John Downey (RAF officer)

John Downey
Born	(1920-11-26)26 November 1920 Streatham, London
Died	14 February 2010(2010-02-14) (aged 89)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service / branch	Royal Air Force
Years of service	1939–75
Rank	Air Vice Marshal
Commands	HQ Southern Maritime Air Region (1969–71) RAF College of Air Warfare (1969)
Battles / wars	Second World War
Awards	Companion of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Flying Cross Air Force Cross

Air Vice Marshal John Chegwyn Thomas Downey, CB, DFC, AFC (26 November 1920 – 14 February 2010) was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force.

Downey qualified as a pilot just before his 19th birthday and started the Second World War by flying North Sea patrols. He was also an instructor and a PBY Catalina pilot in the Mediterranean.

After the war he flew Aries III, a modified Lincoln bomber taking off on 20 October 1950 on a round-the-world flight of 29,000 miles. During the flight one leg was from Mauritius to Perth, Western Australia; this was believed to be the first west-to-east non-stop flight across the Indian Ocean. for completing this round the world trip in 28 days Downey was awarded an Air Force Cross. Accompanying him on the flight were Squadron Leaders G.T. Thain, A.D. Frank and J.L. Mitchell.

He then went to the RAF Staff College, and in 1960 he became head of the Near East Defence Secretariat in Cyprus.

Various appointments followed including roles at the MoD and NATO. After serving as the Deputy Controller of Aircraft at the MoD, Downey retired from the RAF in December 1975. Six months earlier he had been appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath.

Downey married, in 1941, Diana White.