Dave Stobie

Dave started flying at 15 and soloed a glider at 16. A year later, he gained his Private Pilot Licence and joined the RAF at 19.

After his first tour in the RAF as a Jet Provost instructor, he flew the F4 Phantom during the Cold War on 92 (East India) Sqn in Germany. After 4 years flying the Phantom, and due to RAF Wildenrath closing, Dave returned to instructing at RAF Chivenor as a qualified weapons instructor on the Hawk. He was also the Hawk display pilot for the 1994 season.

This was good preparation for Dave’s next tour – the Red Arrows. He was in the synchro pair and part of the team’s tour to South Africa, Southeast Asia and Australia, where the team displayed to 1.3m people at Sydney Harbour on Australia Day, 1996.

After “the Reds”, and with Phantoms retired, Dave flew the Harrier GR7 and spent 4 years on ‘Happy’ 4 Squadron and was an instructor at RAF Wittering. In 2003, he attended the Test Pilots’ course at Empire Test Pilots’ School (ETPS) at Boscombe Down.

On completion, he moved to the Fast Jet Test Squadron as the Harrier GR9 project pilot. And after two years, he was chosen to be an exchange test pilot with the United States Air Force at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, flying the F-16.

When Dave returned to the UK, he began eight years as an ETPS Flight Commander. And after he left the RAF, he continued as an ETPS instructor.

Beyond professional flying, Dave has competed in UK aerobatics competitions and became UK champion in his class in 2001. He’s also an avid gliding pilot, owning his own glider.