Air Vice Marshal Air vice-marshal (AVM) is a two-star air officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes u ...

Peter Howard, (15 December 1925 – 21 October 2007) was a senior aviation medicine doctor with the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

. Howard was a Fellow of the

Royal College of Physicians The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) is a British professional membership body dedicated to improving the practice of medicine, chiefly through the accreditation of physicians by examination. Founded by royal charter from King Henry VIII in 1 ...

and of the

Royal Aeronautical Society The Royal Aeronautical Society, also known as the RAeS, is a British multi-disciplinary professional institution dedicated to the global aerospace community. Founded in 1866, it is the oldest aeronautical society in the world. Members, Fellows ...

Early life

Howard was born in

Aldershot Aldershot () is a town in Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme northeast corner of the county, southwest of London. The area is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council. The town has a population of 37,131, while the Alders ...

and was educated at the Farnborough Grammar School. He later studied medicine at

St Thomas' Hospital St Thomas' Hospital is a large NHS teaching hospital in Central London, England. It is one of the institutions that compose the King's Health Partners, an academic health science centre. Administratively part of the Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foun ...

Medical School before joining the Royal Air Force medical branch.

Career

His RAF career began as a consultant in aviation medicine, followed by his appointment as commandant of the

RAF Institute of Aviation Medicine The Royal Air Force Institute of Aviation Medicine was a Royal Air Force aviation medicine research unit active between 1945 and 1994. Early days The RAF Institute of Aviation Medicine (IAM) was opened on 30 April 1945 by the Princess Royal. ...

in 1975, a post he held until 1988. Other appointments included; Dean of Air Force Medicine from 1985 to 1987, The Queen's Honorary Physician from 1982 to 1988 and that of Royal Air Force's Senior Consultant from 1987 to 1988. Howard gained some notoriety in 1962, as the first man to test the world's first rocket-powered ejector seat, developed by the

Martin-Baker Martin-Baker Aircraft Company Limited is a British manufacturer of ejection seats and safety-related equipment for aviation. The company's origins were originally as an aircraft manufacturer before becoming a pioneer in the field of ejection s ...

company. The rocket-powered ejector seat had distinct advantages over the original explosive cartridge seats in that it subjected the ejecting airmen to much lower G forces, thus reducing the risk of injuries. Howard's last major project prior to his retirement was his involvement in the selection of Britain's first two

astronauts An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft. Although generally r ...

Helen Sharman Helen Patricia Sharman, CMG, OBE, HonFRSC (born 30 May 1963) is a British chemist and cosmonaut who became the first British person, first Western European woman and first privately funded woman in space, as well as the first woman to visit ...

and Tim Mace.

Awards

Howard was appointed an Officer of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

in 1957 followed by a Companion of the

Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved Bathing#Medieval ...

in 1989. He was also awarded the James Martin Medal, from the Guild of Aviation Pilots and Navigators in 1988. The award commemorated the 1,000 pilots' lives saved by the rocket-powered ejection seat that he helped to perfect.

References

Guardian obituary of Air Vice Marshal Peter HowardTimes obituary of Air Vice Marshal Peter Howard
{{DEFAULTSORT:Howard, Peter 1925 births 2007 deaths Royal Air Force air marshals 20th-century English medical doctors Medical doctors from Aldershot Companions of the Order of the Bath Officers of the Order of the British Empire Fellows of the Royal Aeronautical Society Fellows of the Royal College of Physicians Military personnel from Aldershot