AIRFIELDS ARE FOR SISSIES!
When Scottish Aviation sent its new Twin Pioneer on demonstration tours, it really put the aircraft through its paces
By David Dorman
During the first weekend of January 1957, there was frenetic activity at Scottish Aviation (SAL)’s Prestwick airfield as the workforce demonstrated their ability to recover from Hogmanay by preparing three Twin Pioneers for simultaneous demonstration tours. Such tours have long been part of the promotional armoury of manufacturers, introducing their aircraft to customers in a bid for sales. To undertake three at once was a bold statement of intent by the SAL management, who believed they were on to a potential winner with the aircraft.
Furthermore, all three were sent as far away from each other as is possible to imagine, compounding the logistical challenges that faced Noel Capper, SAL’s chief test pilot, who was tasked with planning this exodus. One aircraft was sent to the Far East and Australia, another despatched to North and South America, and the third was demonstrated in Europe.
