Wing Commander Wright was born in Nova Scotia in August, 1917 and was educated there before joining the RCAF in 1940.  He was awarded his Observer wing and Sergeant’s stripes and proceeded overseas on assignment to 240 Squadron, RAF flying Stranraer aircraft.  Soon thereafter, he converted to the Catalina at Loch Erne, Ireland.  Just prior to his 25 ½ hour reconnaissance flight to Spitzbergen, Jerry had married the Scottish physiotherapist who had helped him recover after losing the fingertips of his right hand to a Catalina’s propeller.  Thereafter, his navigation logs were typed on a small portable that accompanied him everywhere.

A Far East tour provided further innovative opportunities that resulted in his attending the Specialist Navigation Course in England.  In 1946, he returned to Canada and the ANS Test and Development Section where he began development of the Synchronous Astro Compass; eventually a part of the Air Navigation and Tactical Control System (ANTAC) later fitted to the Neptune and Argus aircraft.  Next came Air Force HQ and development of the ANTAC, the R-Theta Computer in the CF-100 and the Position Homing Indicator MK V fitted to the CF-104.  His thirty patents earned Canada over a million dollars in royalties.

Staff College in 1957 was followed by a tour at the Naval Research Establishment where he was involved with radar, sonar and hydrofoil developments.  The Joint Services Staff College in England in 1960 preceded another tour at National Defence HQ in the Directorate of Instruments and Electrical Engineering.

After retiring in 1960, Jerry began JGW Systems Ltd and was a consultant on many projects by industry as well as government, including the National Research Council.  Several inventions were forthcoming during this period.  After that, he developed a series of housing construction forms that constituted the basis of the “Wright” designed prefabricated housing that was built in the Dominican Republic.

A Spec ‘N’, Jerry was an Honorary Member of the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute, an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Navigation, a Fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society, a Member of the Society for Technical Communications, and a member of the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada.  He was awarded the Inventor’s Award from the Canadian Government Patent and Development Corporation, the McKee Trans-Canada Trophy for outstanding contributions to Canadian Aviation and is a member of Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame.