We are sad to report the recent passing of Malcolm Wright, whose many achievements in a rich life filled with aviation include writing many flight test reports for Business Air News over the years. These spanned from singles up to midsize jets, and were always penned in his own insightful style.

Malcolm enjoyed these fresh experiences at the controls of new aircraft types, and never passed up an opportunity. Between 1991 and 1998, Malcolm put his journalist hat on and took to the controls of a series of aircraft kindly provided by various manufacturers for review in these pages. These comprised: Citation V, 1992 Astra SP, Citation VII, Learjet 60, Commander 114B, PZL Gemini, Beechjet 400A, the 525 CitationJet, then 1994 Saratoga II, Cessna Caravan, Pilatus PC-12, Seneca V and finally the Astra SPX.

He had learned to fly at 17 through an Air Training Corps scholarship at Cambridge Aero Club, obtained a Commercial Pilot Licence in 1984 and then ATPL in 1996. Malcolm’s first job in aviation was as a trainee with Lloyd International, the Stansted-based Bristol Britannia operator, and then later as ops controller with Trans Meridian Air Cargo. A spell as a full-time flying instructor at Andrewsfield built up the log book, and led to a role flying Essex Radio’s traffic spotter. Then came a first full-time flying role at the controls of an Aztec, Cessna 404 and Trislander for cargo charter, until his first position in corporate aviation. In 1989 Malcolm joined Ford Air, flying Gulfstream I and BAC1-11, his first jet. Ford later upgraded with the arrival of MD87s, and then BBJs before the flight department was closed in 2006. Malcolm moved on to the role of simulator instructor on Boeings, with Alteon that later became Boeing Flight Training. In retirement he continued to fly and to instruct, mainly from Earls Colne.

The world has lost an excellent aviator, and our team at Business Air News is short of a good friend, colleague, uncle and brother.