Tributes have been paid to Jack Hemmings AFC, co-founder of Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), who has passed away at the age of 103. Hemmings, a former Royal Air Force (RAF) squadron leader and pilot, from Horam, East Sussex, England, died peacefully in his sleep on Jan. 24, according to a press statement by MAF.
He is survived by his wife Kate, son Adrian and his three grandchildren William, Beatrice and Olivia.
“Jack has made an immensurable difference to the lives of many across numerous low-income countries,” the Venerable Dr (Air Vice-Marshal) Giles Legood, Chaplain-in-Chief at the RAF.
“As one of the founders of MAF, Mr Hemmings has shaped the organisation for nearly 80 years through hard work and personal sacrifice. Indeed, many owe their lives to him and the legacy he has created. His quiet humility, yet determination to make a difference, is inspirational.”
Born on August 10 1921 in Bentham, Yorkshire, to Herbert and Elsie Hemmings, Jack joined the RAF aged 19 in 1941, during the Second World War.
He became squadron leader of 353 Squadron and stationed in Calcutta, assigned the task of protecting the Bay of Bengal. He was awarded the Air Force Cross for “exemplary gallantry while flying” in 1946, after he became a flight commander.
After the war, Hemmings and other pilots wanted to use aviation for the gospel and he founded MAF with co-founder Stuart King in 1945. MAF has since become the world’s largest humanitarian airline with the gospel as its core focus.
Hemmings and King took the first humanitarian survey by air of central Africa to see the needs of isolated communities. They flew in a wooden Miles Gemini aircraft as they undertook the journey in 1948.
“During our survey in 1948, we could have imagined perhaps half a dozen aircraft in Africa,” Hemmings himself later recalled. “Today, one cannot count the number of people whose lives have been enriched by MAF’s services. MAF is the Good Samaritan of the skies – aircraft can do a lot of good in a world full of problems.
“I’ve never got into an aircraft and regretted it. I love flying because I have a feeling of detachment from all the world’s problems. Seeing aircraft used as weapons of war — as we did as young RAF airmen — reminds me of MAF’s initial purpose: to use aeroplanes to bring peace and hope to needy places.”
Hemmings continued to enjoy flying even in his later years. He won the Dungeness to Le Touquet Air Race in 1985 and trained in aerial acrobatics aged 71 in 1992. The RAF gave him a Master Air Pilot Award in 2017.
For his 100th birthday (in 2021), Hemmings completed an aerobatics routine in the sky. The next year he piloted a Miles Gemini for the first time in 75 years and for his 101st birthday piloted a Robin DR400. At the age of 102, he flew a Spitfire and reportedly broke a record as the oldest British pilot to fly the famous war era aircraft.
Wife Kate Hemmings paid her own tribute to her husband, whom she deemed “lovely” and recalled his many achievements.
“When I think of my lovely husband and all the things he did way into his eighties – he earned a ‘flying cross’ before the age of 24, joined MAF and ran a youth group in midlife. When he was 78, he went to Bangladesh to help build a hospital ship. At 80+ he was chair of ARRC in Rye – a charity helping people with disabilities.
“Oh my lovely Jack, this world will be very strange without you, but you’ve left it a better place for having lavished 103 years of love into it.”
Adrian Hemmings, son of the MAF co-founder, issued his own personal statement lauding the memory of his father.
“I remember him as a loving and affectionate father, whose stories in my childhood were filled with adventure and triumph over adversity. He instilled in us a deep respect for others and a genuine interest in people.
“When he married Kate, his curiosity about the world continued as they travelled in their motor home. He remained playful and humorous throughout his life, always making others feel welcome. It wasn’t until I saw the tiny Gemini aircraft in 2022, that I truly grasped the enormity of his journey to Africa.”
Grandchildren William, Beatrice and Olivia, published a joint statement affectionately recalling “Grandpa Jack” as a “man of boundless energy, joy and love who filled every moment he could with adventure.”
“Whether hurtling down hills with us on a toboggan, whisking us off to France in his aeroplane for lunch with friends, or building a magnificent treehouse in his 80s, his vitality and passion for life inspired us deeply.
“When asked in school to write about our hero, rather than choosing a footballer or pop star, all three of us wrote about Grandpa Jack. Our childhood was filled with magical moments — scanning the sky to spot him doing aerobatics in his plane. We stood on the trampoline holding handmade signs, hoping he would spot us. Every time we see a little plane in the sky, we will think of him and proudly tell the legend of our remarkable Grandpa Jack.”
Hemmings raised more than £50,000 ($62,000 USD) for MAF through fundraising flights. He also earned a reputation as “Crasher Jack” for several near-misses in aircraft. He was once rescued unconscious from a burning Hudson after an engine failed.
A similar event in a Hudson occurred in the war when his aeroplane was hit by fire when flying over Taungup in Burma. He crashed and again rescuers pulled him unconscious from the burning wreckage.
Hemmings and King had a fortunate escape when their Gemini aircraft crashed into a banana tree in the Buruni mountains during the aforementioned African humanitarian survey of 1948. Both men escaped unharmed.
The plucky pilot also suffered a broken neck and ribs when co-piloting a Sipa aircraft in 1997. One of the wheels fell off, which caused an immense crash when Hemmings landed the aircraft. A surgeon told him he would not walk or fly again but Hemmings defied medical expectations.
“To meet an aviator like Jack who has been involved for more than eight decades is a rare and inspiring opportunity,” said Graeme Muscat, Red Arrows squadron leader.
“His selflessness and dedication deserve respect and recognition. The leadership and determination he has shown during both wartime and peace are inspiring. Meeting pilots like Jack and witnessing the positive impact he has achieved through aviation spurs us on to do great things. We can only hope to achieve a fraction of what Jack has.”
Paddy O’Connell, “Sunday” BBC Radio 4 presenter, lauded Hemmings for flying “the flag for his country and his remarkable generation.”
“I met him at Biggin Hill [a small airfield near London] in the cold for Radio 4 when he became the oldest man to co-pilot a Spitfire. He wanted to use his time on causes which were bigger than him and which showed credit to aviators, engineers and charity workers. A true hero and role model.”
A private funeral and a thanksgiving service are being planned with further details yet to be announced.
