Michael Knight (RAF officer)
Sir Michael Knight | |
|---|---|
| Born | 23 November 1932 Longsdon, Staffordshire England |
| Died | 28 November 2022 (aged 90) Mortehoe, Devon, England |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Branch | Royal Air Force |
Service years | 1953–89 |
Rank | Air Chief Marshal |
| Commands | Air Member for Supply and Organisation (1983–85) No. 1 Group (1980–82) |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Air Force Cross |
Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael William Patrick Knight, KCB, AFC (23 November 1932 – 28 November 2022) was a notable British Royal Air Force and Cold War NATO commander who was also known for various charitable projects including the Royal International Air Tattoo and the Vulcan to the Sky cause.
Early life
Knight was born in Longsdon, near Leek, Staffordshire, on 23 November 1932.[1] He was educated at Leek High School, then studied English Language at the University of Liverpool, where he joined the University Air Squadron. After his graduation, he began his National Service and finished his training as a pilot.[2]
RAF career
Knight joined the Royal Air Force in 1953.[3] He was appointed Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group in 1980, Air Member for Supply and Organisation in 1983 and UK Military Representative to NATO in 1986.[4] He retired in 1989.[4] He later served as chairman of Vulcan to the Sky, a project that returned a vintage Avro Vulcan XH558 to airworthiness and flight, [5][6] chairman of the Air League,[4] chairman of Cobham plc[7] and founding chairman of the Royal International Air Tattoo.[8]
Personal life and death
In 1967, he married Patricia Ann Davies; they had one son, Richard, and two daughters, Gillian and Lisa. Knight enjoyed rugby - serving as the Royal Air Force representative on the Rugby Football Union (RFU) - and music, particularly jazz.[4][2]
Knight died from heart failure at his home in Mortehoe, North Devon, on 28 November 2022, five days after his family had gathered to celebrate his 90th birthday.[1][9][2] A lone Hawker Hunter fighter jet overflew his funeral in Mortehoe.[10]
References
- 1 2 "Knight, Sir Michael William Patrick [Mike]". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Sir Michael Knight, top RAF pilot and energetic commander at the height of the Cold War – obituary". The Telegraph. 4 December 2022. (subscription required)
- ↑ "No. 39935". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 August 1953. p. 4367.
- 1 2 3 4 Debrett's People of Today 1994
- ↑ Vulcan rules the skies again after £6m facelift Daily Telegraph, 19 October 2007
- ↑ Irvine, Chris (11 February 2009). "Sir Richard Branson, Frederick Forsyth and Robin Gibb want Vulcan to keep flying". The Telegraph. London. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
- ↑ "Sir Michael Knight | Aviation Week Network". aviationweek.com. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
- ↑ "Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Knight (1932-2022)". www.airtattoo.com. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
- ↑ Knight, Richard (2 December 2022). "Knight". The Telegraph Announcements. The Telegraph. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
- ↑ "Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Knight obituary". www.thetimes.com. 27 February 2023. Retrieved 3 April 2026.