SCOTTISH pilot Jim Mollinson was one of the original magnificent men in their flying machines.

Although his name may not be familiar today, he was a pioneering aviator who set many flying records.

Born in Glasgow in 1905, Mollinson learned to fly in the RAF, becoming the youngest officer in the service. In July-August 1931, Mollinson set a record time of eight days, 19 hours for a flight from Australia to England, and in March 1932, a record for flying from England to South Africa in 4 days, 17 hours.

In 1932, while working in Australia, he met and married fellow flyer Amy Johnson, but the marriage didn't last and they divorced in 1938.

During the Second World War, he delivered fighter planes to RAF bases.

He died, aged 54, in 1959.