Hugh Palliser Kingsley Dibley is a former commercial airline pilot and trainer who made contributions toward conserving fuel and controlling noise during aircraft operations.
50 Facts About Hugh Dibley
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Hugh Dibley was a successful racing car driver and race car constructor.
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Hugh Dibley's parents were Engineer Rear-Admiral Albert Kingsley Dibley and Penelope Dibley.
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When Dibley was born his father was chief engineer at the Royal Navy's Hong Kong dockyard.
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Hugh Dibley attended school at Pinewood, and then at Marlborough College.
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Hugh Dibley joined the Combined Cadet Force, initially enlisting in the Royal Navy section.
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Hugh Dibley later transferred to the Royal Air Force section to take the RAF pilot aptitude selection with the goal of obtaining a private pilot's licence.
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Hugh Dibley completed his required 30 hours in a De Havilland Tiger Moth from the Royal Naval Flying Club, Gosport, and received his PPL shortly after turning seventeen.
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Hugh Dibley began as a Naval Airman Second Class I, then was appointed a Midshipman Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve after a two month long officer training course.
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Deep defence cuts that arrived in 1957 put an end to all Volunteer Reserve flight training, so Hugh Dibley completed his two years of National Service aboard HMS Ark Royal.
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Hugh Dibley submitted an application to British Overseas Airways Corporation, who recommended that he take a short course at Air Service Training, Hamble to upgrade his license to a Commercial Pilots Licence and obtain his Instrument rating.
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Hugh Dibley's CPL was granted in September 1958, and he was hired by BOAC as part of the Pilots' Initial Navigation Scheme.
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Hugh Dibley did his pilot's course after one year, and qualified as First Officer.
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Hugh Dibley started with routes in the North Atlantic, and later transferred to routes to Africa and the Far East.
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Hugh Dibley completed the UK Civil Aviation Authority Flight Instrument Examiners Course, after which he conducted annual simulator checks on First Officers needing to renew their 747 Type and Instrument Ratings, and taught 747 transition courses and annual recurrent training to captains and First Officers.
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In 1972 Hugh Dibley began working to find ways to improve the fuel efficiency of BOAC's Boeing 747 fleet.
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Early in 1975, at age 37, Hugh Dibley became the first of BA's First Officers to be given direct command of the 747.
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Hugh Dibley was asked to join the group of captains selected for the operation as Training Captain.
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Hugh Dibley was appointed Flight Technical Manager in 1977 and served in that role until April 1978.
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In 1978 Hugh Dibley was appointed chairman of a newly formed Fuel Policy and Fuel Conservation Working Group.
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In 1982 BA authorized its commercial divisions to choose their own aircraft and Hugh Dibley was among those asked to help re-launch the legacy 707 operation.
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Hugh Dibley continued flying the Air Mauritius and VIP 707s in the Private Flight of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi.
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Hugh Dibley notified the tower, then diverted over water to dump excess fuel, and landed the plane safely.
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On 22 May 1984 Hugh Dibley accompanied the CAA's Chief Test Pilot on a Certificate of Airworthiness Test Flight of the last British Airtours 707 prior to its sale.
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Hugh Dibley stayed there seven years, instructing new airline crews on various aircraft, assisting in the design of flight simulator Instructor Stations, and working on flight crew procedures included in Flight Crew Operating Manuals.
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Hugh Dibley retired from Airbus in 2002, but continued working as an instructor and consultant for Airbus Training UK and others.
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Hugh Dibley is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, a Liveryman of GAPAN, and an elected member of the French Academie de l'air et de l'espace.
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Hugh Dibley is Chairman of the Royal Aeronautical Society Toulouse Branch and a member of the RAeS Council.
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Hugh Dibley was consulted on the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight 370.
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Hugh Dibley started his racing career in 1959 in an AC Aceca-Bristol coupe.
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In 1961 Hugh Dibley began driving open wheeled cars in Formula Junior.
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Hugh Dibley started in a Lola Mk3 fielded by Ecurie Light Blue.
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Hugh Dibley was the driver of Mk3 chassis BRJ38 when it appeared in the 1961 Lewis-Evans Trophy.
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In 1962 Hugh Dibley stayed with Ecurie Light Blue, but switched to the Lola Mk5.
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Hugh Dibley posted five wins and set four lap records in the Brabham that year, as well as being awarded the first "Goodwood Ton".
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Hugh Dibley was scheduled to appear in the first ever Can-Am race to be held on 11 September 1966 at the Circuit Mont-Tremblant near the former town of Saint-Jovite.
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From 1967 to 1969 Hugh Dibley raced a Chevrolet Camaro in the British Saloon Car Championship.
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In 1968 Hugh Dibley was doing promotional work for the upcoming BOAC 500 race when he encountered the Howmet TX turbine-powered car.
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Hugh Dibley was part of the crew on the flight that the car was shipped to the UK on, during which the car was accompanied by 36 tons of gold bullion.
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The Howmet was lying third when Hugh Dibley pitted for fuel on lap 60, after which the engine could not be restarted because the wiring for the starter had burned out.
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In 1968 Hugh Dibley made his only appearance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
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Hugh Dibley was partnered with Bob Tullius in one of the two Howmets entered.
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Hugh Dibley's car went out with a failed wheel bearing.
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Hugh Dibley had effectively wound up his racing career by 1973.
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Hugh Dibley first met Wimhurst when he bought a Formula Junior Lola, then again when Wimhurst sorted out Hugh Dibley's Brabham BT8.
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Wimhurst was the workshop foreman at Brabham, but wanted to build his own racing cars, and sought Hugh Dibley's help to do it.
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In 1966 Wimhurst proposed that the two produce and field a racing car of their own, with Wimhurst designing the car and Hugh Dibley providing the engine and gearbox, and driving the car in competition.
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In October 1968 Palliser Racing Design Limited was formed, taking Hugh Dibley's second given name for the company.
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On 27 February 1965 Hugh Dibley married Doris Jean Lockhart in Scarsdale, New York.
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On 22 January 1971 Hugh Dibley married Marianne Lotta Kristina Ahlborn.