Jerry Grayson became the youngest helicopter pilot to ever serve in the Royal Navy at the age of 17. He was one of the last pilots to train on the Westland Whirlwind, as they were soon replaced by the Aerospatiale Gazelle helicopter. By the age of 25 he was the most decorated peacetime naval pilot in history.
Jerry served in the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm for eight years, during which he was presented with the Air Force Cross by the Queen for outstanding gallantry in search and rescue.
His illustrious career has included saving a wounded fighter pilot who ditched in the sea, rescuing desperate sailors from a sinking ship during the Fastnet Yacht Race of 1979, in which 25 yachts were lost, and picking up a grievously ill crewman from the deck of a nuclear-armed submarine that was playing a cat-and-mouse game with the Soviet Navy. As a search and rescue pilot, his work was vital and dangerous.
On seeing the Westland Whirlwind that he flew, Jerry said: “It is the first time I’ve seen it since I trained on this helicopter. It’s fantastic to see it, I’ve only seen Whirlwind helicopters in scrap yards and paint ball sites.
"You do have an emotional attachment to machinery in the same way as you do with people. My first months flying helicopters were on this helicopter. Seeing it is extraordinary, very special.”
Jerry Grayson has written a book about his career: Rescue Pilot – Cheating the Sea. Rescue Pilot is published by Bloomsbury Publishing.