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Ray Hanna
Summary
Raynham George Hanna, (28 August 1928 – 1 December 2005) was a New Zealand-born fighter pilot who emigrated to England to join the Royal Air Force (RAF). During his RAF career he was a founding member of the Red Arrows aerobatics display team. He also founded The Old Flying Machine Company, which commercially flies Second World War vintage fighter aircraft at air displays around the world, and for television and cinematic productions. He was a Spitfire display pilot in the latter half of the 20th century, noted for his daring aerobatic stunt flying.
Hanna was born at Takapuna, New Zealand, on 28 August 1928. He received his early formal education at Auckland Grammar School. As a teenager he joined the Air Training Corps in Auckland and learned to fly, receiving his first flying lessons on the Tiger Moth. Opportunities in the Royal New Zealand Air Force were limited, so he looked to the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the United Kingdom for a flying career. In 1949, at the age of 21, he worked his passage on a merchant ship to England, where he applied to join the RAF.
During his initial training with the RAF, Hanna flew planes such as the Percival Prentice, North American Harvard and Gloster Meteor. He went on to fly the Hawker Tempest, Hawker Sea Fury and Bristol Beaufighter.
On 2 May 1951, Cadet Pilot Hanna was awarded a service commission (eight years active duty, and four in reserve) with the rank of pilot officer to date back to 9 May 1949. His first operational posting was to No. 79 Squadron flying the Meteor FR.9 as part of the NATO Second Allied Tactical Air Force. Hanna flew a number of early British jet aircraft in this period, including the de Havilland Vampire, de Havilland Venom, Supermarine Attacker, Hawker Sea Hawk, Supermarine Swift and Gloster Javelin. On 8 February 1955, he was awarded a direct commission (twelve years active and four in reserve) with the rank of flying officer, and was promoted to flight lieutenant on 10 November.
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