Fly Past

May 2018May 2018May 2018 FLYPAST 51FLYPAST 51FLYPAST 51FLYPAST 51

I imagined that anything more than
a two-second burst of the cannon
would have caused the sturdy Hunter
to pop all its rivets. I tried it one day
with the full six seconds and it didn’t.

Combat tactics
The training routine included many
low-level navigation and visual
reconnaissance exercises at around
250ft over the jungles of southern
Malaya. We would carry out mock
attacks on a variety of targets, often
bridges, which were filmed for later
analysis.
These were conducted normally in
pairs or fours. To extend endurance,

such sorties often included a high-
level outbound and return cruise
at around 35,000ft, skirting the
‘Cunims’ [cumulonimbus clouds]
that normally built up to much
higher altitudes by mid-afternoon.
Very occasionally, we made
simulated attacks against Royal Navy
warships. These enabled us to make
exciting, low-level passes across the
ships, not always using the most
tactical of parameters.
Basic combat techniques involving
two aircraft, matched one against
the other, progressed to two-versus-
two or two-on-four exercises. We
practised offensive and defensive
techniques, improving our abilities
to build the essential, mental 3D
picture, which enabled us to spot

opportunities early enough to get

into a position for a ‘kill’.

Air combat training was flown

high above the jungle or the sea and

involved much rapid rolling and

pitching in very tight vertical and

horizontal manoeuvres with many

rapid reversals. Our heads swivelled

constantly to maintain visual contact

with, or search for, the prey.

Our g-suits were almost

permanently inflated, squeezing

the trunk and legs to prevent blood

pooling in the lower limbs and

body. We enhanced our g-threshold

by tensing our stomach and neck

muscles as hard as we could, grunting

and sweating like mad and frequently

brushing rivers of sweat out of our

eyes.

The Hunter’s cooling system

was not adequate and we returned

frequently dehydrated within, yet

soaking wet in our thin, lightweight

flying suits. These drenchings quickly

rotted our flight suits and they had to

be changed regularly.

In air combat as a pair against

another pair or four, it was the JP’s

main role to keep in loose, swept

formation at about 250 to 300 yards

(228 to 274m) from the leader.

One had to pay close attention to

sticking in position on the leader

as he manoeuvred hard, while

constantly twisting and turning one’s

neck to the rear to confirm our tails

were clear of any threat.

It was equally important to keep

tabs on all the other ‘friendly’ aircraft

involved. Mid-air collisions could

easily occur and when they did they

were usually fatal.

Badger baiting

Fighter-versus-fighter was one

thing, but we also had to prepare

for the possibility of intercepting

Indonesian Tupolev Tu-16 Badger

jet bombers. Practice interceptions

were carried out using the Ground

Controlled Interception (GCI) and

air defence radar at Bukit Gombak

on Singapore.

The GCI controller was responsible

for vectoring us into a position

behind the ‘enemy’, usually another

Hunter, from which a ‘guns kill’

could be made. Unlike our Javelin

colleagues, with their air-to-air

missiles, we had only our Aden

cannon and so we had to get within

about 600 yards to ensure success.

It was a process of skilled

teamwork, especially as the initial

approach was normally from an

offset, head-on position. The

timing and execution of the 150°

to 180° turn into the target’s rear

sector required great precision by

pilot and controller.

The Badger had a radar-controlled

tail gun so it was not a good idea to

arrive leisurely behind it at the same

height and only 600 yards away. A

special technique, known as a ‘snap-

up’ attack, was developed to enable

us to spend the absolute minimum

amount of time behind the target,

having arrived in a shooting position

more rapidly and unexpectedly.

We were vectored into line astern,

some 2,000 or 3,000ft below. When

almost directly underneath, head

such sorties often included a high- pooling in the lower limbs and
body. We enhanced our g-threshold

for the possibility of intercepting

Indonesian Tupolev Tu-16

jet bombers. Practice interceptions

were carried out using the Ground

Controlled Interception (GCI) and

air defence radar at Bukit Gombak

Left

One of the

squadron’s FGA.9s

• XJ674 – shows
  off its ordnance:
  three-inch unguided
  rocket projectiles,
  230-gal drop tanks
  and the Aden gun
  pack. This aircraft
  was abandoned
  off Tengah in July
  1968 after an
  undercarriage leg
  failure.

Below left

Pilots of 20

Squadron enjoy

some downtime on

one of the unit’s

aircraft.