The amazing Captain Eric 'Winkle' Brown

I've been listening to old BBC Desert Island Discs recently. Heard this one featuring Captain Eric 'Winkle' Brown on the way to work this* morning (recorded when he was 95).

Kirsty Young's guest is former Royal Navy test pilot Captain Eric 'Winkle' Brown - the programme's 3000th edition.

The Fleet Air Arm's most decorated pilot, his life reads like a handbook in beating the odds.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04nvgq1

Licensing means they cut most the music from the Podcast (leaving 10 second clips) but it was great to hear him recount some of the exploits which determined his choice of music.

Captain Eric “Winkle” Brown flew 487 different types of aircraft, made 2,407 (aircraft carrier) deck landings at sea and 2,721 take-offs, world records unlikely ever to be broken

Then listened to this “The Airside TV Podcast” episode on the way home, mentioning he’d died and a few more of his incredible achievements. What are the odds!

An amazing man, amazing life.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4sPtGxCbcM&w=560&h=315]

* Feb 26th 2016