Dad & The Harrier

Across my father’s long career as an Experimental Test Pilot, first in the U.S. Navy, and then for the McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Corporation, he flew many different planes that read like random numbers and letters; XV-6A Kestrel, SC-142A, X-22A, and later YC-15 and C-17 among many many others… but one that stands out in my memory I knew of more by it’s name than a number… The Harrier. The Harrier’s unique characteristic is it’s vertical/short takeoff and landing operations (V/STOL). The Harrier has the ability to direct the thrust from it’s jet engines downward, and as a result can take off and land vertically, like a helicopter. Pause to think about how cool that is and was, a supersonic jet fighter that could come to a dead stop and lower itself gently to the ground with little or no runway!

As we continue the work of sorting through his belongings, I recently came across a small spiral bound album of black and white photos, a gift to my Dad from the British Hawker Siddeley Company, and there among the photos were a few that included my father, William Casey.

But none of the photos were dated, and even his resume’s mention of being a part of the ‘Navy Preliminary Eval Team’ for the AV-8A Harrier, came with no dates. Dad graduated from the USAF Aerospace Research Pilot School in 1967, and you can see that patch on his right shoulder in these photos. I recently read his wartime diary of his combat cruise on the USS Hancock, flying F-8 Crusaders in Vietnam. And from that I know he left in August 1969 and returned eight months later in April 1970. But where did this time flying the Harrier fit in?

Where else to turn but the Google?! And very early in my searching, I came across the below video. I had not heard John Farley’s name before seeing this, but I did quickly note how closely this presenter looked like the gentleman in the photos I had found. Well it turned out, it’s because he IS the guy in the photos, and that John Farley was a well known and highly regarded British test pilot, who worked to sell the Harrier to the US.

You don’t need to watch his whole hourlong presentation in this video, but click the ‘play’ button and it will start just where it gets good. He picks up here describing just having convinced two USMC pilots that the Harrier would be a good match for the US Marine Corp, but how there were more hoops yet ahead, including training a team of US Navy Test pilots, one of which was my Dad. Watch 5 minutes and I’ll meet you on the other side…

There’s been a small trove of other Harrier related finds that help complete the story…

But… yeah Internet!! I didn’t just find the time span that I had been looking for,.. this was in February 1969, just six months before he departed for his Vietnam cruise, but I found the story, straight from the mouth of the British test pilot in the picture. Very cool.