Captain Eric Melrose “Winkle” Brown was a British Royal Navy officer and test pilot. He flew 487 types of aircraft, more than anyone else in history.
He still holds the world record for most aircraft carrier deck take-offs and landings performed with 2,407 and 2,271 respectively. He achieved a couple of firsts in naval aviation, including the first landing on an aircraft carrier of a twin-engined aircraft.
He flew every category of Royal Navy and Royal Air Force aircraft, including glider, fighter, bomber, airliner, and everything else. And during World War II, he flew many types of captured German, Italian, and Japanese aircraft.
Simply put, Eric Brown was a pioneer of jet technology into the postwar era. Following the end of the war, he commanded the Enemy Aircraft Flight, an elite group of pilots who test-flew captured German and Italian aircraft.
This documentary takes a look at his achievements and some of his crazy stories.
