BADA was extremely sad to learn of the death on 15 September of Roger Beazley, at the age of 84.
Roger was among the most prolific, experienced and valued contributors to the British air display scene in different roles for many decades. He learned to fly on a Thruxton Jackaroo and instructed on gliders for the Air Cadets, before joining the RAF and flying the Lightning and Phantom operationally. For two years he was an RAF Phantom display pilot. Qualifying as an experimental test pilot in 1973, the majority of his service career thereafter focused on experimental, research and development flying. Roger’s final military appointments included a posting as the last head of experimental flying at RAE Farnborough and another as director of flying (research and development) within the Ministry of Defence. Among his very notable assignments as a test pilot were an evaluation of the then-new F-15 Eagle and, much later, a round-the-world flight in the RAE’s Comet 4, shortly before its retirement. When he left the RAF, Roger continued as a consultant and aerospace advisor to the MoD at Boscombe Down. He also carried on flying light aircraft for many years, ending up with approximately 7,000 flying hours in some 150 aircraft variants.
Notching up in excess of 25 years’ involvement in the flying supervision of air displays, Roger was display director at the Farnborough show for 12 of those, a position for which his test-flying experience at home and abroad, knowing many of those who would demonstrate aircraft at the SBAC show, rendered him ideal. He acted in advisory capacities both at the Dubai Airshow and Asian Aerospace in Singapore. He also supported many UK airshows including the Royal International Air Tattoo — at which he became chair of the flying control committee — together with IWM Duxford, East Fortune and many events overseen by TSA Consulting such as the Malta International Airshow and the Bournemouth Air Festival.
Roger was a fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and the Society of Experimental Test Pilots in the US, and an honorary member of the Flight Test Society of Australia. He was decorated with the Air Force Cross in 1978 and was appointed CBE during 1996. For BADA, Roger was a representative on the CHIRP (Confidential Human Factors Incident Reporting Programme) board as an air display expert. He cared deeply about flying display safety and brought great attention to detail to everything he contributed to the field, born of his immense experience, as well as much humour and kindness. All at BADA send our sincerest condolences to Roger’s family and friends.
