Edward Tennant

Squadron Leader Edward Alan Tennant DFC (25 February 1922 – September 1981) was a Royal Air Force (RAF) fighter pilot who later became chief test pilot of Folland Aircraft. Career Royal Air Force Tennant joined the RAFVR in 1940, qualifying as a Sergeant pilot in 1941. He served with 256 Squadron and 153 Squadron, first flying Defiants, then Hurricanes. He was promoted to Flight Sergeant in December 1942 and to Flying Officer in June 1943. Later in the war he was posted to 257 Squadron and 263 Squadron flying Typhoons. While he was with 263 Squadron he was promoted to Flight Lieutenant (war substantive) in December 1944 and awarded the DFC (in September 1945). By the end of the war he had flown 250 operational sorties, with 450 hours on ground-attack operations. After the war he remained in the RAF. He was posted to No. 84 Group Communications Squadron in Germany, and was at the Air Ministry from 1946 to 1948. He was promoted to Flying Officer (extended service) in December 1946 and Flight Lieutenant (permanent) in August 1948 In 1949 he graduated from the No 8 course at the Empire Test Pilots' School (ETPS) and was posted to A&AEE Boscombe Down, B squadron He retired from the RAF in June 1953 (retaining the rank of Squadron Leader) and joined Folland Aircraft as Chief Test Pilot.