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Mark Green
He has made dinner for Prince William, been guard of honour for Prince Charles and flown fighter jets for the Royal Air Force. Kingswear resident and ex Air Vice Marshal Mark Green has led an exciting life to say the least. But these days he is enjoying a quieter, more restful time and you can often find him on the water or on his terrace watching the comings and goings on the River Dart. He caught up with our reporter Steph Woolvin for a little chat...
M
ark Green has moved house over 27 times! He has worked in a whole
host of countries and lived with his family in North America, South Africa, Germany, England and Wales so you can understand why he and wife Jane now like to stay put in the South Hams. All this travelling took place with the RAF, a career which started in the school playing field: “When I was very young I didn’t know what I wanted to be and my parents didn’t have any aspirations for me. But one day at school I watched an aeroplane fly overhead and wondered what life would be like as a pilot.” When he realised how much work was involved he didn’t flinch, instead he put his head down, joined the Air Training Corps and eventually won a flying scholarship. This allowed him to get his pilot’s licence at just 17: “I learnt how to fly before I could drive!” Mark then went to university to read aeronautical engineering. “Prior to starting the course at Imperial College, London I applied for the RAF cadetship programme. There are many different trades and roles within
the Air Force - engineers, doctors, dentists, logisticians - not everyone is a pilot. However, I had my mind set that I wanted to fly. Fortunately, I passed the three-day selection process consisting of interviews, aptitude and IQ tests which meant the RAF sponsored me to go to university. I wore Acting Pilot Officer rank and would go flying at weekends and during the holidays.”
“Landing a Harrier on an aircraft carrier was an unforgettable experience”
He says his friends thought this was all rather ‘cool’, but that was mainly because he had a car so they could all get around! “It did feel a bit like a strange double life, once a week I went into town to the headquarters for lectures which was great because I got to meet others doing the same thing from colleges and universities around London. There were around 120 of us and it was these guys that I would go flying
with at the weekends.” All this increased Mark’s motivation and soon he had 150 hours flying time under his belt and had been sent to a number of different countries including spending a university summer holiday in Cyprus where he helped on search and rescue operations: “I was definitely living the dream,” he says with a smile. At the end of university, he
started his 32 weeks of officer training at RAF Cranwell and was later selected to join a Harrier Squadron based in West Germany. “I was captivated by the Harrier. I thought that flying a fast jet that could launch from an aircraft carrier and then stop in mid-air and then land vertically was just amazing.” After some six years of operating the Harrier around the world, he started his route via promotion through the ranks. He said that this meant he spent less time doing the thing he loved - flying. “You start to do more managerial roles often combined with ground tours. However, I cannot complain as I got some great jobs such as deciding on future Harrier upgrades. I also tested aircraft weapons and
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