Career
He also founded the Old Flying Machine Company and regularly flew aircraft from his vintage warbird collection at airshows around the world. Hanna learned to fly in New Zealand in 1947/48 before joining the Royal Air Force in 1949. During his initial training, he flew types such as the Percival Prentice, North American Harvard and Gloster Meteor.
He went on to fly types including the Hawker Tempest, Hawker Sea Fury and Bristol Beaufighter.
His first operational posting was to Number. 79 Squadron Royal Air Force, flying the Meteor First Revision.9 as part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Second Allied Tactical Air Force.
Hanna flew a number of early British jet aircraft in this period, including the de Havilland Vampire, de Havilland Venom, Supermarine Attacker, Hawker Sea Hawk, Supermarine Swift and Gloster Javelin. The following year, he became the team leader, "Red 1", a post which he held for a record four years.
During this time, Hanna oversaw the enlargement of the team to nine Folland Gnat T.Mk1 aircraft, making possible the inclusion of the diamond-nine formation which is a staple feature of Red Arrows display routines to this day.
During this period, the Red Arrows became a permanent squadron as part of the Central Flying School. Hanna left the Royal Air Force in 1971. After he left the Royal Air Force, Hanna flew Boeing 707s for Lloyd International and then spent seven years with Cathay Pacific, flying 707s and Lockheed Tristars.
He then headed a company operating Boeing 707s.
lieutenant was during this time that Hanna was asked by the chairman of Cathay Pacific, Sir Adrian Swire, to display Swire"s Spitfire LFIXb, MH434. This was the beginning of a long association between Hanna and this particular aircraft that would last until his death.
In 1983, the OFMC bought MH434 at auction. (Mark died on September 26, 1999, from injuries sustained when he crashed while landing a Hispano Buchón {Spanish-built Bf109} at an airshow in Sabadell, Spain)
The aircraft and pilots of the OFMC featured in a number of films and television programmes, including Piece of Cake, Empire of the Sun, Memphis Belle, Saving Private Ryan and Tomorrow Never Dies.
Hanna flew his Spitfire under the bridge at Winston, near Barnard Castle, for a scene in Piece of Cake.
Hanna performed for the final time in October 2005 at the annual Duxford Autumn Airshow. He died in Switzerland of natural causes on 1 December 2005 and was buried at Street Mary"s Church, Parham in Suffolk on 15 December 2005.
