NAVY NEWS, DECEMBER 2009 21
’re the Sea Kings scattered anywhere from Kenya on its tarmac which refuelled then lifted off en “A lot of people now know what we do. We’ve
ry to Norway, all in preparation for Afghanistan. masse before they merged in the Shropshire shown what we’ve contributed, particularly in
an The technical term for all this activity is “a bit skies with the Hawks, Falcons and Harriers. Afghanistan.”
mental”. “The aircraft are fl ying at different heights The fi nale wasn’t ‘just’ about that fl y-past,
ere So to ask the chaps and chapesses to give up a and different speeds – 90 knots for the however. There was a ‘static park’ – a collection of
to few more days of their time to support Fly Navy helicopters, 360 knots for the jets. It is very hard vintage and current helicopters on show in front
100 events did provoke some grumbles. to co-ordinate,” explains Cdr Ian Fitter, display of the Liver Building with current personnel
“The carrot,” says Cookie, director for Fly Navy 100. explaining their jobs – and more than 10,000
ut of the
“is the chance to get out and “Only as they come past the ship do they all Liverpudlians crossed Illustrious’ gangway to
d see four
about. Yes, it’s on a weekend. occupy the same airspace.” tour the ship over two days.
But it’s in Liverpool – top Which they did. “This year has put the Fleet Air Arm in the
ront, twenty
run ashore. And it’s good “To fl y in formation with so many aircraft public eye, whether it’s Illustrious in Greenwich,
for Navy PR.” is a huge privilege – I’ve never seen anything the service at St Paul’s, the garden party at
ind you. It’s It is, as evidenced like it before,” says Lt Frazer Cumming, an Buckingham Palace, or here in Liverpool,” says
ffi ce to be in…”
by reaction to the fl y- observer with 849 NAS, the Sea King Airborne Cdr Dave ‘Tinsel’ Lindsay, CO of the Naval
past. Long before the Surveillance and Control squadron. Strike Wing.
Frazer Cumming
Balbo appeared over “It’s also a huge challenge. A lot of work goes “I hope the public stand in better stead about
the Mersey there was a into it, in the air and on the ground. what we do – and we should credit them for not
steady stream of visitors “You look out of the window and see four being quite as sea blind as we perhaps think they
to the waterfront. Merlins in front of you, twenty aircraft behind are.
ur Early risers would have seen (and most you and you think: ‘This is my job.’ It’s not a bad “The Fleet Air Arm’s future is out there,
ey defi nitely heard) six helicopters lift off from offi ce to be in…” among the boys and girls, among ambitious,
” Illustrious – one Lynx, one Bagger, two Junglies, Some of the fast jet jockeys like to rile the driven people.”
two SAR (one painted in original 1969 Sea King airborne surveillance squadrons (“bag goes up, And so that was Fly Navy 100. But don’t be
pl livery) – to take part in the fl y-past. bag goes down”) and, let’s face it, the Sea King sad now it’s all over.
uld They decamped to RAF Shawbury, one Mk7 is not a thing of beauty. “We’re not 100 and out and back in the
he of numerous staging posts for the Balbo (the But then neither is the Yanks’ tankbusting A10 pavilion,” says Capt Ben Key, Illustrious’ CO,
Harriers came from their base at Cottesmore for Warthog – and it gets the job done. unequivocally. “We’re 100 not out. This may be
ool example). “It’s been a successful year from a Bagger’s the 100th anniversary of naval aviation, but I am
es Shawbury witnessed an extra 25 or so aircraft point of view,” says Lt Cumming. looking to the future.”
X, 4 x SQUIRREL, 1 x CHIPMUNK, 2 x GROB, 4
x FIREFLY... AT 1,000FT: 4 x JETSTREAM, 1
x SEAFIRE... AT 1,500FT: 2 x FALCON, 2 x HA
WK, 2 x HARRIER GR9
pictures: la(phot) kelly mcalinden, hms illustrious, and des ashton
020-021_NN_Dec.indd 2 17/11/09 16:39:57
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