2017/07

Royalty, Risk and Runways… What more could you want?

A quiet summer of student sorties and the occasional TacEval (also known as an impromptu party at the house of a Squadron member) or mess function – sounds perfect! Unfortunately not quite what the squadron has had in mind over the last couple of months. Alongside the continual work being put in looking at the potential for a new Squadron at Valley, we have switched runways and switched back again, represented the RAF at several high profile public events and welcomed HRH The Prince of Wales to visit since the last issue. A slow and enjoyable time of settling in to the new job for our illustrious leader, Wg Cdr (Direction & Guidance) Puppy Caine. Or perhaps not.

HRH_1

Mighty IV(R) Squadron and our associated partners were thrilled to have HRH The Prince of Wales to visit in his capacity as Honorary Air Commodore of RAF Valley in July. Whilst here HRH was given a whistlestop tour of the Squadron, met many station-based personnel in the Moran Hangar and sat in one of the mighty Hawk T2s to be shown some of the capabilities our magnificent aircraft affords us in training students by Wg Cdr Caine (or as RAF News like to refer to him, Flt Lt Lynch). It was also a superb opportunity to present promotion bars to everyone’s favourite Canadian (now that Mrs Mounsey has gone) Major Brett Parker. Alongside that the Prince presented the newly reinvigorated Prince of Wales Trophy to the Creamie voted “most likely to fall on his own face 2015”, Flt Lt Lynch, as the most promising new instructor of the year.

HRH_2

Alongside the normal tasks of getting students to their front line Operational Conversion Units, IV(R) Sqn personnel were given the honour of representing the military in a flypast at the Edinburgh Royal Military Tattoo in August. In addition, crews supported airshows in Roskilde, RAF Lossiemouth, The Royal International Air Tattoo at Fairford, Biggin Hill, Dunsfold, Scampton and overseas in Malta. July and August have seen course 22 and 23 complete the 401 course, also known as A Flight, and they are now spending lots of time in darkened rooms trying their hardest to let their eyes adjust to the synthetic training world of B flight. The skills they are perfecting mirror the skills they will be expected to display when they complete their course at RAF Valley and progress, eventually to the front line and their primary role, defending the UK airspace and her interests at home and overseas. Rumour has it they have now spent so much time in the simulator that they have almost forgotten how to start the aircraft completely, and are relying on their solid A flight skills to drag B flight’s reputation back into the black. In August two glorious Creamie instructors were examined on their ability and judged to be worthy of upgrade to B1 standard, along with qualifications and upgrades for Sqn Ldr Morris and Flt Lt Payne, our congratulations to all.

Coming up we are looking forward to course 21 completing B flight and their role disposals and subsequent graduation, the initial qualification as instructors for QFI courses 13 and 14, and more detachments. more students and generally more flying.

In Futurum Videre