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| Andy Green | |
|---|---|
| Name | Andy Green |
| Birth date | 1962 |
| Birth place | Aldershot |
| Occupation | Royal Air Force officer; test pilot; land speed record holder; racing driver |
| Years active | 1980s–present |
| Known for | Piloting the ThrustSSC to the supersonic land speed record |
Andy Green
Andrew Paul Green (born 1962) is a British Royal Air Force officer, test pilot and racing driver best known for piloting the ThrustSSC to the first supersonic land speed record. He holds recognition across aeronautics, motorsport and engineering communities for combining military aviation experience with high‑speed automotive projects. Green’s career spans operational service in the Royal Air Force, test flying with the Empire Test Pilots' School and high‑profile record attempts, influencing later vehicle dynamics and safety research.
Green was born in Aldershot and raised in Basingstoke, attending local schools before commissioning into the Royal Air Force officer training pipeline. He studied at the Royal Air Force College Cranwell and completed advanced pilot training on fast jets at Royal Air Force operational conversion units. Seeking specialist instruction, he graduated from the Empire Test Pilots' School, joining a cohort of test pilots who trained alongside peers from Royal Navy and international air forces. His education combined operational jet training with formal aeronautical engineering principles taught by instructors associated with British Aerospace and Rolls-Royce.
Green served as a frontline fast jet pilot in the Royal Air Force, flying aircraft including the English Electric Lightning and later modern fighters during the Cold War era. He completed operational tours at RAF Leeming and RAF Coningsby, undertaking interception and air defence duties alongside squadrons equipped by Hawker Siddeley and Panavia Tornado platforms. Selected for test pilot duties, Green worked with Royal Aircraft Establishment test teams and collaborated with manufacturers such as British Aerospace and BAE Systems on flight test programmes. His military career included exchange and liaison roles with NATO units and attendance at staff colleges where he interacted with officers from United States Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force and other allied services.
Green gained international prominence as the pilot of ThrustSSC, the twin‑jet car project led by Richard Noble and engineered by teams including Graham Newington and Ron Ayers. On 15 October 1997 at Black Rock Desert, Nevada, Green piloted ThrustSSC through the sound barrier, setting a new land speed record certified by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The achievement marked the first supersonic run on land and was monitored by engineers from Rolls-Royce and aerodynamicists formerly associated with NASA and the DaimlerChrysler testing community. The project integrated jet propulsion principles from Combat aircraft design, instrumentation developed with input from Imperial College London researchers and telemetry systems used in aerospace testing. The record runs involved coordination with the Nevada State Police and meteorological services such as National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration personnel to ensure safety and compliance with FIA regulations.
Beyond ThrustSSC, Green competed in various racing disciplines, participating in endurance events and high‑performance demonstrations with teams linked to Goodwood Festival of Speed and Silverstone Circuit. He drove prototype and historic vehicles maintained by collections like the Brooklands Museum and worked with engineers from Cosworth and Judd on performance tuning for closed‑circuit tests. Green contributed to development runs for land speed contenders associated with the Bloodhound Project and advised teams entering Bonneville Salt Flats speed trials. His motorsport roles often connected with manufacturers and sponsors such as Jaguar and McLaren, and he appeared at industry conferences organized by Society of Automotive Engineers and Institute of Mechanical Engineers delegates.
After his record‑setting work Green returned to roles in Royal Air Force test and evaluation, holding appointments that involved oversight of flight test policy and safety standards. He has been awarded honours including the Segrave Trophy and recognition from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale for contributions to land speed and aeronautical endeavour. Green has accepted invitations to speak at institutions such as Imperial College London, the Royal Aeronautical Society and international aviation symposiums hosted by Eurocontrol and NATO committees. He has collaborated with research groups at Cranfield University and industry partners including BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce on high‑speed vehicle stability and human factors in extreme environments.
Green lives in the United Kingdom and maintains links with veteran Royal Air Force communities, test pilot alumni networks and motorsport organisations like the British Racing Drivers' Club. His supersonic land speed record has been cited in studies on supersonic ground effects by researchers at University of Oxford and University of Cambridge, and his public profile has inspired exhibits at institutions such as the Science Museum and National Motor Museum. The ThrustSSC runs remain seminal in automotive engineering history and Green’s fusion of military test discipline with motorsport ambition continues to influence contemporary projects aiming to push terrestrial speed boundaries.
Category:1962 births Category:Living people Category:British test pilots Category:Royal Air Force officers Category:Land speed record holders