Fittleworth pilot receives MBE from Prince Charles at Windsor Castle

Fittleworth pilot Flight Lieutenant James Peterson was awarded an MBE for excellence in his role as the Typhoon Display Pilot in the Royal Air Force in the new years honours list 2021.
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James Peterson, 44, received his MBE from Prince Charles at Windsor Castle.

He said: “The sun came out which made it really special, and walking around the grounds and towards the state room was like something out of a film.

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“The ceremony itself is short. Myself and my wife arrived 45 minutes before the Prince started the investitures. We were ushered through state rooms with amazing paintings, and armour and weapons on the walls.

Flight Lieutenant James PetersonFlight Lieutenant James Peterson
Flight Lieutenant James Peterson

"I was with a small group of others and it felt very personal. We were fully briefed by members of the Prince's household so both myself and my wife knew where to be, what to do and so on.

“When my name got called out I walked up towards the Prince and bowed. I was super fortunate that Prince Charles knew who I was and was familiar with the Typhoon. We had a lovely chat, which felt like it was for a long time but was probably no more than a minute, and it felt very special.

“He shook my hand and I bowed, and off I walked. I am super proud to have that medal on my chest.

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"It’s lovely to be recognised and it’s a state award, so feels very special.”

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James joined 2464 squadron as a child when he became interested in flying after his mother took him to Bournemouth airshow.

He met his wife while at Liverpool University on a UAS scholarship and attended Liverpool University Air Squadron whilst reading Maths. They now have two children and a successful aviation luggage business.

The business was set up by his wife who was inspired by the world of aviation. James has recently helped to design a new Pilot Bag based on his 3000 hours of flying a Eurofighter Typhoon.

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Jim started in the air cadets at the age of 13 in West Sussex before getting sponsored by the RAF through school and his degree at the University of Liverpool, whilst training with University Air Squadron. He joined RAF Cranwell in 1999 for Officer Training before ending up on the Tornado GR4 at RAF Marham in 2003.

In 2006 James moved to RAF Coningsby, where he has held various positions including fulfilling his lifetime dream of becoming a Typhoon Display Pilot in 2018, the role he was awarded the MBE for.

He was involved in more than 90 displays in two years across Europe and the Middle East.