Dan Griffith
Daniel Griffith joined the Royal Air Force at 18 and went to London University where he gained a degree in Aeronautical Engineering. He learned to fly on Bulldogs and Jet Provosts before gaining his pilot wings on the Hawk. Dan flew Harriers operationally, gaining over 1200 hours. In 1992 he went to the USAF Test Pilot course at Edwards Air Force Base in the United States, where he spent a year being taught to test all kinds of military and civil aircraft. After Edwards he was posted to the Flight Research site at Bedford and then to Boscombe Down, where his main project was the futuristic fly-by-wire VAAC Harrier developing the next generation of Short Take-off and Vertical Landing aircraft (Joint Strike Fighter).
In 1996 Dan left the military to join the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). As a civil Test Pilot, Dan was responsible for the Certification and Continued Airworthiness of many types of aircraft ranging from the Airbus A380 to the lighter aircraft, including many LAA types. He left the CAA in March 2007 and now works as an independent test pilot and businessman.
Dan has amassed over 6900+ hours flying (2870 test flying) on more than 445 different types/marks, including fighters, airliners, helicopters, gliders, airships, float planes and many LAA Types. Dan very much enjoys the unique nature of LAA aircraft and the challenge that this brings for safe flight testing. He sees his role as someone that any LAA members can contact for help and advice on flight-test matters.
January 2013
