Acts of heroism within the Royal Air Force are not limited to pilots in the air. Ground engineer Walter Holden was responsible for the upkeep and readiness of fighter aircraft, ensuring they were fully prepared for operational deployment, a role that often received little attention. During what was supposed to be a standard inspection of an English Electric Lightning, however, the situation suddenly became perilous.
While carrying out routine system checks from within the cockpit, Holden unintentionally activated the aircraft’s takeoff procedures. The engines immediately powered up, and the Lightning began accelerating rapidly along the runway, leaving Holden—who had no pilot training—inside a jet that was quickly gathering speed.
Walter Holden trained as a pilot
In 1943, Walter “Taffy” Holden enlisted in the RAF while studying mechanical engineering. While he initially had no plans to become a pilot, he completed mandatory flight training on a de Havilland Tiger Moth and, later, on a Harvard aircraft.
After successfully finishing his training, he earned his pilot’s wings and went on to fly a de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk.
Performing routine maintenance
Walter Holden shifted his attention from aviation to focusing on his career in RAF engineering. Excelling in his duties, he advanced to lead the No. 33 Maintenance Unit RAF at RAF Lyneham by 1966. The unit played a key role in the upkeep of aircraft like the English Electric Lightning, slated for retirement, as well as Canberras and the Gloster Meteor.
Needing to test aircraft XM135
Walter Holden was told that a qualified pilot would need more than a week to arrive and carry out the evaluation flights required before the XM135 aircraft could be officially retired. Rather than delay the process, he decided to do it himself. His assignment was limited to taxiing the Lightning on the runway while checking its electrical systems, running the engine up to high power, shutting it down, and verifying the brakes.
Because the aircraft was never intended to leave the ground, Holden did not wear a helmet or carry a radio, relying on hand signals to coordinate with the ground crew. The Lightning was also missing its canopy, had its landing gear locked in the extended position, and its ejector seat wasn’t working.
Things take a turn…
The first test went smoothly, but during the second, Walter Holden accidentally pushed the throttle too far, activating the afterburner. Since he wasn’t familiar with the Lightning, he didn’t know how to turn it off.
The plane quickly picked up speed. He narrowly avoided a fuel tanker and a low-flying de Havilland Comet, but soon realized he was headed straight for a village at the end of the runway. With no way to stop and little time left, Holden had no choice but to take off.
A touchy landing
After becoming airborne in the English Electric Lightning, Walter Holden remained calm despite having no formal flight training. He successfully reduced the aircraft’s speed by disengaging the afterburner and focused his attention on finding a way to land safely. His first two landing attempts failed as he worked to line up the jet correctly, but he succeeded on his third approach.
Drawing on his familiarity with older taildragger aircraft, Holden lowered the nose somewhat sooner than was ideal during touchdown. As a result, the tail struck the runway, tearing away the drogue chute that normally assisted in slowing the aircraft. Even so, he maintained control and managed to bring Lightning XM135 to a halt with only about 300 feet of runway left ahead of him.
What had started as a routine maintenance inspection quickly turned into a dramatic 12-minute emergency. Holden’s ability to remain composed under extraordinary pressure ultimately earned him recognition as an unlikely yet authentic hero within the Royal Air Force.
Walter Holden wasn’t punished for the incident
Despite the way he landed, the Lightning was repaired and returned to service until 1974, when it was put on display at Imperial War Museum Duxford. Holden emerged without a scratch, but was put on leave in Italy after the media caught wind of the story. He wasn’t punished, and only had to admit that he should have left the test to a pilot familiar with Lightnings.
With this small slap on the wrist, he continued serving with the RAF until the early 1980s.