FlyPast 06.2018

72 FLYPAST June 2018

1918 2018

our mental agility and ability to spot

other aircraft at all altitudes.

The target pilot would fly a set

triangular route, speed and height

and announce his start point. As the

‘fighter’ you had to guide your pilot

by ‘dead reckoning’ to where the rat

would be, using a stopwatch and

compass. This was very rewarding if

you arrived in his 6 o’clock position

(directly behind him) unseen.

During the early 1980s the RAF

realised that most of the tactical

weapons training on the new

HS Hawk T.1 trainer was being

flown with an empty rear seat. In

a pioneering move it allowed fast

jet navigators to join pilot courses

and use the vacant seats to build

airmanship. This was a major bonus

prior to starting the Buccaneer or

Phantom operational conversion.

INTIMIDATING

In 1979 when I started at 228

Operational Conversion Unit

(OCU) the RAF had seven AD

squadrons flying a mix of Phantom

FG.1s and FGR.2s. The Navy had

given up the FG.1 and the RAF was

now the sole operator.

Based at Coningsby in Lincolnshire,

228 OCU was the largest user of the

type with around 24 on strength,

training all frontline units as well as

weapons instructors, instrument rating

examiners and instructor pilots.

make the grade, slots were given

on the Vulcan (the last was in

1979), the Shackleton AEW.2 and,

occasionally, the Canberra.

‘JP’ TO HAWK

Those candidates selected for the

Phantom went back to the ‘JP’ for

specialist AD training. Finally, you

began to get a feel for what was to

come. The instructors were mainly

former Lightning or Phantom pilots

and it was their job to teach us the

main AD skills.

Air combat manoeuvring was

technically not allowed, but we

performed tail-chases and the odd

basic tactic. Additionally, we took

part in ‘Rat and Terrier’ low-level

air defence interception exercises, a

throwback from the 1950s and the

start of the Cold War. These tested

Above

FGR.2 XV430 taxies

down the runway at

Luqa, Malta, in the late

1970s. KEY COLLECTION

Right

Pictured at a Honington

open day, XT896 had

adopted the grey

low-visibility scheme

by September 1981.

Note the RWR on the fi n

tip and the ILS spade

aerials below it. KEY

COLLECTION

“During the early 1980s the RAF realised that most of the tactical

weapons training on the new HS Hawk T.1 trainer was being fl own

with an empty rear seat”

our mental agility and ability to spot

228 OCU was the largest user of the

type with around 24 on strength,

training all frontline units as well as

weapons instructors, instrument rating

examiners and instructor pilots.

make the grade, slots were given

on the Vulcan (the last was in

Above

FGR.2 XV430 taxies

down the runway at

Luqa, Malta, in the late

KEY COLLECTION

Pictured at a Honington Pictured at a Honington

open day, XT896 had