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Aviation History
1957
1957 - 0365.PDF
Arbroath is the "Alma mater" of the Fleet Air Arm's apprentices, some of whom are here working on a Gannet. R.N.A.S. Brawdy, South Wales: the new chief and petty officers' messes, part of a large, new building scheme. Air-mechanic training for leading rates takes place at Yeovilton. Here, a sectioned Mamba is studied. Maintenance work by Wrens on Sea Vampire T.22 of the Junior Officers' Air Course at Lee-on-Solent. STRUCTURE OF THE SERVICE . . . task of 766 Squadron, the all-weather fighter pool. Ground-con-trolled interceptions are practised, using the squadron's Sea Venom FAW 21s, together with a limited amount of furthernavigation and armament training, and training is continued until the crews join a front-line squadron. Two operational Venom squadrons were also in residence atMerryfield when Flight visited the station recently. These, too, were at different stages of the work-up phase: 891, with SeaVenom FAW 21s, was nearing the end of its work-up, while 894, with the higher-thrust Mk 22s, had only recently begun. Eachsquadron had its own direction officer, and air interceptions (which logically take up the greater part of the work-up periods of thesesquadrons) were directed from a nearby R.A.F. G.C.I, station. Since the Suez operations, when Venoms forsook their high-altitude role for ground-attack work, this latter type of operation has been included in the normal training of Venom squadrons.Thus low-altitude attacks with guns, rockets and bombs, directed either by Army ground units or by Skyraiders, have been addedto the work-up syllabus. Pilot conversion onto Wyvern strike aircraft takes place at Ford,where all Wyvern squadrons to date have worked-up. The unit responsible for this conversion is 764 Squadron, whose officialtitle is the Naval Jet Pilot Pool. Vampire T.22s, Sea Hawks and Wyverns make up the squadron's aircraft fleet. In addition toWyvern conversions, the squadron provides jet refresher or con- tinuation training for pilots of varied levels of experience. The Navy's Skyraider AEW Mk 1 aircraft belong to a uniqueand almost self-contained squadron, No. 849, with Culdrose as its parent station. The squadron comprises a Headquarters Flight,permanently based at Culdrose, and four operational Flights— A, B, C and D—which operate as separate units in carriers.The Skyraiders carry extremely powerful radar (which weighs about a ton) and their foremost task is early warning of attack bylow-flying aircraft. The machine, which has a crew of a pilot and two observers, is thus capable of extending the range of a carrier'sown radar. Combat air patrols may be controlled from the Sky- raider, or by the carrier directors by means of a radar relay. Otherpossible tasks include strike direction and submarine detection. Training of pilots and observers in the operation of the Sky-raiders and their equipment is carried out by the headquarters flight at Culdrose. While the whole object of the aircraft is to act as a radar platform, with the major responsibility resting with theobserver who operates the radar equipment, skilled piloting can do much to assist in increasing the equipment's effectiveness.Lee-on-Solent, long-established as the headquarters of the Fleet Air Arm, has among its varied units No. 705 Squadron, whichis responsible for the conversion training of Naval pilots on to helicopters. Equipped with Hillers, Dragonflies and Whirlwinds,the unit has certain other functions, including search and rescue, and special trials. During our visit to the squadron last month,two Whirlwinds were practising the towing of surface vessels in connection with trials of helicopters for minesweeping duties. Theproblems of helicopter night-flying are being actively studied, and typical night-flying exercises taking place during our visit includedstraight conversion training (a part of the normal course), auto- rotative landings, and trials of night rescue techniques. Each Naval air station and carrier has a resident helicopter flight,equipped with Dragonflies or Whirlwinds. One of these units, based at Lossiemouth, was awarded the Boyd Trophy for 1956 forthe outstanding rescue of 41 men from the Dovrefjell. As well as search and rescue and general communications work, certainstations have additional tasks for their helicopters, such as firing- range communications and (at Eglinton) anti-I.R.A. patrols. The Fleet Air Arm's only front-line helicopter squadron atpresent is No. 845 which, employing Whirlwind helicopters fitted with "dipping asdic" or "dunking sonar" gear (British andU.S. terms for the same equipment), are engaged on anti-submarine duties. As no fixed-wing replacement for the Gannet is planned,the experience being built-up by 845 will obviously preface an extension of the use of helicopters in this role. These squadrons and air stations together provide the facilitiesfor the Service's flying training programme. Flag Officer Flying Training has his headquarters at R.N.A.S. Yeovilton, and isresponsible for the air stations at Yeovilton, Culdrose, Lossie- mouth, Eglinton, Ford and Brawdy. Ground Training.—Those ratings responsible for the mainten-ance and servicing of Fleet Air Ann aircraft and equipment, and for the many other "ground" duties (such as aircraft handlers onboard carriers, crash and fire crews, meteorologists) which so effectively support the efforts of the aircrew, fall broadly into fourcategories. The most skilled is the artificer branch; the remaining three are those comprising naval air mechanics, electrical mechanics(air) and naval airmen respectively. Entry into each of these four grades is possible at "junior" or apprentice level, and at adult level. The main form of entry into the artificer grade is by a five-year
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