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Aviation History
1964
1964 - 0836.PDF
The RN's third Buccaneer squadron, No 800, was commissioned at RNAS Lossiemouth on Wednesday, March 19. Here some of the squadron crews walk out to their strike aircraft. The commissioning warrant was presented to the OC, Lt Cdr J. C. Mather, by the Flag Officer, Naval Air Command, Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Smeeton. Lt Cdr Mather is a graduate of Sea Hawk and Hunter flying and, last year, a naval staff course. Following a working-up period at Lossiemouth, 800 Sqn will embark in HMS "Eagle," when she re-commissions at the end of her present post-modernization trials SERVICE AVIATION Air Force, Naval and Army Flying News A Resounding Tinkle A SMALL ITEM in the Auditor-General's Air Services Appropriation Account 1962-63, published last week, is an apparent breach of security. A loss to public funds of £10,850 was caused, one learns, by a Fire- streak being accidentally released from beneath a parked Javelin at RAF Wattisham and damaged beyond repair. On a previous occasion, when two Firestreaks were acci- dentally dropped from a Lightning, the cost was reported as £20,500. These are the only occasions when the unit cost of an oper- ational missile has even been indirectly given by a Government source. RN Phantom Changes DELIVERIES OF THE MCDONNELL PHANTOM fighter to the Fleet Air Arm "will begin in the late 1960s and extend over two or three years," said the Minister of Aviation in a written answer last week. Certain changes in the existing aircraft were proposed by the USN for its own purposes and Britain would require these for operation from British carriers. The Minister said he expected further information about the feasibility of these changes in four or five months, following detailed USN evaluation. The change to Rolls-Royce Spey engines, for the RN Phantoms, would also require airframe modifications. Cost estimates for the Phantom acquisition were only pro- visional at present. RAAF Unworried About TFX Delays THE AUSTRALIAN MINISTER FOR AIR, Mr David Fairbairn, denied in Canberra recently that development difficulties with the F-l 11 (TFX) would delay delivery to the RAAF after the contract date of 1967, and dwelt on the slippage of the TSR.2 pro- gramme. He was replying to the Leader of the Opposition, Mr A. Calwell, who said that the RAAF would be lucky to get the aircraft—selected in preference to the TSR.2 —by 1970. "The agreed TFX delivery date is earlier than we would have received delivery of the TSR.2," said Mr Fairbairn. "There were no major difficulties with the TFX, which would meet the deadline. The first flight would be in December. Of the TSR.2, Mr Fairbairn said "We were told that it would fly last December, but it still has not flown. Any slipping behind means that delivery dates will be further behind the TFX." A USAF officer, Col Berton Burns, recently arrived in Canberra as the USAF liaison representative for the F-l 11 pro- gramme, and an RAAF group captain is soon to be appointed to be project officer in the USA. RCAF Expands its UN Ann FOUR MORE DHC CARIBOUS have been ordered for the RCAF, off the current production line, and the first two will be delivered next month. A special feature will be long-range tanks, enabling them to be ferried without difficulty anywhere in the world; an essential ability as the RCAF's Caribous form part of the United Nation's emergency force and four of the present five in service are UN- employed in the Yemen and Gaza strip. It seems likely that at least some of the new quartet will be assigned to support the UN force in Cyprus. Deere Back in Fighter Command GP CAPT A. c. "AL" DEERE, Assistant Com- mandant of the RAF College, Cranwell, and one of the leading Battle of Britain pilots, returned to Fighter Command yesterday, March 25, as AOC 12 (East Anglian) Sector, with the acting rank of air commo- dore. Credited with destroying 21 i enemy air- craft in the war—during the first three years of which he parachuted to safety three times—Air Cdre Deere led the Biggin Hill fighter wing in 1943 and was later chief instructor at the Central Gunnery School. In 1960 he became Deputy-Director of Personnel at the Air Ministry and later took the Imperial Defence College course. He is succeeded at Cranwell by Gp Capt G. C. Lamb, Deputy-Director of Adminis- trative Plans at the Air Ministry. AAC in Kenyan Surrey AN ARMY HELICOPTER of 8 Ind Recce Fit, AAC, based at Nairobi, took part earlier this month in a combined Kenya Govern- ment-United Nations mapping and re- sources survey of the upper and middle reaches of the River Tana, Kenya's longest. Use of the helicopter reduced the survey time from an estimated six weeks to six days. In addition to transporting surveyors through the arid desert region the aircraft supported Kenya Police detachments pro- tecting them from bandit raids. A WESSEX HELICOPTER from HMS Albion was making probably the record helicopter ground tow last week. After making a forced landing in the Tsavo game reserve, Kenya, where they were counting elephants for the Game Department, the crew stayed with it overnight, until tractors arrived and began towing it 100 miles to Mombasa. THE LAST FOUR SAC AIR REFUELLING BASES in Canada will be given up by the USAF by July 1. They have been made redundant by the longer-range KC-135 tanker replacing the piston-engined KC-97. The bases are at Namao, near Edmonton, Alta; Frobisher Bay, NWT; Churchill, Man; and Cold Lake, Alta. FIVE THOUSAND Air Ministry flying scholar- ships have now been awarded to air cadets since the scheme began 13 years ago. Due to take his first lesson at a Biggin Hill flying club on Saturday is the 5,000th recipient, Ldg Cdt Richard Auty, of Trinity College (Croydon) CCF—Air Section. A ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY flying instructor, Lt R. C. O'Dea, has issued a High Court writ against the Australian Navy Department for alleged prolonged refusal to accept his resignation. Lt O'Dea has been trying to resign since mid-1963. The action, believed unprecedented, is considered in Australia to be an important test case. A HISTORY OF 98 SQN, now stationed at RAF Watton, is being compiled by Fit Lt Robin Brown, who would welcome the loan of old records and photographs, particularly for the periods 1917-19and 1936-39. His address is RAF Watton, nr Thetford, Norfolk.
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