Page 10 - issue03.05.2019
P. 10
Royal Air Force News Friday, May 3, 2019 P10
News
AIRSHOW PREVIEW
Show down for display ace
TYPHOON VETERAN Flight pilot. Every time I get in the jet I completing a gym workout whilst
Lieutenant Jim Peterson is back for get that sense of excitement.” trying to play the piano at the
his second air show season. This year’s routine features a same time.”
The Bermuda-born combat number of new moves including He will be supported by a team
pilot has been putting in the a loop from take-off and a gear- of more than 20 volunteers
hours at the RAF’s new High-G down, slow-speed loop. from 29 Sqn including
centrifuge to prepare for the During the routine the aircraft three squads of engineers
body-crushing forces the swing- will top 600 knots and Jim will be who will be working shifts
role fighter will unleash during pulling 9-G during some of the throughout the airshow
the show-stopping display. more extreme manoeuvres. season.
Jim, 42, started his flying The Typhoon has the same Along with wowing
career on the Hawk T1 before wingspan as a WWII Spitfire and aviation fans with displays
moving on to the Tornado GR4 can go from brakes off to 35,000 across the world, the
and eventually to the Typhoon. feet, flying at a speed of Mach 1.5, Typhoon Display team raised
Sophie joins the fly. It is a privilege to be the display Jim added: “Imagine more than £15,000 for good
He said: “Typhoon is a dream to in two minutes.
causes last year.
village people
The revamped facilities, which UK Chinook teams
THE COUNTESS of Wessex joined
local school pupils as she opened
the new RAF-funded play parks in
Wittering.
include a climbing frame and zip
Air Cdre at RAF Wittering and a target Mali terror
wire, were funded by a £196,000
grant from the RAF Benevolent
Fund.
The Countess is an Honorary
regular visitor to the station.
Boscombe boost
THE RAF test and evaluation centre
at Boscombe Down is to receive a
funding boost under a £1.3 billion
MoD investment programme.
Defence Secretary Gavin
Williamson said: “Ensuring our
cutting-edge equipment is tried
and tested before it is sent to the
frontline is crucial to our military’s
capability.”
Andy marks date
GLOBAL REACH: Atlas
AN AIRMAN who met his future lands at Gao to deliver
wife through RAF News is looking supplies to Chinook
forward to celebrating his twentieth Flight, above right, 27
Sqn take over from 18
wedding anniversary. Sqn in Mali
Back in 1997 Andrew Rogerson,
then a Sergeant stationed at
Shawbury, answered an advert that Staff Reporter During a six-month tour the the crisis-stricken country. looking forward to building on
trainee nurse Beverley, who was heavy lift choppers with 1310 The Odiham-based combat the good work carried out by 18
based in Norfolk, placed in the Forces’ RAF CHOPPER crews are Flight have been used to transport choppers’ main role is to transport Sqn in support of the French,
favourite newspaper seeking a pen continuing to support troops and kit following a personnel by air following a which adds a new page to our
pal. Andy and Bev then corresponded French forces battling series of ambush attacks number of armed attacks and history.”
and swapped photographs. Islamist terrorists in on the nation’s roads. IED strikes targeting military Formed in 1944 the Flight
Andy, now a Flt Lt, said: “We Mali, West Africa. The UK convoys. operated Avro Ansons, Avro
exchanged letters for quite a long P e r s o n n e l g o v er nm en t The latest deployment comes Yorks in Western Australia and
time, then I arranged with Bev to from 27 Sqn flew committed three as 1310 Flight marks 75 years Westland Whirlwind helicopters
drive from Shawbury to Norfolk to into the trouble- RAF Chinooks and of frontline operations. Sqn Ldr in British Guiana, South America.
meet her. stricken country more than 90 RAF Hilliker, Officer Commanding RAF C17 and Atlas
“That was a very long drive but on board an A400 personnel to support 1310 Flight, said: “I am delighted transporters are flying monthly
when we met that was it – my fate was Atlas transporter to French-led counter to be taking command of this supply missions into Gao airfield
sealed.” take over from 18 Sqn terrorism operations historic flight as it celebrates 75 and Mali’s capital city Bamako,
The couple now have two who deployed to Gao in following a surge in attacks on years of operational success. 600 miles west of the RAF
daughters Evie, 15, and Isla, 13 and September last year. UN peace keepers operating in “The incoming personnel are Chinook deployment.
will be celebrating their 19th wedding
anniversary in September.