Fifty Years of Flying Fun: From the Hunter to the Spitfire and back again Dean, Rod

Rod Dean joined the RAF in 1962 at eighteen years old, and spent his career flying on operational squadrons and training units. He principally flew the Hunter and Jaguar in tours of the Middle East and Germany but also spent time flying the Jet Provost, Meteor, Gnat and Chipmunk. He retired from the RAF in 1984 as a squadron leader, qualified flying instructor and qualified weapons instructor.

After leaving the RAF, Rod turned to display flying but also spent ten years as the business manager for a flight simulator training company followed by fifteen years with the Civil Aviation Authority. He has flown a wide variety of aircraft including World War II and post—war piston—fighters such as the Spitfire and Mustang, and a number of vintage jet aircraft including Meteors, Vampires and not surprisingly, the Hunter. Rod has been privileged to lead a number of formations especially at Duxford in September 2000 when he led the 'Big Wing' formation of nineteen Spitfires and Hurricanes. He also won the King Hussain Memorial Sword in 2001 for best overall flying demonstration with his team of five Hunters at RAF Cottesmore's Royal International Air Tattoo.

Rod is a CAA display authorisation evaluator and has recently been appointed as the flying display director for the annual Shoreham Airshow. Rod and his wife have three children and live in Surrey.