Derek Piggott

Alan Derek Piggott MBE is one of Britain's leading glider pilots and instructors.

Stunt flying

Piggott's role as a stunt pilot, began in 1965 with the film The Blue Max which tells the story of the competitive rivalry between two German pilots in the First World War. Piggott was enlisted as one of several pilots who helped recreate the live dog fights scenes for the film. However he was the only stunt pilot to agree to fly for the climax of the film in which the two rivals challenge each other to fly beneath the arch of a bridge. Taking the role of both German pilots and with multiple takes from contrasting camera angles, Piggott ended up flying through the arch of this bridge in Ireland 30 times. The director had placed a flock of sheep next to the bridge so that the would scatter as the biplane approached, in order to demonstrate that the stunt was real. However by the 30th take, the sheep had become accustomed to the planes and continued to graze, creating a continuity error which can be seen in the finished film. Piggott was able to fly through the arch reliably by aligning two posts that he had put in the field on the far side.

Related Topics:
1965 - The Blue Max - First World War - Ireland - Biplane

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Another notable film role, was Piggott's contribution to Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines in which he flew and advised on the construction of several of the early aircraft recreated for use in the film. Many of the planes employed wing warping for directional control, which involved re-discovering how to fly them safely.

Related Topics:
Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines - Wing warping

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Piggott also flew some or all the aerial stunts in the following films:

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• The Red Baronhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067658/,
• Agathahttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078736/,
• Villa Rides http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063775/,
• Slipstream http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098350/

A replica of the Sir George Cayley's first heavier-than-air flying machine was built in the early 1970s. The machine was flown by Piggott at the original site in Brompton Dale in 1973 for a TV programme and again in 1985 for the I-Max film On The Wing.

Related Topics:
Sir George Cayley's - 1970s - 1973 - 1985 - I-Max

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In 1987 Piggott was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).

Related Topics:
1987 - Order of the British Empire

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