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Willy Hackett BSc MBE (real name Peter – he picked up his nick name during his RAF fighter pilot training days ), has just moved back to the UK after spending two years at a USAF base in Texas, USA to take up his new role as test pilot on the revolutionary Joint Strike Fighter JSF, the F 35 Lightning II.
Willy took up his exciting new post after spending almost four years flying the Eurofighter Typhoon as a test pilot from FJTS at MOD Boscombe Down. He flew Tornado F3s in the Gulf war and Bosnian conflict, and was the RAF's F3 display pilot in 1997 and 1998. Willy also spent three years flying the Harrier Jump Jet at RNAS Yeovilton before being selected to go to the Empire Test Pilot School ( ETPS) at MOD Boscombe Down.
Willy met his wife Debb in December 1998 and married her in 2004 – the team performed a special display at their wedding. They became parents for the first time after having a beautiful baby girl named Grace Jennifer Hackett. She was born in Texas at 21.47 hrs on November 24 in 2006 and weighed in at a healthy 7lbs 9oz. Since then, her little sister Olivia has joined the family, and is now very busy with keeping her parents very busy. Willy and Debb are keen SCUBA divers and are both avid glider pilots.
Willy has been flying in the Gnat Display Team since 2005 and is also one of the teams instructors. When not flying with the team, he flies with the Shuttleworth collection at Old Warden airfield
Best Aviation Moment:
All Display flying. Other interesting facts:
In 1999, Willy was awarded a well-deserved MBE for his services to aviation. |
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