The tribute was paid to Jack Hemings AFC, co-founder of the Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF). He passed away at the age of 103. The UK died peacefully on January 24th, in sleepiness, according to a MAF press conference.
He was survived by his wife Kate, son Adrian, and his three grandchildren William, Beatrice and Olivia.
“Jack has made a breachable difference in the lives of many people in many low-income countries,” says Dr. Giles Legoude, pastor of the RAF.
“As one of the founders of MAF, Hemings has shaped the organization for nearly 80 years through hard work and personal sacrifice. It’s true that many people borrow their lives on him and the legacy he created. His quiet humility, but his change determination, is inspirational.”
Born in Bentham, Yorkshire on August 10, 1921, to Herbert and Elsie Hemmings, Jack joined the 19-year-old RAF during World War II in 1941.
He became the leader of the 353 squadron squadron, stationed in Calcutta and assigned the task of protecting the Bay of Bengal. He became flight commander in 1946 and was awarded the Air Force Cross in 1946 “Exemplary Gallery in Flight.”
After the war, Hemings and other pilots wanted to use aviation for the gospel, and in 1945 they founded MAF with co-founder Stuart King. MAF has since become the world’s largest humanitarian airline, centered around the gospel.
Hemings and King underwent the first humanitarian survey by the Air in Central Africa to confirm the needs of isolated communities. When they took on the journey in 1948, they flew on a wooden Miles Gemini aircraft.
“During the 1948 investigation, we could have imagined perhaps half a dozen aircraft in Africa,” Hemings himself later recalled. “Today, we cannot count the number of people whose lives are enriched by the services of MAF. MAF is a good Samaritan in the sky. Aircraft can do many good things in a problem-filled world .
“I’ve never been to an aircraft and I regret it. I love flying because I feel like I’m leaving all the problems in the world. We’re going to be young RAF Airmen. As we saw, seeing aircraft used as war weapons reminds us of the original purpose of the MAF: to use planes to bring peace and hope.”
Hemmings enjoyed flying in his later years. He won the Dungeness at Luzuque Air Race in 1985 and trained in 1992 at the age of 71 aerial acrobatics.
On his 100th birthday (2021), Hemings completed his routine for the empty song statue. The following year, he piloted the Miles Gemini for the first time in 75 years, and on his 101st birthday a Robin DR400. At age 102, he reportedly flew a Spitfire and reportedly broke records as the oldest pilot in Britain to fly a famous war-era aircraft.
His wife, Kate Hemmings, paid her husband her own respect. She considered him “lovely” and recalled many accomplishments of his achievements.
“Given my lovely husband and everything he went on to the ’80s, he won ‘Flying Cross’ before age 24, joined MAF and ran a youth group in middle age. When he was 78, he went to Bangladesh to help build the hospital ship. Over the age of 80, he chaired the ARRC for Rye. This is a charity that supports people with disabilities.
“Oh my lovely Jack, this world would be very strange without you, but you left a better place for falling it 103 years of love.”
Adrian Hemmings, the son of MAF co-founder, issued his own personal statement, celebrating the memory of his father.
“I remember him as a loving, loving father. His childhood story was full of adventure and victory over adversity. He gave us deep respect for others and a true respect for people. It has instilled interest.
“When he married Kate, his curiosity about the world continued as they traveled through their motor home. He remained playful and humorous throughout his life, and always others. We are welcoming people. Until we saw the small Gemini aircraft in 2022, we really understood the enormous nature of his journey to Africa.”
Grandchildren William, Beatrice and Olivia have issued a joint statement lovingly reminiscing of “Grandpa Jack” as “a man of endless energy, joy and love that filled every moment with adventure.” .
“Running down the hills with us on a toboggan, whipping us up to France on a plane for lunch with friends, or building a grand tree house in the 80s, his vitality and life My passion for this has had a deep impact on us.
“When we asked us to write about our heroes rather than choosing soccer players or pop stars at school, all three of us wrote about Grandpa Jack. Our childhood was filled with magical moments. We had been – scanning the sky and found him doing aerobatics on the plane. We stood on the trampoline with handcrafted signs and he found us. I wanted to see a small plane in the sky, and we think of him and proudly convey the legend of our amazing grandpa Jack.”
Hemmings raised over £50,000 ($62,000) for the MAF through fundraising flights. He also gained a reputation as a “crusher jack” for several near misses on the aircraft. He was once unconsciously saved from a burning Hudson after an engine failed.
A similar event in Hudson took place in the war when his plane was hit by a fire while flying through Tangup, Burma. He crashed, and once again the rescuer unconsciously pulled him from the burning wreckage.
Hemings and King made a lucky escape in 1948 when a Gemini aircraft collided with a banana tree on Mount Bruni during the aforementioned African humanitarian investigation. Both men fled unharmed.
When operating a SIPA aircraft in 1997, the resilient pilot also broke into the neck and rib. The surgeon said he would not walk or fly again, but Hemings went against medical expectations.
“Meeting an aviator like Jack, who has been involved for over 80 years, is a rare and exciting opportunity,” said Graeme Muscat, leader of Red Arrows Squadron.
“His selflessness and dedication deserves respect and recognition. The leadership and determination he has shown in both wartime and peace are inspiring. He meets pilots like Jack and achieves positives through aviation. We’re spurring us to witness the impact and do great things. We just want to achieve some of what Jack has.”
Paddy O’Connell, presenter for “Sunday” BBC Radio 4, praised Hemmings for flying “the flag of his country and his amazing generation.”
“For Radio 4, when he became the oldest man to play Spitfire in the cold, I met him at Begin Hill (a small airfield near London) in the cold. He was He wanted to spend his time on a bigger role, showing his achievements to aviators, engineers and charity workers. True heroes and role models.”
Private funerals and Thanksgiving services are planned with further details that have not yet been announced.
