Robert Howden Fowler

Robert Howden (Bob) Fowler, OC, was born in Toronto, Ontario, on September 19, 1922, where he received his education. He was employed at Maclean Hunter Limited from 1939 to 1942, and during that time he learned to fly in a J-3 Cub at Barker Field, Toronto.

He joined the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) in July 1942. After graduating from training as a Pilot Officer at Moncton, New Brunswick, in 1943, he was posted to England. There he served with 226 Squadron in the 2nd Tactical Air Force (TAF) of the Royal Air Force and completed 48 missions flying B-25 Mitchell bombers. Before returning to Canada in 1945 to receive his discharge, he ferried aircraft and instructed at the 2nd TAF Support Unit in the United Kingdom.

Fowler enrolled in the University of Toronto as a law student, but returned to full time flying the following year. He received his Commercial Pilot's Certificate in May 1946, and became Chief Pilot for Dominion Gulf Company of Toronto, carrying out magnetic surveys over northern Quebec and Ontario. Three years later he joined Spartan Air Services at Ottawa, Ontario, and spent the following three years in the Arctic and other parts of Canada engaged in high-altitude photo surveys, flown at 35,000 feet (10,700 m). He carried out airborne geophysical explorations using the magnetometer developed by Dominion Gulf. Fowler flew modified Lockheed P-38's in both of these operations. A photograph taken at 35,000 feet (10,700 m) covers exactly 100 square miles (258 square km).

In 1952 Fowler went to work as a test pilot for de Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited (DHC). He was involved in flight testing all of the aircraft models manufactured by that company, commencing with the final certification of the last piston-engined aircraft they produced, the Caribou, a twin-engined short take-off and landing aircraft (STOL).

The Trans-Canada (McKee) Trophy, Canada's highest award in aviation, was presented to Fowler in 1974. The citation reads, in part,

"... this work was followed by an extended period of research flight testing, in which the aerodynamic and human factors of fixed-wing, steep gradient approaches and landings were explored, in a research aircraft utilizing modulated jet thrust. The work marked the means by which DHC embarked on the development of its turbine-powered aircraft. He performed the first flight of the prototype PT-6A turboprop engine. He also carried out the first flight and initial development flight testing of the prototype General Electric YT 64 turboprop engine. He also performed the first flight tests and much of the subsequent development testing and certification of the Turbo Beaver, Buffalo and Twin Otter aircraft, all of which have found wide acceptance in world markets."

On March 27, 1975, Fowler carried out the first flight testing of the DHC Dash 7 aircraft and performed much of the subsequent development flight testing. On June 20, 1983, Fowler performed the first flight testing of the first DHC Dash 8/100 airliner and again was involved in much of the follow-up development flight testing. Four years later he took part in the first flight of the Dash 8/300, the 50-passenger stretched version.

Fowler's prominent position in the development of de Havilland's aircraft was not confined solely to experimental flying.  He had a keen interest in, and made significant contributions to, the development of flight controls and propeller systems, helping DHC to become a world leader in the design and production of STOL aircraft.

Between 1972 and 1974, Fowler worked with the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Ames Flight Research Center at Mountview, California. Here he and Seth Grossmith were involved in the creation and flight testing of the Augmentor Wing Jet Research Aircraft. They were two of the Canadians who flew the augmentor wing Buffalo at the Ames Center. The new wing design used an augmentor flap through which air was blown. It also had leading edge slats, and rotatable, thrust-vectoring ducts on the engines. Tests on the Buffalo proved that steep approaches could be made at speeds as low as 55 knots (100 km/h), and takeoffs using as little as 350 feet (106 m) of runway.

During a 49-year career as a professional pilot, mainly in the area of flight testing, Fowler flew more than 15,000 hours as captain-in-command of some 60 aircraft types. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute (CASI). In 1975 he was created an Officer of the Order of Canada (OC) for his service to the nation. Fowler retired in September of 1987 after 35 years of test flying at de Havilland. He died, in his 89th year, at his home in Weston, Ontario on August 23, 2011.

The role of a test pilot carries much responsibility. He is involved with a new aircraft from the moment it has begun as an idea, right on through its early design stages until the moment it is certified to be flown by his purchasers. He is the one who makes sure that nothing has been overlooked in the development of the aircraft before it is certified safe to fly.

Robert Howden Fowler was inducted as a Member of Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame in 1980 at a ceremony held in Edmonton, Alberta.