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Aviation History
1958
1958 - 0111.PDF
24 January 1958 unable to absorb and act upon so much information fed into their heads at one time. Those who emerge are obviously trained to a high point of efficiency and worth every penny of the £6,000 that has been spent on each of them. A special word should be added here about the Tactics Wing, which is responsible for the ground training of pilots at the A.A.C. Centre. Commanded by Maj. H. W. Simms, D.F.C., R.A. (whose position broadly corresponds to that of the chief ground instructor at an F.T.S. or O.C.U. in the R.A.F.), it has on its staff instructors in ground school subjects such as naviga- tion, meteorology, airmanship and aircraft recognition, and instruc- tors in signals and gunnery. Maj. Simms, among his other duties as O.C., has the complicated task of working out lecture syllabi for three courses simultaneously—the new entrants, and the Inter- mediate and Exercise Flights—and of adjusting these at short notice when flying is "scrubbed" because of the weather. Behind the Flying and Tactics Wings at the A.A.C. Centre is the R.E.M.E. Technical Wing, whose staff is training men to take over all first- and second-line servicing. At present (until the A.A.C. has enough of its own) the trade school instructors are seconded from the R.A.F. Recruits for the school (in the main volunteers) are Class I and II vehicle mechanics who have pre- viously worked on tanks or M/T or in allied trades, and they receive a nine weeks' course under four main headings—airframes, engines, instruments and electrics—which culminates in a trade test. As the CO. of the Technical Wing, Maj. J. R. Probert, put it: "We are taking one man and making him into a four-trades man." (Though he admits that this can only be done with com- paratively simple types of aircraft such as those the A.A.C. operates.) R.E.M.E. is responsible for the servicing of Air Corps aircraft on a world-wide basis. Although April 1 is the official date for the Army's take-over of first-arid second-line servicing from the R.A.F., at that time the A.A.C. will still have many R.A.F. maintenance personnel working for it. There are to be three types of R.E.M.E. workshop in the Air Corps organization: flight, for first-line servicing; independent flight, to do both its first- and second-line servicing; and squadron, for second-line servicing. The R.E.M.E. training school at Middle Wallop has been in existence about four months; and it also takes Ma,. D. C. K. Waddington, R.A., with F/L T. D. Taylor, D.F.C. (right), from whom he is shortly taking over as commander of the A.A.C.C. Elementary Flight. in telecommunication mechanics on a 12-week course which covers aircraft radio, instruments and electrics—for men who will eventually do the second-line servicing on this equipment. In addition, introductory courses are given for a number of trades- men whose actual training is done by the R.A.F.—such as welders, painters (responsible for airframe surfaces, and also for safety equipment) and carpenters. Supervisory grades—such as arma- ment artificers (aircraft)—are already being trained by the R.A.F. and by de Havilland and Saunders-Roe, these firms giving tuition entirely free; and the first of the senior N.C.O.s in these grades will finish their R.A.F. courses in about six months. A technical services section is also being organized, which will eventually take over what the R.A.F. at present does for the A.A.C. at Command level, such as modifications and the revision of servicing schedules. Finally, not the least important part of the Technical Wing's work at Middle Wallop is the instruction it gives on engines and airframes to u/t pilots. Also at R.A.F. Middle Wallop is No. 6 Independent Liaison Flight, equipped with Auster 9s (and formerly, before the a.u.w. limitation of 4,000 lb was imposed, with Sycamore helicopters). Thus all aspects of A.A.C. organisation and at least one aspect of its operational work are represented on the station—where, like the Joint Helicopter Experimental Unit, the Corps uses R.A.F. facilities such as the A.T.C. What does the future hold for it? One hopes, never the really big occasion of a full-scale war; though its high standard of train- ing should fit the Army's new air arm for any eventuality. For its operational tasks there is to be one squadron per division and each squadron will have one flight per brigade, with six aircraft (three helicopters and three fixed-wing) and seven pilots in each flight, representing as far as possible different arms. There are also to be certain independent liaison flights (like the one at 113 A class of Army Air Corps student pilots receiving ground instruction in the Centre's Tactics Wing. (Below) Army - R.A.F. co-operation at Middle Wallop: R.E.M.E. tradesmen being in- structed on an Auster. Middle Wallop), each with six aircraft similarly divided. Normally, squadrons are to be commanded by a major and liaison flights by a captain (though where independent, by a major). The Austers employed will be the Mk 6 in Germany, the Middle East and at home, and 9s in the Far East. But the A.A.C. is hoping for something to replace the Mk 6 in reconnaissance duties, and would like to have the E.P. 9 for liaison work because of its greater load-carrying capacity. Its intention to have a more powerful helicopter has already been mentioned. The Mk 12 Skeeters are expected about May, and there is considerable interest in the Alouette. The A.A.C. is still in its embryonic stage, and at present only up to one-third of its planned strength. Its members wear their own regimental shoulder flashes, but a special type of A.A.C. beret is under consideration by the Army Council. This, like the para- troopers' red beret, would give a special feeling of individuality and pride in the Corps; but judging by the impression gained on a visit to its Centre no outward symbol is needed to make the keenness and morale of the Army's newest arm any higher than it is at present. It is a considerable feat to turn an Army officer or N.C.O., in an age group much higher than that of the average R.A.F. u/t pilot, into a first-class flyer who has to work entirely on his own initiative according to instructions given to him over the radio. As S/L. Jones, the C.F.I., put it: "This is flying very near die limit—infinitely harder than much that the R.A.F. does." And in addition to achieving this standard at Middle Wallop, the A.A.C. is planning to send out its own Examining Board—con- sisting of the Chief Instructor, Chief Technical Officer, an A.A.C. and a C.F.S. examiner, and a Flight Safety Officer—to visit the Corps' units all over the world, ensuring that the highest standards are maintained. Under the energetic command of Brig. Weston, the A.A.C. Centre is tackling its job with thoroughness and enthusiasm and proving that when it comes to flying the Army—though not bid- ding to rival the R.A.F.—can reach an equally high level of operational efficiency. H. W. One of the Chipmunks used by the A.A.C. for elementary flying instruction about to take off on a training sortie at Middle Wallop.
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