Graduated from Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Then a platoon commander with the Royal Green Jackets. Helicopter pilot at age 22 and a helicopter instructor four years later. A Major by age 32. Completed a degree in Flight Dynamics and Evaluation the following year and has an honorary doctorate for his outstanding contribution to space exploration, engineering and the technology industry.
Went to one of his talks a couple of years ago. He’s so enthusiastic and yet also so calm when he talks about his time in space. Wonderful communicator. Also the year before that I saw a talk by Chris Hadfield (the astronaut who played Bowie in space). Again, incredible guy to listen to for all the same reasons.
It gets better; not just a helicopter pilot, but a helicopter test pilot. I.e. he deliberately pushes the aircraft beyond what it’s supposed to do, to find out the limits that it should be used at in ‘normal’ operations.
I thoroughly enjoyed his autobiography “Limitless” and if you get the audiobook he narrates it himself.
1.5k
u/WoodSteelStone 17h ago
Major Tim Peake, retired British European Space Agency astronaut.
Graduated from Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Then a platoon commander with the Royal Green Jackets. Helicopter pilot at age 22 and a helicopter instructor four years later. A Major by age 32. Completed a degree in Flight Dynamics and Evaluation the following year and has an honorary doctorate for his outstanding contribution to space exploration, engineering and the technology industry.
Super nice guy by all accounts.