An Engineer Once Took Off In A Jet By Mistake But Had No Experience Flying It

Holden, a mechanical engineer by trade, joined the cadets in 1943 to attend university and earn a degree in mechanical engineering. During training, he flew a biplane and subsequently a propeller aircraft called the DHC-1 Chipmunk, gaining scant expertise in tiny, single-engine aircraft. While Holden earned his pilot wings, he continued to study engineering and rose to head of the Royal Air Force's (RAF) No. 33 Maintenance Unit at RAF Lyneham by 1966. As a result, his sole expertise was in small, sluggish, and unsophisticated aircraft, none of which equipped him to fly one of the generation's fastest jet fighters.

The English Electric Lightning F.1, Holden's unit's finest jet fighter, was kept in service. The Lightning was a remarkable engineering achievement that was propelled by two enormous engines and designed to traverse straight lines at speeds of up to Mach 2 (2,470 km/h, 1,535 mph). It was the first aircraft to be able to supercruise, which meant it didn't even require these afterburners to maintain supersonic flights. It also had afterburning engines, which are what you see coming from the back of supersonic jets. In short, this jet was extremely, extremely rapid.

Taffy was working on the jet that fateful day, attempting to reproduce an electrical issue that arose when the aircraft accelerated. He entered the cockpit to slightly depress the throttle, but in doing so, he inadvertently triggered the afterburners, which resulted in a rush of power that sent the plane flying down the runway.

No issue, correct? Just turn the engines off. However, Taffy wasn't taught how to open the locking gates that were installed on the throttle of this particular aircraft after the afterburners were activated. He had been informed about the repair, which was fortunate, but he was traveling too quickly and had to avoid another jet in front of him. He had to make a quick choice, and he decided to take off.

Taffy raced down the runway and just missed the other aircraft before taking off without a helmet, communications with a pilot who really understood how to fly the thing, or the ability to move the landing gear. He attempted to eject but was unable since the ejection seat was in service mode.

He was able to maneuver the plane around and disable the engines before attempting to land it on a different airstrip. Taffy abandoned both the first and second attempts because he knew they would fail.

Finally, he was able to come in at the proper angle and slow down enough to touch down, where he then executed a technique known as the "taildragger," in which he smashed the aircraft's tail down onto the runway; he had learned this from single-seat aircraft, albeit it is not ideal for the Lightning. Taffy climbed out and allegedly exclaimed "terribly sorry Sir" - maybe the most British reply conceivable.

The plane was restored and returned to duty, and it now resides in its entirety at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford. Taffy remained in the RAF until his retirement many years later when it was determined that he had behaved in both the aircraft's and himself's best interests. He passed away in 2016 at the age of 90, leaving behind the ludicrous but adored tale of the engineer who unintentionally piloted a plane.