Terry Kingsley was born in Nottingham in 1936. He joined the RAF in 1954 and had a long and varied service career. After a tour on 66(F) Sqn and a side trip to Maintenance Command Comm Sqn, he went to Ferry Command, where his Flight Commander was Ray Hanna. They delivered aircraft, well just about everywhere, including deliveries of 360 Hunters to the Indian Air Force. 

 

At CFS and two tours including being Flight Safety Officer and a Ground Instructor Terry managed to do more flying that the average squadron pilot; much to the surprise of his C.O. Eventually he won the posting of his choice to a Hunter Fighter Recce job and went to the refresher course at RAF Chivenor. While on the course he was contacted by his old Flight Commander and asked if he would like to join the Red Arrows, which he did during what are now recognised as their “vintage years”. 

 

Terry also took part in long distance air races and rallies in the late 60s and early 70s, including the London-Sydney Marathon, the London-Mexico Rally and the London-Victoria Air race. Terry’s final posting in the RAF was to 92 Squadron at RAF Gütersloh flying the Lightning as the squadron QFI. His final flight in the RAF was in the T4 “T” XM 995 on 20 September 1973 with his replacement in the right hand seat. That was me, the author, (Simon Morris).

 

After the RAF, Terry emigrated to Canada where he flew for various corporations including McCain Foods, Inco, Olympia & York and Bell Canada, while also starting and running several businesses. One of these involved acquiring obsolete fighter aircraft in Europe and Scandinavia and flying them to North America where he sold them to museums and private buyers.

 

Terry’s rallying career continued in vintage Volvos for Volvo UK in the 1990s and he wass the only driver to finish all five events, the London-Sydney in 1968 & 1973, the London-Mexico in 1970 & 1995 and the Panama-Alaska in 1997.

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In retirement, Terry lived in Mississauga nearToronto from where he continued to pursue his interests in flying and motoring. If he added up all the aircraft types and variants in his log book the total came to nearly 170.

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Terry passed away on 31 March 2021 after a long battle with cancer and left his wife Betty.

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For the mechanically-minded and anyone with a sense of adventure his autobiography “In The Red” ISBN 1 85821 754 7 is a must to read. It carries a forward by the late Ray Hanna.