AirPilot APRIL 2017 ISSUE 20 Diary APRIL 2017 4th Senior Flight Instructors' Forum RAFC Cranwell 6th Benevolent Fund Committee Cobham House AI R PILOT 13th General Purposes & Finance Committee Cobham House 20th New Members' Briefing Cobham House THE HONOURABLE 26th Lunch Club RAF Club COMPANY OF 26th Cobham Lecture 4 Hamilton Place AIR PILOTS incorporating MAY 2017 Air Navigators 17th Inter-Livery Clay Shooting Competition Northwood 18th General Purposes & Finance Committee Cobham House 18th Court Cutlers' Hall PATRON : His Royal Highness 23rd ACEC Cobham House The Prince Philip 25th Livery Dinner Drapers' Hall Duke of Edinburgh KG KT JUNE 2017 GRAND MASTER : 15th General Purposes & Finance Committee Cobham House His Royal Highness 27th Trophy & Awards Committee Cobham House The Prince Andrew 28th AST/APT meeting Cobham House Duke of York KG GCVO MASTER : Captain C J Spurrier CLERK : Paul J Tacon BA FCIS Incorporated by Royal Charter. VISITS PROGRAMME A Livery Company of the City of London. Please see the flyers accompanying this issue of Air Pilot or contact Liveryman David Curgenven at [email protected]. PUBLISHED BY : These flyers can also be downloaded from the Company's website. The Honourable Company of Air Pilots, Please check on the Company website for visits that are to be confirmed. Cobham House, 9 Warwick Court, Gray’s Inn, London WC1R 5DJ. EDITOR : Paul Smiddy BA (Econ), FCA GOLF CLUB EVENTS EMAIL: [email protected] Please check on Company website for latest information FUNCTION PHOTOGRAPHY : Gerald Sharp Photography View images and order prints on-line. TELEPHONE: 020 8599 5070 EMAIL: [email protected] WEBSITE: www.sharpphoto.co.uk PRINTED BY: Printed Solutions Ltd 01494 478870 Except where specifically stated, none of the material in this issue is to be taken as expressing the opinion of the Court of the Company. Cover photo: Two BAC 167 Strikemaster Mk88’s owned by Freeman Brett EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS : Nicholls over the Hauraki Gulf near Auckland, New Zealand. The photo was taken The copy deadline for the June 2017 edition of by Gavin Conroy from a North American Harvard in the lead up to the New Air Pilot is 1 May 2017 and should be sent to: Zealand Warbirds Open Day at Ardmore Airfield, Auckland in June 2016. The Editor, Air Pilot, Cobham House, 9 Warwick Court, Gray’s Inn, London WC1R 5DJ. The pilots of the aircraft were Brett and Dave Brown (NZ Warbirds CFI), in TELEPHONE : 020 7404 4032 NZ6370 and Mark Helliwell in NZ6362. Note, both Mark and Dave joined the FAX NO: 020 7404 4035 RNZAF on the same day, both flew BAC Strikemasters and A4 Skyhawks in the EMAIL : [email protected] RNZAF, and both are now airline captains (Dave is an A340 captain and Mark on WEBSITE : www.airpilots.org the B777). Dave was also an instructor and display pilot on the BAC Strikemaster during his service in the RNZAF. A message from your Editor... The AAIB's final report on the Shoreham disaster was published on March 10th, and I asked our DAA for some analysis - he has provided some very cogent comments. In my (amateur) opinion, few organisations or individuals emerge from the report without some taint. However most of the holes in the cheese have already been sealed. Users of Britain's major airports will have realised that for some time they have not been operated for the benefit of passengers. Frequently owned by overseas and highly leveraged companies, their pursuit of profit at the expense of passenger comfort is very evident. Freed from Britain's licensing laws, bars are typically open for all the period the terminal is open. Recently cabin crew have (justifiably) been complaining that they are left to cope with the inevitable consequences of over-indulgence - lager breakfasts seem to be quite commonplace. And which sentient human being in the management of Manchester Airport, for example, thought it was a good idea to sanction beer being sold in two pint glasses?! Like our new Master, I too am innately against creeping regulation, but airport managements need to demonstrate a little more consideration for the wellbeing of all passengers. On which note, I wish Chris, our new Master, a very successful year - if perhaps less eventful than the one which preceded it! Paul Smiddy - Editor Contents News Round Up . 4 Gazette . 6 Profile of the new Master . 7 The Master’s Message . 10 Profile of the new Warden . 11 The Company’s Annual General Meeting . 12 Thoughts on the Shoreham report . 14 From the desk of the DAA . 16 Company visit to Retrotec . 17 Company visit to ORBIS at Stansted . 19 Walsh Memorial Scout Flying School . 22 A short visit to the front line . 24 Sheila Scott 50 years on . 25 Flying the de Havilland Caribou . 27 Luncheon Club . 28 3 News Round Up RAF BOOK In conection with the centenary of the Royal Air Force on 1 April, 2018, the RAF Museum has announced the launch of the RAF Centenary Anthology, a handmade limited edition of 1,500 books, of which 250 are signed copies. A donation from all sales will be made to the RAF100 Appeal supporting the RAF Association, Charitable Trust, Benevolent Fund, Museum and the Royal Air Force. The RAF Commemorative Anthology cover depicting the roundel and a pattern will consist of at least 650 pages of of rivets reminiscent of a wing section. documents, orders, operational reports, Each copy will come in a die cut slip- maps, air diagrams, diaries, letters and case revealing the roundel. This edition is ephemera, recording RAF life over its limited to 1,250 copies. first 100 years. It will measure 39 x 27 The Signed Exemplary Edition will be cm, in order that original documentation limited to just 250 copies published in 5 can be reproduced at full size. different versions, each representing an From General Smut’s memorandum on iconic aircraft and signed by three pilots or crew from that aircraft: the Spitfire, the CHANNEL DASH the need for an air force to the latest air actions, the book presents both a history Lancaster, theVulcan, the Harrier and the In February at the Fleet Air Arm of the Service and a series of fascinating Tornado. In addition they will contain Memorial Church in Yeovilton the 75th glimpses into RAF life, operations and extra material about each specific aircraft. anniversary of the Channel Dash was policy. Among the many extraordinary Each of the Signed Exemplary Editions commemorated. The episode giving rise documents included in the book are the will be hand-bound in full leather using leaflet dropped over German lines telling to the need for this action was one of the RAF colours, with the roundel of the them of Von Richthofen’s death, the cover inlaid in leather, and presented in a worst examples of inter-service lack of tragic last written note from Arthur specially made solander box. co-operation in WW2. Had Whitehall Aaron VC and the secret clandestine This Anthology is now offered at a and the three services been operating letters from an imprisoned Douglas special subscriber discount to members together more effectively the need for Bader. of the RAF and the RAF charities. the extreme bravery of members of 825 A team based at the RAF Museum has Members can secure a copy by been working over the last year, NAS would have been much reduced. completing the subscriber form and identifying and assessing material and sending a deposit. Once sufficient In February this year there was a flypast photographs from the RAF Museum subscriptions have been received the of four Wildcat helicopters from 825 archives and the Air Historical Branch in book will go into production with Naval Air Squadron. The Channel Dash order to create the ultimate documentary delivery planned for early 2018 in time history of the Service. There will be a is remembered by the Navy as one of the for the anniversary. All subscribers will specially written introduction to each have their names listed in the book. most daring and courageous actions in chapter and extensive footnotes The entire edition set is limited to just the history of naval aviation, when 18 throughout to guide the reader. 1500 copies worldwide and books will aviators of 825 NAS, under the All the documents and images will be be allocated on a strictly first come first command of Lieutenant Commander scanned at ultra-high resolution to ensure served basis. Members who wish to Eugene Esmonde, and flying six the best possible reproduction and the purchase a copy are urged to do so as book will be printed on a specially made, obsolescent Swordfish, attacked the soon as possible as any unsubscribed acid free, archival quality paper. The copies will be made available to the might of the German Battle Fleet in the Centenary Edition will be hand bound public from June 2017 at full price at English Channel. There were only five on brass posts in quarter leather over which point this subscriber offer will survivors. reinforced boards, with a book cloth close. 4 Subscribers will be kept in touch with Building on in its longstanding R&D co- Wayne airport in Orange County, the project through RAF100 partner operation with the city's university, California, received much publicity. A publications and the RAF Museum and Boeing plans to open its first Sun columnist was reported as Extraordinary Editions websites. In early manufacturing plant in Britain in concluding "Isn't it time Harrison Ford 2018 the publishers will write to each Sheffield. This will make complex parts has his wings clipped? Ford is rich subscriber requesting their final payment, for actuators for flap assemblies on 737 enough to buy a hangar full of incredible checking delivery details and confirming and 777 models.