Page 13 - issue19.04.2019

Royal Air Force News Friday, April 19, 2019 P13

News

Wycombe welcome for

new station chief Harris

Rhiannon Morris

CIVIC LEADERS joined
personnel at RAF High Wycombe
as Gp Capt Shaun Harris was
formally handed command of the
Bucks station.
Air Force combat chief Air
Marshal Stuart Atha and the
mayors of Wycombe and nearby
Princes Risborough welcomed
the new Station Commander
during a ceremony.
Gp Capt Harris takes over from
outgoing station chief Gp Capt
Rob Woods who has held the post role in UK defence.
for the last two years. “Our people have extremely
Speaking during the handover close ties with the local
Gp Capt Harris said: “It’s a community.
genuine privilege to take over “I am excited about working
command of a station that has together to build more mutually
a very proud history and which beneficial relationships over the
continues to play an important next couple of years”.
prevention beat Super-Rookie nets
News bulletin

Cops hit crime

flying debut double

Student clocks

up two maiden

training sorties

in new aircraft
CRACKDOWN: RAF police officers
AIR FORCE police officers have
become the first in UK defence to Staff Reporter
take part in a programme to reduce TRAINEE PILOT Jake Weeks got
crime on military bases. his military career off to a flying
A group of 18 RAF police start – making the first training
officers at Honington completed sorties in two of the RAF’s brand
the Crime Prevention Academy new fleet of training aircraft.
qualification designed to improve He was the first to get into the
on-site security. cockpit of the Prefect basic trainer
at Cranwell last year – and has just
become the first student to fly a
training sortie in the advanced two-
engined Phenom.
Fg Off Weeks, pictured, said: “I
feel incredibly lucky and grateful to
be on the first instructional sortie
for the Phenom less than a year
since the first instructional sortie
for the Prefect. BRAND NEW: The
“I feel very pleased with how Phenom, inset, the Grob
things have worked for me. The Prefect
WELL VETTED: 616 Sqn reforms Phenom is a fantastic aircraft and
Vets spy fleet role I am looking forward to the rest of The new trainers feature
my training with 45 Sqn.”
The Grob Prefect and the digital cockpits like those in
A SQUADRON made up Phenom are part of a new the RAF’s Typhoon and F-35
exclusively of former Forces generation of training aircraft Lightning stealth fighter and could
regulars has been revived to boost delivered to help the RAF to speed help slash the time taken to train a great experience helping
the UK’s airborne surveillance up the time it takes to train pilots pilots from five to three-and-a-half to bring a new aircraft into
capability. for the frontline years. service and then fly the first
The reformed 616 (South Other new arrivals include a new Sqn Ldr Ian Birchall, who was student sortie.
Yorkshire) Sqn, which took part Texan fast jet trainer to replace the the aircraft captain for the sortie, “The Phenom is by far
in the Battle of Britain and the ageing Tucano and new Juno and said: “It was a great honour to take the most capable advanced
D-Day landings, will provide Jupiter helicopters under the £1 Jake flying on his first sortie. multi-engine trainer the RAF
specialist support to the RAF’s billion UK Military Flying Training “It’s an exciting time in flying has ever had, and it’s a lovely
ISTAR fleet at Waddington. System programme. training right now and it has been aircraft to fly.”