Captain John Miller: Test Pilot of the Autogiro and the Grumman J2F Duck

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Miller embarked on another aviation excursion after his mandatory retirement from Eastern at age 60. He started his own helicopter air charter service, flying a Bell 47G three-seat helicopter. Miller sold the charter service in 1971 and retired (again), but he remains active within the aviation community. Currently he is serving his seventh term as president of the United Flying Octogenarians (UFOs). Billed as the most exclusive organization in the world, this unique aviation group recognizes active pilots age 80 and above. The club was founded in 1982 and has more than 120 active members. In addition to his leadership role with the UFOs, Miller lectures regularly and attends numerous airshows and conventions each year.

During the past few years, Miller has received several awards for his material role in the development of rotary wing aircraft. He was awarded the annual Sikorsky Award for his part in the evolution of the helicopter, and received a Certificate of Honor from the National Aeronautic Association for his contributions to aviation.

Another signal honor for Miller was his honorary fellowship in the Society of Test Pilots, for having promoted the moral obligation of the test pilot to the safety of the aerospace world. Miller joins an elite group of past recipients, including General Jimmy Doolittle, Howard Hughes, Charles Lindbergh and Igor Sikorsky.

Miller views the awards with his normal self-deprecating style: I think it’s just that these organizations were looking at the history of the helicopter, and said, ‘Gee, this guy Miller is getting kinda old. We’d better give him some awards before he kicks!’

Pondering his own remarkable flight through the chapters of aviation history, Miller is comfortable with an epilogue that simply records his legacy of hard work and dedication to the advancement of aviation: I didn’t go after records or the publicity. I just went out and did the work.

This article was written by Bud Walker and originally published in the November 1996 issue of Aviation History magazine. For more great articles be sure to pick up your copy of Aviation History.

Tags: Aviation History, Flight Technology, People

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