experience night fighter tactics . His reports to the Air Ministry led to improvements to cannons on Beaufighters , and better training for radar operators . On 12 May 1941 , he was posted as CO of No . 1422 Flight RAF of the RAE based at RAF Heston . There he carried out testing of the Turbinlite concept of an aerial searchlight mounted on a Havoc night fighter , in collaboration with Group Captain William Helmore and with aeronautical engineer L . E . Baynes , nicknamed " The Baron " , for whom he had great admiration . The next experiments involved dropping coils of wire suspended from parachutes , intended to interfere with the operation of intruding aircraft . Clouston conducted another trial instigated by Helmore , involving radio control of a full size motor launch boat from a high flying aircraft , using a Douglas DB - 7 Havoc . He was also involved in testing the Leigh Light , an aerial searchlight designed to illuminate submarines and surface vessels , and trialled on a Vickers Wellington . In March 1943 , Clouston was promoted to Wing Commander , and posted to command No . 224 Squadron firstly at RAF Beaulieu , then in April 1943 at RAF St Eval . The squadron was mainly involved in anti - submarine operations in the Bay of Biscay , operating B - 24 Liberator s with airborne radar and depth charges , later supplemented with Leigh lights . The Liberators were often attacked by formations of Bf 110s and Junkers Ju 88 s , and in October 1943 Clouston was awarded the DFC for his actions , followed in April 1944 by the DSO . In February 1944 , he was promoted to Group Captain , and posted as CO of RAF Langham , that was still under construction . Operations there started with No . 455 Squadron and No . 489 Squadron , both flying Beaufighters on anti - shipping missions in the North Sea area . In October 1944 , the Beaufighter squadrons were replaced by No . 521 Squadron with Lockheed Hudson s and No . 524 Squadron with Wellingtons . Postwar . In May 1945 , Clouston was posted as CO of German airstrip B151 , that was being developed into the headquarters of BAFO ( British Air Forces of Occupation ) , and named RAF Bückeburg . In April 1946 , he was appointed to a permanent commission with his existing rank of Squadron Leader . However , he was then offered the job of Director General of Civil Aviation of New Zealand . Instead of being released by the RAF , he was promoted to Group Captain , and given a two - year posting as CO of RNZAF Base Ohakea , the main RNZAF strike base , operating de Havilland Mosquito s . In February 1950 , he was posted as CO at RAF Leeming , then in July 1953 as commandant of ETPS ( Empire Test Pilot School ) at Farnborough . In October 1953 , he was posted as SASO ( Senior Air Staff Officer ) at No . 19 Group , RAF Coastal Command . In July 1954 , he was promoted to acting Air Commodore , then posted as AOC ( Air Officer Commanding ) Singapore . In 1957 , he was awarded the CB , and was given his final posting as commandant of A & AEE at Boscombe Down . On 7 April 1960 , Arthur Clouston retired to Cornwall , and died on 1 January 1984 .