Reginald Brie
| Reginald Brie | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Reggie |
| Born |
27 November 1895 Egham |
| Died | 1 February 1989 |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch | Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 1914–1922, 1939–1945 |
| Rank | Wing Commander |
| Awards | MBE, AFRAeS, AFIAeS |
Reginald Alfred Charles Brie MBE AFRAeS AFIAeS (27 November 1895 – 1988) was a British rotorcraft test and demonstration pilot.
Reginald Brie was born in Egham, Surrey. After leaving school, he started an electrical engineering apprenticeship in Southall.
In 1914, he joined the Royal Field Artillery, and in early 1915 he served in the Somme region. He was then posted to Salonika as an artillery spotter. He was promoted to Sergeant, and sent back to England for officer training. He then transferred to the Royal Flying Corps (RFC), and trained as an observer. He was posted to No. 104 Squadron at RAF Andover. In May 1918, he moved with the squadron to Azelot. On one mission, his Airco DH.9 was attacked by German fighters, and a forced landing was made. He and his pilot were captured, and they served as prisoners of war until December 1918.
In early 1919, he was posted as Transport Officer to No. 2 Group RAF at Oxford. In September 1919, he was granted a short-service commission as a Flying Officer. In December 1919, he was posted to No. 99 Squadron at Risalpur. In 1920, he was posted to the Inspectorate of Recruiting in England. In August 1921, he took a pilot's course at RAF Leuchars, and went solo after 10 hours dual experience. In 1922, he left the RAF, and was retained in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR).
In 1922, he was employed in the sales department of Shell Oil Company. He continued to maintain his flying skills as a member of RAFVR, often via the de Havilland School of Flying at Stag Lane Aerodrome. He achieved a pilot's B licence, and became interested in autogiros. He arranged to have a flight with Valentine Baker, who was demonstrating a Cierva C.19 at Heston Aerodrome. Subsequently, he obtained 30 minutes dual instruction with Arthur 'Dizzy' Rawson in a Cierva C.19, and then went solo in it. He then gained his Commercial pilot's licence. As a result of his achievements, Air Commodore J.G. Weir offered him a short term contract as an autogiro pilot, and he resigned from his job at Shell.
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