Francis (Frank) Humphrey Dell was born in 1923, joining the Home Guard in 1940 while still at school. He served in the RAF between 1941 and 1946, and then flew for BEA in Cyprus before returning to the UK in 1954, where he flew Viscounts, Vanguards and Tridents, retiring in 1976 as British Airway's Chief Pilot (Technical). After retirement Frank served as a member of the Board of the Civil Aviation Authority, and held the post of Master of the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators in London.