The name of Eric “Winkle” Brown may not be familiar to U.S. readers, but to the British, he was celebrated as the Royal Navy’s most decorated pilot. He held world records for having flown more different types of aircraft than anyone — a total of 487 — and the most carrier landings — 2,407. During World War II he served as a test pilot for aircraft carriers, and by 1943 he had logged 1,500 deck landings on 22 different vessels. He was the first to land a jet on an aircraft carrier, in 1945, and he survived 11 crashes.
Source: avwebBritish Test Pilot Eric Brown Dies At 97