Flying Officer Phillip Edward Gerald Sayer (5 February 1905 – 21 October 1942), was the chief test pilot for Gloster Aircraft as well as a serving RAF officer. "Gerry" Sayer flew Britain's maiden jet flight in Sir Frank Whittle's Gloster E.28/39 (Pioneer), an aircraft designed by George Carter, on 15 May 1941. Early life He was born in Colchester, the only son of Wing Commander E. J. Sayer . He attended St Joseph's College, Nainital in India and Colchester Royal Grammar School in England. Career Royal Air Force Sayer joined the Royal Air Force on 30 June 1924, being granted a short service commission with the rank of probationary pilot officer, and was posted to No. 29 Squadron RAF, based at RAF Duxford. He was confirmed in his rank on 23 May 1925, and was promoted to flying officer on 30 March 1926. He learnt to fly in an Avro 504K, and later flew Sopwith Snipes, before becoming a test pilot at RAF Martlesham Heath, the home of the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment. Test pilot Sayer was transferred to the Reserve of Air Force Officers (Class A) on 2 March 1929, to become second test pilot with Hawker Aircraft, assistant to Group Captain P. W. S. (George) Bulman (who first flew the Hurricane on 6 November 1935). He also competed in the 1930 King's Cup Air Race, flying the Cirrus Hermes-powered Desoutter Mk.I (G-AAPY) entered by Charles Bernard Wilson. He averaged over the course and came in 23rd place. In 1934 Hawker took over the Gloster Aircraft Company and Sayer was appointed chief test pilot in November 1934. On 2 March 1937 Sayer relinquished his reserve commission on completion of service, and was permitted to retain his rank. On 15 May 1941 at 7.45pm, he took off from RAF Cranwell, near Sleaford in Lincolnshire in the Gloster E.28/39 (W4041/G) powered by the W.1 engine and flew for 17 minutes, flying at over , impossible for other aircraft at the time in level flight. That Gloster aircraft has been in the Science Museum since 1946. A second aircraft of the same type (W4046/G) would be later demonstrated to Winston Churchill on 17 April 1943, having first flown on 1 March 1943 and later crashed in June 1943. On 21 October 1942 Sayer departed from RAF Acklington in a Hawker Typhoon to carry out tests of a gunsight involving gun firing