Eric Winkle Brown's Lost Rare Interviews | The Greatest Test Pilot | Part 1

Eric Winkle Brown's lost rare interviews. TAPE 1
Probably the greatest test pilot that ever lived.
Eric "Winkle" Brown flew 487 Different Aircraft. Eric Brown is also the pilot who interrogated Hermann Göring in exchange for an aircraft.
Listen to his incredible life story.
PART 1: • Eric Winkle Brown's Lo...
PART 2: • Eric Winkle Brown's Lo...
PART 3: • From Piston Engines to...
PART 4: • WW2 Germany, Wonder We...
PART 5: • Favorite Aircraft And ...
Captain Eric Melrose "Winkle" Brown, CBE, DSC, AFC, Hon FRAeS, RN (21 January 1919 - 21 February 2016) was a British Royal Navy officer and test pilot who flew 487 types of aircraft, more than anyone else in history.
Brown holds the world record for the most aircraft carrier deck take-offs and landings performed (2,407 and 2,271 respectively) and achieved several "firsts" in naval aviation, including the first landings on an aircraft carrier of a twin-engined aircraft, an aircraft with a tricycle undercarriage, a jet aircraft, and a rotary-wing aircraft.
He flew almost every category of Royal Navy and Royal Air Force aircraft: glider, fighter, bomber, airliner, amphibian, flying boat, and helicopter. During World War II, he flew many types of captured German, Italian, and Japanese aircraft, including new jet and rocket aircraft. He was a pioneer of jet technology in the postwar era.
Brown was born in Leith, near Edinburgh, in the United Kingdom. His father was a former balloon observer and pilot in the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and Brown first flew when he was eight or ten when he was taken up in a Gloster Gauntlet by his father, the younger Brown sitting on his father's knee.
In 1936 Brown's father took him to see the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. Hermann Göring had recently announced the existence of the Luftwaffe, and Brown and his father met and were invited to join social gatherings by members of the newly disclosed organization. At one of these meetings, Ernst Udet, a former World War I fighter ace, was fascinated to make the acquaintance of Brown senior, a former RFC pilot, and offered to take his son Eric up flying with him. Eric eagerly accepted the German's offer and after his arrival at the appointed airfield at Halle, he was soon flying in a two-seat Bücker Jungmann. He recalled the incident nearly 80 years later on the BBC radio program Desert Island Discs
You talk about aerobatics - we did every one I think and I was hanging on to my tummy. So, when we landed, and he gave me the fright of my life because we approached upside-down and then he rolled out just in time to land, he said to me as I got out of the cockpit, slapped me between the shoulder-blades, and gave me the old WW1 fighter pilots' greeting, Hals- und Beinbruch, which means broken neck and broken legs but that was their greeting. But he said to me, you'll make a fine fighter pilot - do me two favors: learn to speak German fluently and learn to fly.
During the Olympic Games Brown witnessed Hitler shaking hands with Jesse Owens.
In 1937, Brown left the Royal High School and entered the University of Edinburgh, studying modern languages with an emphasis on German. While there he joined the university's air unit and received his first formal flying instruction. In February 1938 he returned to Germany under the sponsorship of the Foreign Office, having been invited to attend the 1938 Automobile Exhibition by Udet, by then a Luftwaffe major general. He saw the demonstration of the Focke-Wulf Fw 61 helicopter flown by Hanna Reitsch before a small crowd inside the Deutschlandhalle. During this visit, he met and got to know Reitsch, whom he had also briefly met in 1936.
On returning to the United Kingdom then at war, he joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve before subsequently joining the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve as a Fleet Air Arm pilot, where he was posted to 802 Naval Air Squadron, initially serving on the first escort carrier, HMS Audacity, converted and thus named in July 1941. He flew one of the carrier's Grumman Martlets. During his service on board Audacity, he shot down two Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor maritime patrol aircraft, using head-on attacks to exploit the blind spot in their defensive armament.
Audacity was torpedoed and sunk on 21 December 1941 by the German submarine U-751, commanded by Gerhard Bigalk. The first rescue ship left because of warnings of a nearby U-boat, and Brown was left in the sea overnight with a dwindling band of survivors until he was rescued the next day.He was one of two of the 24 to survive the hypothermia; the rest succumbed to the cold. Of the complement of 480, 407 survived,
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[@grantsmythe8625]

Love this guy. What a pilot, what an intellect, what a gentleman.

[@hertzair1186]

Yes, I have the same opinion

[@HH-vt8yk]

A modest brilliant man .

[@garywheeley5108]

How he was never given a knighthood i will never know total legend 👏👏👏👏

[@aleccrombie7923]

Because he was not a know nothing politician.

[@sirbarringtonwomblembe4098]

I am fortunate enough to once have seen his medals collection on display in the Aircraft Museum at East Fortune in Scotland. The most accomplished pilot in history; a true legend.

[@black8art]

One of the greatest Britons in my opinion! His spirit in the face of adversity, and the horrors of war, is deeply and profoundly inspiring! To become the 20th century's greatest pilot ANYWHERE, under these circumstances, and to FACE some of history's most "evil" characters, also makes him one of the most experienced studies of humanity! I could listen to his exploits all day!

[@nigelleyland166]

Well stated, could not have put it better no matter how I tried!

[@clive373]

Heres another fact to add to his many exploits. He once played with the Glen Miller band!

[@johnfranborra]

Brown was a national treasure for you Brits; I would love to have met the guy. I once met Chuck Yeager, but as both an American and a pilot, I sincerely doubt it could compare with a few minutes spent in the company of your inimitable Winkle Brown!

[@jeremywilson4326]

I'm glad someone recorded these interviews with Mr Brown . Thank you .

[@Billytomtom18]

I have watched this whole story of your Life. I THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE 🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿✈️ You are an Inspiration to anyone who hopes to be a Pilot. What impressed me most was Your Dedication to Details of all the Aircraft that you have Flown. Anyone who takes a shortcut in any Career will find that it will bite them in the bum. I am grateful to you for Sharing Your Life and Experience. You are a Credit to Humanity 👍

[@jonathancraig8247]

Sadly Captain Eric Brown died in 2016 so he will not be able to read your comments

[@Billytomtom18]

@@jonathancraig8247 that’s okay his Legacy will still remain.

[@wanderschlosser1857]

Amazing life story this man had. The amount of different planes he flew is unmatched, so are his records and first of's. And man, he has been flown by Udet himself as a youngster. And his humble character just tops it all up!

[@robertharper3754]

Thank you so much for posting this!!! This man is a such a LEGAND!!

[@samrodian919]

Err I think you meant " LEGEND" sir!

[@user-je1mr9nb3p]

Eric Brown was a born pilot who has became a legend I keep finding out more about his amazing life. He met the German ace Ernst Udet who gave him two bits of advice learn to fly and speak German. Which he did and became part of history.

[@robertliskey420]

I have to say a great big thank you, First to Mr. Brown, and then to this channel for posting this. I became very interested in WWII especially as a child ( I'm 69 now) when I found several medals in a drawer, I knew my Father was with Patton so I thought they were his, until I turned The Cross of Honor over and saw a different name engraved. He was my mothers first husband they had been married only a few months. My mother did not want to talk about it I later learned he gave his life on the ill fated Ploesti raid in a B-24. Since then these pilots have always commanded my deepest respect.

[@user-bo1gb5kp5c]

In this era of self promotion and "I'm so proud of myself", it is so refreshing to hear this legend talk with such genuine modesty. What a brave and amazing man. He probably doesn't want the fame but he should be a household name along the lines of Chuck Yeager et al. My dad was a Test Pilot in the RN as well, so I say thank you to these selfless brilliant gentleman.

[@salvagedb2470]

Anything with Winkle Brown you sit , watch an listen , excellent Vid on an Aviation legend ...

[@ianmunro1427]

What a remarkable man. What a remarkable career.

[@Aengus42]

Ooh! Nice one mate! 😎

[@eastwest1362]

Pity he was not Oxford or Cambridge or we would be reading the fascinating hisory of Sir Eric Brown.

[@aleccrombie7923]

Presumably didn't do enough for the country compared to the likes of Tony B lier.

[@soultraveller5027]

That's because British universities are breeding grounds of looney lefty communist literature, and a political view of anti British everything including people of this calibre ""heroes ""like this fellow 😂

[@Ben_Gunner]

What a treat! 🍻

[@jasonjackson1100]

Test pilots are absolutely a rare and different breed of human... maybe a little "crazy"...but absolute "balls" of steel...yes and that counts even the lady test pilots too!!

[@clive373]

So often the best in their field are incredibly modest, and a joy to listen to. A huge regret I have, is I dropped into Tangmere museum one day, because I was passing, and I discovered Eric Winkle Brown had given his last public talk there the day before. I think he is my ultimate pilot hero.

[@ibluap]

Well. the same welcoming atmosphere to drive youngsters to aviation is described by Franz Stigler in the Book "A Higher Call" on the pre-war years in Germany. But he adds, that was a policy to count on with enough potential pilots for the coming war. He also follow these steps and became a Lufthansa pilot just to be easily recruited and passed to Luftwaffe later when war set in.

[@benwilson6145]

The second MAC ship, the Empire MacKendrick was named after the Captain of HMS Audacity.

[@garnetgourlay3988]

From the land down under .There will always be an England .Lest We Forget.

[@samrodian919]

Let's get it correct, in Eric Brown's case it's "there will always be a Scotland" ( I'd normally say Jockland, but I hold Eric Winkle Brown in such high esteem,I'd never do that referring to him!)

[@garnetgourlay3988]

@@samrodian919 point taken ,as a matter of interest my heritage is Scottish, my people immigrated from Leith around the mid 19th century ,my favourite Scotsman is Admiral Lord Thomas Cochran the 10th Earl of Dundonald, Lest we forget.

[@brianstyrczula9466]

Been here, done this Thanks Ric!

[@johngriffin9720]

Why have you got him pictured in an RAF uniform? he was a ROYAL NAVY Captain

[@Dronescapes]

That is an official (colorized) photo. Evidently he was also with the RAF

[@Dronescapes]

From one of his interviews: ”…yes, I was called up to the RAF at Drem on the Firth of Forth, and I was there during what they called the ‘phoney war’ for quite a while…”

[@iangascoigne8231]

He started out in the RAF and transferred to the Fleet Air Arm.

[@31144]

Read his autobiography, Mr Brown was indeed an absolute legend, a truly amazing man, his stories are so matter of fact that you can tell he was a true professional, someone worthy of looking up to, fabulous ❤❤

[@Grandparlour]

What a great life of excitement for this hero! Remembering my time meeting another legend Alex Henshaw May i share this to my channel? Im knew to this, so i dont want to get in trouble. Great video!

[@geoffballe8766]

A beautiful man

[@alanadair4893]

How much would his mg be worth today any ideas🤔

[@vumba1331]

The front tyres looked pretty worn, typical of a student's car!

[@nerome619]

Brown's comments about the 262 do however show that he is a pilot first and foremost and not a strategist. The 262 never got rid of it's problems and was extremely maintenance heavy for the hours flown, used a lot of fuel when the Germans had a shortage, had a very poor spare-parts supply availability at a time when German logistics was failing, had engines with very very short life spans and required good pilots at a time when Germany could spare the few they had.

[@Dronescapes]

Brown never made a mistery of the Jumo’s flaws in his many interviews. You mention certain issues, but some very important one was the tragic lifespan, over engineering, the fact that they could not be overhauled, but had to be scrapped, and other notable flaws such as deadly flame outs. The best proof that lack of materials and parts were just some of the problems, is the Soviets. After testing the Jumo engines, and at least another German variant, they quickly discarded them as candidates for their MiG15s, opting to reverse engineer the British turbojet instead, after purchasing a few units from Rolls Royce. That engine worked, as we know, quite well for them in Korea, at least initially. The French also made a notable attempt at making something out of those German engines. They assembled 120 Nazi engineers, but it took them years, radical modifications, and a joint venture with an American company, to make a proper engine out of the Jumo. The Czech Air Force gave it a go, having assembled the Me 262 during the war, but also gave up. Everyone else had no use whatsoever for those flawed German engines, and do not forget that Britain had been working on both axial, and centrifugal turbojets since the late 20s. Beside ignoring Whittle, which was a gross mistake, Britain had no use in deploying an immature, unproven new technology, as they had bigger fish to fry. When Germany deployed the Me 262, at the end of 1944, it was more a useless act of desperation of a country on the verge of defeat. Even if they had resources, those jet engines would have been quite a disaster. They had 6 long years to develop them, with Heinkel, BMW, and Junkers all pouring resources into it, but it would have taken many more years to make them decent ones.

[@spanishpeaches2930]

Cheeky...He says he was born in Scotland, but he wasn't. He was from London and adopted as a baby. Not sure why he was ashamed of the fact. Plenty of children were adopted then.

[@jamesgunn5103]

Why is the guy in your picture wearingan RAF uniform ?

[@Dronescapes]

You mean in the cover? That is a colorized photo, and that is what is was wearing at the time

[@Dronescapes]

”…yes, I was called up to the RAF at Drem on the Firth of Forth, and I was there during what they called the ‘phoney war’ for quite a while…”

[@byronbailey9229]

A real Scottish warrior!

[@angelaparagliola122]

Ma che dice

[@craigmclaren5519]

Less than 3 mins in and adverts already? no youtube, just no!!

[@Dronescapes]

Perhaps you are not aware, but you have several options not to see any ad at all, including having KZbin Premium, which offers that benefit among others

[@paulzeigler7616]

What an amazing amazing man.....And a true gentleman and statesman.

[@powerkor]

beautiful voice