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Aviation History
1957
1957 - 0387.PDF
FLIGHT, 22 March 1957 "Only from the plc.ieguard helicopter is the complete pattern seen . . ." Lt. "Lofty" Myres—and artist Homer's pencil and sketch-pad — in the Whirlwind. Ark's Day . . . angled approach and landing. The planeguard crews had yet torescue anyone in earnest (they touched wood as they answered my question) but, from conversations later with the squadronpilots, I was left in no doubt as to the insurance value of the chopper's presence. The pilots talked the same way of the crash-rescue and fire parties. In such a complex piece of airfield-cum-hangars-cum-very-large-ship as Ark, it was no small problem merely to find one's way about from one place to another—-even for an experiencedsea-dog with some pretty hazardous trips on the Gosport ferry behind him. But the Navy had thought of that one, and hadnumbered the deck levels (1, 2, 3, etc. from the flight-deck down) and had lettered the compartments along the length of the ship(A, B, C, etc. from the bows aft). Rather similar, in fact, to the old schooldays game of "battleships"—if the Fleet Air Arm willexcuse the word. All one needed to know, then, were the grid references of where one was, and where one wanted to be. Butit could still, on occasion, be rather tricky. One most interesting aspect of the carrier's organization wasthe relationship between the various groups who lived and worked in her. Although not the most senior officer aboard,the Captain was in command of his ship and all her operations. Under him, an executive Commander was concerned with theship as a ship, while Commander (Air) headed the Air Depart- ment, which looked after the flying operations. In addition,certain specialists (such as the Direction Officer and the Meteoro- logical Officer), although working closely with the Air Depart-ment, had a responsibility to the Captain for their duties. The Captain, himself a pilot and observer, had a wide experience ofNaval flying and had come to Ark from the chair of the Director of Naval Air Warfare at the Admiralty. The ship's "lodger unit," so to speak, comprised Flag OfficerAircraft Carriers and his staff, for Ark at that time was serving as his flagship. The Admiral, a large man (6ft 5in and heavilybuilt) with a large responsibility, is in charge of all the Fleet's operational carriers, and would normally direct their joint opera-tions or exercises from the operations room of his flagship. He himself had carried the unenviable weight of responsibpity ascommander of the joint Anglo-French Carrier Group during the Suez campaign. The long arm that delivers the carrier's punch comprised thesquadrons, their aircraft and pilots. Their task it was to carry and deliver the bombs, rocket projectiles, cannon shells, anddepth-charges; to fly combat air patrols; to keep a long-sighted radar-eye open for attacking aircraft, ships and submarines; and,together with the calm, controlling voice from the ship's A.D.R., to intercept and destroy—to wipe from the spider-web Perspexthe red-chalked arrows pointed towards the centre. Sea Hawks were the shapely day-fighter mounts of squadrons804 and 898, the aircraft's reputed attractions as a pilot's machine unreservedly confirmed by the pilots themselves. Tigers' headsand flying fish formed their respective squadron insignia; laconic references to "pussy-cats" and "fish-heads" were from time totime exchanged. Their work was ably complemented by the Sea Venom all-weather squadron aboard, No. 893, one of whosepilots was to make the 1,000th aircraft landing on board the following day. Lumbering bruisers in the fighter world, Wyverns had provedtheir ability to strike hard—to the surprise of some—in the Suez campaign. Ark's Wyvern squadron, No. 831, had not been atSuez but possessed a firm affection for these massive turboprop single-seaters. Cartoon character Flook made an incongruouscowling-badge. Gentlemen's aircraft from the start, the Gannets of 815 had 389 come from the green hills of Northern Ireland to embark at thebeginning of the year. Anti-submarine work was their unglamorous role; one of them, however, was to carry the Dukeof Edinburgh later that week. The remaining aircraft were the big, pregnant Skyraiders of849 "B" Flight, whose landing approaches were always good to watch, if only for the casual swinging from side to side of theirstriped and spindly hooks. Attached to 849 "B" was an R.A.F. pilot, previously on Shackletons, who did his best to keep upwith the high-living standards of his squadron colleagues. All squadron commanders, together with the other specialistheads belonging to and working with the Air Department, assembled regularly once each day at Commander (Air)'s meeting.Normally this would be held after the end of the day's flying; if night-flying were scheduled, it might take the form of a numberof informal discussions during the evening, as convenient. Today, it was to be held in the slight breathing-interval between the endof day flying and the start of night flying. "Today was pretty good value," Commander (Air) began,looking round the large table at his colleagues, "So far the flying programme has gone very well . . ." The meeting was takingplace in the Information and Intelligence Room below the ward- room; the atmosphere was almost that of a city company's Boardmeeting. The general object was to discuss the day's flying, and to talk about the next day's programme. "Wings" beamed his genial smile, and the talk got under way.Although two of the squadron commanders had round, West- End faces fit for any Board of directors, the general appearanceof those present dispelled my Boardroom fantasy. Some wore "mess undress" in preparation for supper, their black bow-tiescontrasting neatly with the yellow scarf of one of the flight-deck Portrait of a pilot: Lt. Cdr. David Crofts, senior pilot of 804 Squadron (Sea Hawks).
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