Little Nellie stunt pilot Ken Wallis honoured

Retired Wing Cdr Ken Wallis, known to James Bond fans for his invention and brave piloting of the Little Nellie autogyro in the 1967 James Bond film "You Only Live Twice", has been honoured for his lifetime contribution to aerospace.

Wallis was given the award by the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators (Gapan) on Tuesday. The guild described the former bomber pilot as an "aviation inspiration" who had "simply done it all".

Mr Wallis said it was an "honour" to be recognised for his "professionalism" and "dedication in flying".

Air Marshal Cliff Spink, Gapan's master of the guild, said: "Ken Wallis is simply an aviation inspiration. Not only for the longevity of his performance from becoming a pilot in 1937 and a distinguished career in the Royal Air Force, but also for his inventive prowess with his autogyro technology - he has quite simply done it all. The guild felt it was long overdue for Ken to receive our most senior award in recognition to all those years of contributions to aviation in the broadest possible sense."

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