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Aviation History
1951
1951 - 2136.PDF
II- As No. 2 Squadron is based in Germany, emergency instructions on the sides of the aircraft are duplicated both in English and German Pilots and aircraft, dispersed in the sunshine, await their turn to'get off for a spot of low-level espionage over the "Fantastic" ground forces. on the ground floor of the control tower, and the crew room, etc., at dispersal. This system was, of course, a function of the facilities available at the airfield, but it appeared to be working very well. Two leader-and-lookout pairs were always maintained in the ops room, and as soon as one pair were sent off on a job they were replaced by another pair from dispersal, a transport shuttle-service being laid on for the purpose. The highly specialized nature of the squadron's work demands a rather different organization than that which normally applies. They have no Wing Commander Flying and do their own opera- tional controlling; for this reason the squadron has the unusual complement of five flight lieutenants who, on a roster system, act as ops controllers with the CO. keeping a watching brief and, as necessary, taking his turn at the table. Attached to No. 2 (and to their companion photo-reconnaissance squadron, No. 541, also based in Germany) are two army officers, Maj. Newton and Capt. Wilson, who head the Ground Liaison Section. By this means, the squadron is kept informed about army affairs, methods of work, equipment and, in fact, everything which has any con- ceivable bearing on the job. Maj. Newton and Capt. Wilson accompanied the squadron to Thorney Island and were responsible for briefing and de-briefing the pilots. Although the squadron were operating in their normal Tac/R role on behalf of "Southland," the defending side, they were, in addition, available on demand for laying on ground attack sorties as well, chiefly in order to give the ground forces some experience of what it was like to have jet aircraft flashing about low overhead. The ground-attack sorties, however, were relatively sporadic and afforded occasional light relief for the pilots as a change from their more normal and, perhaps, more hazardous work. The area of the exercise was bounded by a line running roughly from Wareham, via Wimborne, Ringwood, Romsey, Winchester, Alton, Farnham, Aldershot, Camberley, Maidenhead, Marlow, Watlington, Wall- ingford, Didcot, Swindon, Wootton Bassett, Chippenham, Corsham, Bradford-on-Avon, Frome, Maiden Bradley, Mere, Wincanton, Sherborne, Dorchester, Wool, Lulworth, and back to Wareham. This area was outlined on two large (half-inch to the mile) maps on the wall of the ops room, each covered with tracing linen on which chinagraph symbols were appropriately marked. One map showed the ground situation and was used for briefing, whilst the other showed the missions in progress. As a yardstick to guide pilots as to what was "report-worthy"/0'' the exercise was the list: four tanks, eight vehicles, 30 men, bridging equipment, four guns, H.Q.s, parachutes. The normal operational procedure was for the squadron to be given an overnight "pre-plan" for their first-light reconnaissance the following morning, these first-light missions being to make area-or-road searches to establish any change in the overnight status quo. Thereafter, during the day, the squadron's missions would be impromptu on (army) demand. The squadron were given six check points, or "gates," respectively at Romsey, Winchester, New Alresford, Alton, Farnham and Camberley, over which they were required to pass into and out of the exercise area. Army headquarters, on being advised of the time the aircraft would be passing over the check point, would then instruct the appropriate defending gunners to give the aircraft a safety lane between check point and search area. For the flight back from the search area to the check point, a similar safety lane was arranged, the pilot telling Army H.Q. that he would be leaving his search area in, say, five minutes, whereupon H.Q. would accordingly instruct the relevant guns. In conclusion, it remains only to be said that No. 2 Squadron is evidently a highly efficient unit in which that curiously indeter- minate and yet potent quality, squadron spirit, is a very real thing. The pilots like the F.R.9 very well as, in fact, do the ground crews, for the serviceability and maintenance factor for these aircraft is excellent. As to the amount of flying the squadron put in, this averages about 360 hours per month, and in this context it is apposite to recall that the squadron this year won the Duncan Trophy for the R.A.F. day fighter squadron achieving the best all-weather flying record. Cabt m (!e "** room> °fter ° miss'on> ° Pair °f Pilots are de-briefed byWilson, a ground liaison officer attached to the squadron. CIVIL JOBS FOR EX-N.S. PILOTS AN "announcement by the Ministry of Civil Aviation of steps **• taken to encourage R.A.F. National Service pilots to seek posts in commercial aviation at the conclusion of their service indicates a move in the right direction and one foreshadowed in a leading article on September 28th. The statement says that by arrangement with the Air Ministry the National Serviceman who has attained "wings" standard may apply to appear before a selection board on which prospective employers will be represented. If a candidate is approved by the board he will be considered suitable for civil aviation and eligible for any vacancy existing at the time of his release. The new arrangements will augment the current pre-selection scheme applicable to R.N. and R.A.F. personnel. The flying experience which a National Serviceman will acquire in the R.A.F., says the announcement, will be sufficient to meet the requirements of the civil Commercial Pilot's Licence, and it will be possible for him during his Service training to obtain the additional knowledge of civil aviation required to pass the examina- tion for such a licence. The qualifications usually required by a civil transport pilot, however, are at least those of the next higher licence, viz., the Senior Commercial Pilot's Licence. The Minister of Civil Avia- tion therefore expresses his confidence "that employers will be willing to engage ex-National Servicemen who have qualified for the Commercial Pilot's Licence and, under special arrangements, to train them on the job to the higher standard." The Corporations have already agreed to do so and to pay trainees at "cadet" rates. On the face of it, the new move is less forceful than might have been hoped; but at least establishes the basic machinery.
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