Contents 10 8 In the News


FEATURES 10 Respondingtoyour views Air Cdre Simon Harper sets out someofthe progress thathas beenmadeoverthe Summer responding to your feedback from surveysand your views reported.


12 Welcoming the F-35Lightning 2018 is settobeanexcitng year with the anitcipated arrival of the UK’snextgeneraton combatair capability.


14 Spotlight on the Grob TutorAircraſt Find out about the many things relatng to the Grob 115E TutorAircraſt.


21 Changes to statepension Mary Petleyofthe Forces Pension Society highlights changes to state pension provision whichaffect spouses andcivil partnerswho accompanytheir ‘other half’ontoursabroad.


22 Commemorate. Celebrate.Inspire Celebratng RAF’sCentenaryyear as partofthe RAF family. Established on 1April 1918, the RoyalAir Force is theoldestindependentair forceinthe world.


26 100 yearsofRAF aircraſt at sea Looking back at the first aircraſt carrierscarried small wooden biplanes with open cockpits,anunenviable configuraton to fly over vast stretches of icy water.


FEDERATION


28 We’reheretolisten Celebratng our 10thbirthdaythis month, ‘face to face engagement’ with our personnel and families has alwaysbeen at the core of our work since the organisaton’sincepton.


30 Accommodaton Maters Service housing informatonand accommodaton update from Stan, the FF’s Housing Specialist.


34 Transiton –whatdoesitall mean?! Some useful tpsand advice on transiton transitoning out of the RAF as afamily.


44 raf-ff.org.uk Winter 2017 Envoy 5 36 26 12


36 Dispersed Families Project Atwo year project, running until June 2019, during which we willgather evidence and views,meetwith policymakers, and work to ensurethatdispersed families areoffered supportthatmeets their needs.


COVENANT 22


38 Armed Forces Covenantteam Welcome to the FF’s twonew Regional Covenant Managers.


40 Healthcareand the NHS When we talk about the NHS, the implication is thatitisone entity providing health care across the whole of the United Kingdom but the “postcode lottery”ofhealthfrequently features in the media. ForRAF personneland families who move on postng from one area to another this canoſtencreateissues about access to and contnuity of care.


HEALTH ANDWELLBEING


44 Deployedfamilycolouring boxes Meg Wicket,CDO at RAF Benson explains how the DeploymentColouring Boxworks.


45 Wifiproject reducesisolaton Athirdofserving RAFpersonnelcan nowbenefit from free communal wi-fiprovided by the RAF Associaton.


46 BuildingStrongerFamilies Building Stronger Families launched by the RAF BenevolentFund twoyearsago hits milestone aſter helping morethen300 families.


OF INTEREST


48 Bookreviews and prizedraw Twobook reviews this issue: Wales and the First Air War1914-1918 and Fightng Proud.You could win a signedcopyofeachinour prizedraw.


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