Slim Sear
Slim Sear climbing aboard Westland Wessex
Slim Sear (left) and test crew of Westland Westminster
Westland Westminster in flightW. H. ("Slim") Sear, OBE, AFRAes. was Chief test pilot of Westland Aircraft from 1952 until 1967. "Slim" Sear went to Westland after flying with the RAF and the Royal Navy and graduating from the ETPS, and was responsible for the development and production flight testing of all the company's rotary-wing aircraft during his tenure. He played a prominent part in developing the all-weather anti-submarine helicopter and was closely associated with the development of turbine types. He was responsible for flight development of the Westminster, Britain's biggest helicopter, and latterly the antisubmarine Wessex 3. He was made OBE in 1963 in recognition of his flight test work.
