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180910

John Morton was educated at Merchant Taylors' School near Northwood, Middlesex. Through the R.A.F. Section of the Combined Cadet Force he won a Flying Scholarship and gained a Private Pilot's Licence before he could drive a car. He was commissioned during National Service in the Royal Air Force and trained as a pilot on piston Provosts and Vampires. He joined British European Airways in January 1956 and progressed through flying Herons, Viscounts, Comets and Boeing 707's to Lockheed TriStars. He was granted his first command in 1967 and culminated his career as a Route Training Captain. During thirty-seven years, he logged some 17,600 flying hours, covering an estimated eight million miles.

Genuinely believing that his Queen's Scout Certificate was a major factor in his being selected for aircrew training, he has tried to put something back into Scouting. He was District Commissioner for Horsham, West Sussex, in the 1980's and presently holds a minor administrative post in the Movement.

Following retirement, he studied for a BSc degree with the Open University, reading General Science, Astronomy, Geology and the History of Science. He edits Stonechat, the magazine of the Horsham Geological Field Club.