aviation - the past, present and future of flight

Lightning Augmentation Flight Formed at Binbrook in 1981 and used by Lightning pilots not assigned to  ying units to maintain their

currency on type. It drew aircraft from rotated storage. Fin markings were a  uorescent orange ‘LAF’

(similar size and style to ‘LTF’) or the lettering was smaller enclosed within a diamond.

Lightning Conversion Squadron Established on August 10, 1961, at Middleton St George (now Durham Tees Valley Airport).

Operated the T.4 variant. It became 226 OCU on June 1, 1963.

Lightning Conversion Unit Formed at Coltishall on January 4, 1960 and borrowed F.1s and F.1As from other units. It became

the Lightning Conversion Squadron.

Lightning Training Flight Formed at Binbrook in September 1975 and operated the type (including F.3s, F.6s and T.5s) until

April 1987.

Wattisham Target Facilities Flight Formed in 1966 with F.1s to provide targets for practice high-speed  ghter interceptions. Disbanded

in December 1973.

226 Operational Conversion Unit This unit ‘stood up’ at Middleton St George (now Durham Tees Valley Airport) as 226 OCU (145

Shadow Squadron) on June 1, 1963. In April 1964 the OCU relocated to Coltishall. It was renamed

226 OCU (65 Shadow Squadron) in January 1971. Sub-units within the OCU included No.1

(Conversion) Squadron, No.2 (Weapons) Squadron and No.3 (Advanced) Squadron – the latter

being referred to as ‘2T’. The OCU disbanded in July 1974 with many aircraft transferring to Binbrook

to form the Lightning Training Flight. The OCU  ew F.1s, F.1As, F.3s T.4s and T.5s, and also

converted Saudi pilots to the T.55.

Note: Lightnings were occasionally loaned or temporarily assigned to other test or maintenance units; due to the transient nature of these

deployments, they have been omitted from this list.

52 Aviation News incorporating Jets April 2018

Twin-seat trainer T.4 XM969 of 226 OCU in July 1980. This aircraft was  rst

 own on March 28, 1961 by test pilot Jim Dell and served with the unit for

most of its  ying career. It was scrapped at Binbrook circa 1988.

Above left: The OCU’s conversion squadron was also known as 65 (Shadow) Squadron, and many of its aircraft, such as F.1A XM182, carried 65’s

unit markings. The  ghter is illustrated here at an airshow in August 1972.

Above right: Lightning F.1 XM147/C of the Wattisham Target Facilities Flight, circa 1966.

The three Lightning F.1As of the Leuchars Target Facilities Flight. The Aviation Photo Company

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