RAF Valley
4-6 May 2011
Twenty-four Air Squadron members, led by Chairman Tim Clark and accompanied by the Honorary Secretary George Rolls and Trip Manager Terry Holloway, visited RAF Valley from 4 to 6 May 2011 to be briefed about the Royal Air Force's fast jet training. Members arrived in an eclectic mix of aeroplanes ranging from Torquil Norman's vintage de Havilland twins, modern twins, home builds, Piper Cub and a helicopter. The Royal Air Force were impressed by the line-up of parked aircraft and even more impressed when members of the Air Squadron flew personnel from RAF Valley during the morning of Friday 6 May, prior to departure. One of the two RAF Valley Project Officers, Flight Lieutenant Phil Bird, was taken home for the weekend to Gloucester by Casey Norman in his Cessna 185 aircraft!
The visit began with a briefing by Station Commander Bruce Hedley in the Officers' Mess Anteroom at 5.00pm on 4 May. This was followed by "Happy Hour" in the Officers' Mess, attended by many of the Station Officers. At 8.00pm the Air Squadron hosted a Dinner in the Trearddur Bay Hotel for the Station Commander and his two Project Officers. Most members were staying in the Trearddur Bay Hotel, a very comfortable establishment which unsurprisingly overlooked Trearddur Bay!
Thursday 5 May dawned initially with a bright sun and low scudding clouds, which developed into rain cloud and high winds! Hearts sank as the weather was a possible factor preventing Air Squadron members flying.
In the event, although the dampness and winds prevailed, all Air Squadron members flew - some twice. Eleven Air Squadron members: Tim Clark, Mark Coreth, Adrian de Ferranti, Ralph Hubbard, Seamus Lyons, Nigel Meek, Carletto O'Donnell, David Ponte, Robin Rotherwick, James Scurr and Christopher Usher, all flew in the back seat of a Hawk. This is the largest number of Squadron members to have ever flown in a fast jet during a Royal Air Force visit.
The remaining fourteen members: James Astor, Mark de Ferranti, Giles Goschen, Bill Hall, Casey Norman, Torquil Norman, James Scurr, John Scurr, Tim Williams, Mike Graydon, George Rolls and Terry Holloway, as well as Ben Cox, (Torquil's guest and the Dragon Pilot) flew in SeaKing helicopters. Half of the members were fortunate enough to be flown on a Sea King of which the Co-Pilot was the recently married Flight Lieutenant William Wales (aka The Duke of Cambridge!) In his standard Royal Air Force briefing which included details of weather, fuel, sortie arrangements, danger areas etc, he solemnly reported that "there were no Royal flights today"! Every member also flew in a simulator. Some members flew the Sea King Helicopter and other the Hawk T1 Simulator, which gave an exciting low-level flight through the Welsh valleys and under the Menai Bridge.
The day was orchestrated by Project Officers Squadron Leader Duncan Laisney and Flight Lieutenant Phil Bird with Air Squadron members being allocated a personal "Flying Officer" to ensure that they were in the right place at the right time.
Terry Holloway, Trip Manager, succinctly described the programme at the beginning of the day: "You have all been given your own personalised programme and a junior pilot who will look after you. Follow the programme carefully and do as you are told. Do not follow anyone else because the chances are they will be doing something entirely different and if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time you will miss your particular activity. Standard Air Squadron rules apply. If it says the bus is leaving at 8.00am, the bus is leaving at 8.00am, and if you are not on it you have missed it!"
It was just as well that twenty-two out of the twenty-four members were tolerant, because Honorary Secretary George Rolls and Trip Manager Terry Holloway were the only ones late on the bus first thing in the morning. Well they were staying in a different hotel and breakfast was not served until after the time the bus was due! The lost ten minutes was made up and thereafter the programme kept to time.
To describe the day's activities on 5 May as "fantastic and exceptionally well organised and orchestrated by the Royal Air Force" would be an understatement. Many photographs were taken, friendships were established and the members who flew in the back of fast jets enjoyed an unforgettable experience.
The visit drew to its formal conclusion with a dining-in night in the officers' Mess during the evening of Thursday 5 May, which also celebrated the Battle of Habbaniya, which was an epic air campaign mounted by No. 4 Flying Training School in 1941. The air campaign was variously described by station officers during the course of the dinner with suitable sound effects provided. A hint of the activities was provided by the ear plugs placed at everyone's seat and the flashes and bangs did not disappoint. Excellent food, service and copious wine were provided which was followed by enough Port to sink a battle ship. Project Officer Duncan Laisney, who was the also the President of the Mess Committee for the evening, regularly fined Officers a bottle of Port for misdemeanours. Thus the sight of a young flying officer being dragged nearly unconscious and naked from the wet grass through the bar at 3.00am was no great surprise! The evening's activities were rounded off by an Address from the Station Commander, who paid enormous tribute to the Air Squadron, which was responded to by Trip Manager Terry Holloway, who held the audience spell-bound with his amusing tales of the Air Squadron and an anecdote, amongst others, about a fat lady in church!
A collection from Air Squadron trip participants towards the stations chosen charities (RAFA and a local children charity) raised £5630. This donation was presented by George Rolls to the Station Commander.
Friday 6 May was an even duller day, weather wise that is. The last bus left the Officers' Mess at 0130 but George Rolls held the Station Commander Bruce Hedley to account by staying up with him until at least 0400! Coaches from the hotels to RAF Valley were delayed to allow the weather and hang-overs to clear and following some air experience flying during the morning all members made their way home during the late morning and enjoyed an absolutely unforgettable trip.
Terry Holloway
June 2011
