Leonard Inggs

Leonard Inggs was born in Mathew Street Port Elizabeth, on September 22, 1896, educated at Grey College Port Elizabeth and later at Commercial High School in Boksburg. The family moved to the Transvaal when Len was a youngster. He worked on the E. R. P. M. Gold Mine for a short while before joining the 4th South African Transvaal Scottish in 1916 after the outbreak of the 1914-18 WW1.

Served in France where he saw his brother-in-law Harry, killed in front of him. Was himself wounded in Europe at Butte de Walincourt (Battle of the Somme) and after recovering, was accepted into the Royal Flying Corps on May 20th 1917 and qualified as a pilot on DH 6 aircraft in Salisbury England. Saw service over France with 52nd Squadron flying Bristols until the end of the war. Was one of the first to join the Royal Air Force but was demobilized in 1920 when he returned to South Africa to study internal combustion engineering.

However, flying was in his blood, and in 1924 he joined the South African Air Force and was placed on the Special Reserve of Flying Officers. In 1929, he became the first flying instructor at the new Benoni Light Plane Club and, subsequently, in 1931, he became a foundation member and flying instructor when the Rand Flying Club, Germiston, came into existence. Shortly thereafter, he became one of the first three pilots in Major A.M. Miller's newly formed Union Airways, that became South African Airways in 1934, when it was taken over by the Union Government. Len Inggs, J. T. T. "Japie" Louw and Andries Brink were the first three South African Airways pilots.

Over a period in1936/8, S. A. A. took delivery in Germany of Junkers JU52 and JU86 aircraft and in June 1939 Len went again to collect the four-engine JU90. However, war was declared while he was in Germany and he was fortunate to catch the last civilian train out of Berlin, on September 14, 1939.

He made his way back to South Africa, via Stockholm, Amsterdam, Rotterdam and England, and joined the South African Air Force. Attained the rank of Lt./Colonel and was a private pilot to Prime Minister Jan Smuts, also taking Mrs. Smuts on her first flight (she called him "my pilot"!). Was Flight Commander of "V. I. P. Flight" and piloted many other VIPs including the Greek Royal Family, during the war. Piloted the Avro York with Piet Nel that took Jan Smuts to Europe for the Invasion June 01, 1944.

Flew as a senior pilot in S.A. Airways after WW2, piloting the inaugural S. A. A. service between South Africa and England on November 10, 1945. In June 1946, he "broke" the record for the flight between London and Johannesburg in 27 hours.

During his career, he amassed over 23,000 hours, many of which were before the days of "auto-pilots". On a few unique occasions, his son Hilton, who was also a S.A.A. pilot, flew with him as his First Officer. In 1951, Len was also able to present his younger son, Cyril, with his South African Air Force "wings".

Len retired from South African Airways on September 18, 1956, four days before his 60th birthday - his last flight as Captain being in a Lockheed Constellation. Subsequently he flew for private companies until into his seventies and later was Manager/Secretary for the Durban Wings Club for a number of years.

He is recorded in the Guinness Book of Records as the first pilot to log one million air miles and during his career he was awarded the "Air Force Cross", the "Efficiency Decoration" and the "Diplome Paul Tissandier" presented by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale.