1980
Jungly Sea Kings so
join HMS Bulwark
1970
First Harriers
on HMS Eagle
THERE is an ongoing
But the landlocked country is
Naval presence out in
still guarded by the Naval fliers of
the sea of sand that is
the Commando Helicopter Force.
The helicopters of the CHF
Afghanistan. have been committed to the
The Royal Marines of 3 Afghan dust and mountains for
Commando Brigade and their most of the last two years.
supporting Naval brethren may be And that commitment shows
making their way homewards to no sign of slackening.
our island nation. As the vast dust clouds slowly
1993
drift to settle around the stilled
rotors, it is the Sea King of 845
A Jungly serving with
NAS and 846 NAS that rules
here, far from its natural habitat.
the UN in the Balkans The Sea King, by its very nature
1982
a helicopter for the sea, has had to
adapt hard to its new realm.
THERE’S not much these
Sea Harriers launch
days that’s truly British.
from HMS Hermes
Not the Merlin (Anglo-Italian).
Not the Tornado (Anglo-German-
Italian). Not the Eurofi ghter
(the clue’s in the title). Not the
Concorde (Anglo-French). Not
even the Sea King, that mainstay
of naval aviation (American, built
under licence in Blighty).
Perhaps that’s why one aircraft
has the power to inspire like no
other since the Spitfi re.
“When I speak to friends,
tell them what my job is, they’re
interested – they’re impressed by
the Harrier,” says CPO(AEM) 200
Mick Oates.
have to undergo the Wittering
“We take it for granted, but
experience.
then sometimes, the aircraft even
Royal
Every Harrier mechanic –
amazes me.”
electrician, hydraulics expert,
Mick has been working on
Harriers for the past decade. That’s
1994
ashore
avionics wizard, engineer – must
also serve at 20(R) Sqn. It’s where
just a quarter of the lifespan of the
in Sier
they learn the specifi cs of Harrier
aircraft which defi ned British air
maintenance after more general An OEU Sea Harrier
power in the late 20th Century.
instruction at Sultan.
It was April 1 1969 when the
Sultan is an RN establishment.
over Sarajevo
fi rst Harriers were delivered to the
Wittering is, of course, not.
RAF on its 51st birthday.
For those who feared that the
That’s a long time ago. Most
RN might be overwhelmed by all
of today’s Harrier pilots weren’t
things crabfat blue at Wittering,
born. Half the Navy News team
it’s not all bad.
weren’t born either. Man hadn’t
Yes, it’s an RAF station. Yes, the
set foot on the moon. The Beatles
RAF own the aircraft, the hangars,
hadn’t split. Golda Meir had just
the infrastructure. Yes it’s the RAF,
taken the reins in Israel, while de
crammed into the airframe is
not the White, Ensign fl ying on the
Gaulle’s leadership of France was
new, even if the aircraft itself is
mast…
entering its fi nal days.
old,” says PO Roebuck – like Lt
But on the coalface, well things
It was only the RAF which got
Cdr Bing and CPO Oates a Sea
are rather equal. As of late March
its hands on the Harrier, the GR1
Harrier veteran.
the number of RN/RAF personnel
(Ground attack/Reconnaissance
“There’s been a lot to learn on
were pretty much even (75 RN
1) on April 1 1969, fi rst the
the avionics front. It’s quite a bit
ratings to 81 RAF ranks, for
Harrier Conversion Team then, in
different. I did enjoy working on
example).
October (after man had landed on
the Sea Harrier – but the GRs are
“I thought there might be a line
the moon, but still before half the
much more challenging from a
in the hangar – the RAF to the
Navy News team had been born…)
work viewpoint.”
left, the Navy to starboard. Not
1(F) Sqn, the fi rst operational
The GR7/9s have a larger wing
a bit. Everyone works side-by-
formation.
(and 7As and 9As have the more
side,” says Sqn Ldr Tony Bobbin,
Although the 40th birthday
potent engine, as designated by
the squadron’s senior engineering
is, strictly speaking, an RAF
the ‘A’) and nine pylons allowing
offi cer (air engineer in RN terms).
milestone, the celebrations are not
more than a dozen different
“The Navy does do some things
In fact, a substantial proportion
purely Air Force.
payload confi gurations.
differently, but basically it’s the
of air and ground crew at Wittering
The RN’s involvement both
“Essentially, they’re the same
same people doing the same job in
have not been to sea.
pre-dates that 40th anniversary
aircraft,” says CPO Oates. “One’s
slightly different uniforms.
Working with Illustrious or Ark
2000
(the prototype Harrier, P1127,
a mud mover, one’s a fi ghter.”
touched down on HMS Ark Royal
“As far as I’m concerned
Royal is not part of the training
The workload of the chief
IV in 1963) and post-dates it (the
you get the best of both
programme at 20(R) Sqn; you only
and fellow AEMs has tailed off
go to sea as a qualifi ed Harrier
801 NAS on pat
Sea Harrier entered service in
worlds.” substantially with the demise of
pilot either with the Naval Strike
May 1979). There is banter. “The RAF
the Sea Harrier (“It’s great for
Wing or the RAF front-line jump above Freetown
And, let’s face it, think cannot drink,” chides Lt Cdr Bing.
me,” he smiles).
jet squadrons. And if the jets don’t
‘Harrier’ and you probably think “The RN cannot fl y,” a squadron
By the end of the Sea Harrier’s
go, neither do the ground crew…
‘Falklands’. leader in the corner chimes back
life, the jet was spending roughly
If going to sea has become an
“We have every right to celebrate instantly.
ten hours in the hangar for every
uncommon experience, going to
this birthday with the pedigree And there was resistance –
hour in the skies.
Afghanistan has not. There’s been
we have,” says Lt Cdr Neil ‘Bing on both sides – initially about
“The amount of scheduled
constant rotation of the RN/RAF
Bong’ Bing. the joint force. The RAF didn’t
maintenance on a Sea Harrier was
Harrier force through Kandahar
Indeed, it’s quite a pedigree. like surrendering some of their
enormous. They were becoming a
for the past two years. (and an equal number of RAF
Falklands aside, RN Harriers have Harriers to the Navy and the RN
museum piece. I was always doing
The Harriers’ time in trainees) pass through the
been at the heart of pretty much didn’t like losing its Harriers full
something on them,” says CPO
Afghanistan is drawing to a close Cambridgeshire air base every
every military operation UK plc stop.
Oates.
(to be replaced by the Tornado), year – the fi gure is limited by the
has been committed to in the past Some RAF lads don’t like going
“I defi nitely prefer working on
which hopefully means – for the number of instructors and aircraft
two decades: Gulf War 1 and to sea (30-man messes instead
the GR Harriers – it’s a lot easier
naval aviators at least – more time rather than the demands of the
the enforcement of the Iraq of en suite rooms on base), the
to fi nd problems.”
at sea. front line.
no-fl y zones, the Balkan wars RN lads didn’t join up to live in Those in the cockpit are fl ying But more pressing for the current At present, you can count the
of the 1990s, Sierra Leone a tent in Afghanistan (tents at essentially the same aircraft. generation of ‘fast jet jockeys’ number of Fleet Air Arm jet pilots
and today Afghanistan. Kandahar have now been replaced Wings. Tail. Big jet engine. is the need to train tomorrow’s on four pairs of hands. When the
Lt Cdr Bing came to the by cabins). Ability to hover. pilots. The number of trained RN Harrier’s successor, the Joint
world of the jump jet 13 years But a few years down the line, “As a pure fl ying experience, fi xed-wing pilots needs to pretty Strike Fighter, enters service next
ago: fi rst the Sea Harrier, for Lt Cdr Bing – he was one of the the Sea Harrier and GRs are very much double inside a decade – a decade, there will be in excess
the past half decade the RAF early ones to enter this brave new similar aircraft – they both have challenge both of resources and of 80 RN offi cer posts alone to
GR variants (we’re now up RN-RAF Harrier world – believes the big shiny lever to adjust the personnel. fi ll – pilots, fl ight commanders,
to versions 7 and 9). Today “it works – it’s the jewel in the nozzle,” says Lt Cdr Bing. “But to “We don’t have a big super- engineers, administrators, and so and the aircraft are very well
he’s executive offi cer (in crown of joint operations. operate, they’re world’s apart.” carrier, we don’t have Buccaneers, on. maintained – the engines are
Crabspeak) or senior pilot “There’s no squabbling between What the GR7 or 9 are not, we don’t have a headline war like To bolster the number of taken out every 500 hours and
(in Jackspeak) of 20(R) Sqn, the RAF and RN – not at this level. unlike the Sea Harrier, are fi ghters. the Falklands,” says Lt Cdr Bing. aviators, the RN is training fl iers completely refurbished.”
Harrier
based at RAF Wittering We have a job to do and we do it. For those who fl ew the former, the “People see a jet and think ‘that on the US variant of the Harrier, As things stand at present, the
– ‘home of the Harrier’ – What strikes both sides is how switch to the GR7/9 is less about must be RAF’. It will probably be the AV8B, while one student can last Harrier will leave service in
between Peterborough and professional we are.” what’s in the cockpit than what’s a generation before that changes. be found at Miramar (one-time 2018. But don’t write off plans for
Stamford. PO(AET) Roy Roebuck agrees. in your head. It’s important to have Navy pilots home of Top Gun outside San that 50th birthday party just yet…
Every Harrier pilot, RN “When I fi rst came here there “It’s a real change of mindset fl ying Navy jets off Navy carriers.” Diego) learning to fl y the F/A18 And somehow, come 2018,
or RAF, must pass through was resistance on both sides – – in the ‘sea jet’ your job was to Naval fl iers arriving at Wittering, Hornet. there’s a good chance it will still
Wittering, be it to convert resistance to change, but that protect. In the GR7 and 9, your face nine to ten months of intensive And when that ‘big Navy have the power to inspire – pilots,
from the Sea Harrier didn’t last long.” job is to strike,” says Lt Cdr Bing. Harrier instruction. They’ve carrier’ (HMS Queen Elizabeth) groundcrew and public alike.
(although most Fleet Air It didn’t perhaps because Roy The number of Sea Harrier already been through Dartmouth, comes along around 2015, they’ll “It’s an airborne icon with a
Arm pilots now have), and his fellow air engineers are ‘convertees’ is dwindling – both Barkston Heath (where the basics be fl ying Harriers, not the Joint big British fl ag on it,” says Lt Cdr
refresh their skills (after desk busy. Very busy. in the air and on the ground. Of of fl ight are taught), RAF Linton- Strike Fighter. Bing proudly. “Something you
or non-jump jet jobs), or to The RAF variants of the Harrier the mechanics working with CPO on-Ouse (where more advanced “The Harrier still has ten years always look twice at. The best of
learn how to operate this – which all naval aviators now fl y – Oates and PO Roebuck, perhaps fl ying is taught), and RAF Valley left in it,” says Sqn Ldr Bobbin. British.”
40 years
still-remarkable aircraft. are avionics intensive. only one in fi ve maintained the (where fast jet fl ying is imparted). “The air frames are in good ■ ANYONE who wishes to
But it’s not just pilots who “The equipment that is famous interceptor. Six rookie RN jump jet pilots shape, there’s no lack of spares, attend either the anniversary
020-021_NN_May copy.indd 1 23/4/09 10:20:31
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