Tony overlooking one of the aircraft he flew and inset, during his career

Former pilot Tony looks over his old plane to mark his 90th birthday

Paul JonesJune 19, 20260 Comment0

A FORMER Royal Air Force pilot from Gillingham celebrated his 90th birthday – with an emotional reunion with the aircraft he flew.

Tony Davies qualified to fly the de Havilland Vampire in 1961, and to celebrate his landmark big day, visited Vanguard Storage’s Bath branch as a birthday surprise from his family.

There, he was able to see the iconic jet aircraft again and reminisce about his years in the RAF.

The visit marked the milestone occasion with a memorable experience linked to his lifelong passion for aviation and to make the day even more special, the Vanguard team presented him with a Red Arrows birthday card and a small Vulcan bomber lapel pin in recognition of the aircraft he later flew.

Tony, along with his daughter, Sarah spent time viewing the aircraft and sharing stories from his distinguished flying career.

His RAF journey began with National Service, originally intended to last just two years, but his enjoyment of flying led to a career lasting 28 years.

He completed his training on Piston Provosts and Vampires, having had previous experience on Chipmunks in University Air Squadrons.

After retirement as an officer, he joined the RAF Voluntary Reserve and continued to fly with Air Experience Flights, flying Air Cadets for a further 14 years.

Tony during his time as an RAF pilot

During his career, Tony flew a number of iconic RAF aircraft, including the de Havilland Vampire, Jet Provost, Victor and Vulcan bombers.

He also flew with The Red Pelicans aerobatic display team in 1969, one of the RAF’s notable Jet Provost display teams before the formation of the Red Arrows.

For Tony, seeing the Vampire again after more than 60 years was a particularly special moment.

“I felt wonderful and very privileged to be able to see a real Vampire again,” he said. “It brought back so many memories from the early days of my flying career.

“One of my favourite memories of flying Vampires was my boss, who we used to call PLR – Plucky Little Roy.”

Tony with a de Havilland Vampire, one of the planes he flew while serving in the RAF

Sarah said: “We wanted to do something special for dad’s 90th birthday, and when I discovered there was a Vampire aircraft on display, we knew it would be the perfect surprise.

“Aviation has always been a huge part of his life, so seeing him reunited with an aircraft he flew more than 60 years ago has been incredibly special.”

Anil Kellay, branch manager at Vanguard Storage Bath, said: “It was an honour to welcome Tony to see the Vampire as part of his 90th birthday celebrations.

“Hearing his stories and learning about his RAF career brought the aircraft’s history to life. We are delighted we could play a small part in making this milestone birthday one to remember.”