by Andy Palmer
NEWS
Tiger in the Sky If you’re fortunate enough to see a yellow Tiger Month bi-plane 2,000 feet above you in the Blackmore Vale performing deathdefying stunts then you are probably watching local hero David Morgan DSC testing his flying skills to the limit.
The familiar and much-complained-about ‘orange railings’ lining the A357 approaching bridge in Sturminster Newton. Image: Courtenay Hitchcock
And his life is as colourful as his plane. Shaftesbury resident David was the most successful RAF pilot during the Falklands conflict, destroying four Argentine aircraft, including two Skyhawks which were attacking British landing craft. The son of a Fleet Air Arm Seafire (the Royal Navy’s Spitfire) pilot, David trained with the RN as a helicopter pilot before moving to the RAF flying Wessex helicopters. He then passed the highly-demanding course to fly supersonic Harrier GR3s and became one of the first Electronic Warfare instructors. During the Falkland’s conflict David flew more than 50 sorties both ground attack and air combat patrol. His Sea Harrier was damaged by anti-aircraft fire over Stanley Airfield on the first raid but he
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David Morgan during the Falklands conflict, where he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.
skillfully nursed the stricken £20 million jet back to the unsteady deck of the carrier HMS Hermes, plunging in heavy seas.
He was credited with the destruction of two Argentine helicopters and two A4 Skyhawks which were attacking British landing craft, saving hundreds of lives.
For this skilled and dangerous attack David, known as Mog, was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, only the second such award given to a RAF pilot since WWII – and making him the last RAF pilot to shoot down an enemy aircraft. He also joined an attack sinking an Argentine intelligencegathering ship, and flew several Always free - subscribe here
