http://www.aviation-news.co.uk 43T
he English Electric Lightning
was in service from 1960 to
1988, and from inception it
was always THE aircraft to y.
Indeed, it was not until the introduction
of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier in 1968
that the crème of the RAF’s elite ghter
pilots had a challenge that could equal
ying the single-seat air defence aircraft.
Few if any Lightning pilots would say
they didn’t want to be selected for the
Mach 2 ghter, and those who did soon
learned that once bitten by the Lightning
bug it was hard to ignore. Always a
challenge to y, the Lightning was at
the pinnacle of human achievement in
terms of mental capacity of handling
and operating a Mach 2 ghter. So, just
what did it take to become a Lightning
ghter pilot?HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
Pilots selected for the single-seat air
defence role usually trod the same path
(perhaps except for a few ‘exchange pilots’
who ew their own country’s training aircraft).
Starting on the Chipmunk, pilots were graded
for natural ability and then moved to the Jet
Provost. Depending on previous experience
the novice student learnt the very basics of
ight, climbing, turning, low-level navigation,
formation ying and, importantly, instrument
ying. It may seem premature to describe the
early stages of training, but from the outset
instructors would begin to formulate a pattern
on a future ghter pilot’s abilities. Any ‘black
mark’ at this early stage could have long-term
effects on a future posting.Having successfully passed basic training,
the student progressed to RAF Valley, where
he ew (depending on what period they
passed through) the Gnat, Hunter or Hawk.
In essence, this was an abridged version
of basic ying training, but 200kts faster. It
was only at the Tactical Weapons Unit (TWU)that the gloves really came off. Initially
ying Hunters then Hawks, the aim of
TWU was two-fold: to turn a novice
pilot into a ghter pilot and then turn the
ghter pilot into either an air defence
or ground attack pilot. This was further
sub divided into single-seat or two-seat
options.
Those pilots who aspired to air
defence needed to excel in various skill
sets, but particularly the instrument
ying phase, and air-to-air combat and
aerial gunnery. Equally important was
the ability to y at night without difficulty.
Night ying was only a very small
part of initial pilot training, but would
ultimately make up around 40% of an
air defence pilot’s duties.
Though important, the low-level
phase only really became relevant if
the student lacked capacity in the latter
stages of leading formations, which
were often intercepted by ‘bounce’
aircraft. Any hint of a student showing
less than above average instrument ying
would relegate them to either two-seat
operations or ground attack roles. The
Lightning required the pilot to be exceptional
at ying accurately on instruments as well as
having the spare capacity to y the aircraft
and operate the small radar display located
in the top right corner of the coaming. The
selection process was always rigorous and
only the top 10% of students who completed
Tactical Weapon Training were posted to the
Lightning.LIGHTNING TRAINING FLIGHT
With just two operational squadrons and one
base, RAF Binbrook, the need for ‘new’ ab
initio Lightning pilots was relatively small. An
average squadron had around 12 to 15 pilots
and 12 aircraft led by a Wing Commander
and two Flight Commanders. With each
pilot completing a three-year tour, it is easy
to see that each squadron would require
just one or two new pilots per year. As RAF
Binbrook was the Lightning’s last lair, pilots
would often move from one squadron to the
next, reducing the training requirement even
further.
Situated between the two operational
squadrons (literally in the middle hangar),
was the Lightning Training Flight (LTF), a
unit whose task was speci cally to train
the Lightning force. As well as ab initio
pilots, there was also a requirement to
train Instrument rating examiners, Quali ed
Weapons Instructors and re-qualifying pilots
who had previously own the Lightning.
There was also an occasional need to check
pilots from the Empire Test Pilots School
who ew the Lightning at Boscombe Down.
When I arrived in 1986, the LTF was already
on borrowed time, but it had been blessed
with more ‘last courses’ than a wedding
dinner. Despite the threat of closure, I had
begged to be assigned to the Lightning, and
my posting from TWU was deemed to be
the last.was always THE aircraft to y.of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier in 1968
that the crème of the RAF’s elite ghter ying the single-seat air defence aircraft.Mach 2 ghter, and those who did soon
learned that once bitten by the Lightningand operating a Mach 2 ghter. So, justdefence role usually trod the same path
(perhaps except for a few ‘exchange pilots’that the gloves really came off. Initially
ying Hunters then Hawks, the aim of
TWU was two-fold: to turn a novice
pilot into a ghter pilot and then turn the
ghter pilot into either an air defence
or ground attack pilot. This was further
sub divided into single-seat or two-seat
options.defence needed to excel in various skill
sets, but particularly the instrument
ying phase, and air-to-air combat and
aerial gunnery. Equally important was
the ability to y at night without difficulty.
Night ying was only a very small
part of initial pilot training, but would
ultimately make up around 40% of an
air defence pilot’s duties.phase only really became relevant if
the student lacked capacity in the latter
stages of leading formations, which
were often intercepted by ‘bounce’
aircraft. Any hint of a student showing
Above: The author Ian Black standing next to less than above average instrument ying
a Lightning during his time on the LTF.
Main photo: New pilots on the Lightning
Training Flight were given 45 hours of ight
time before being posted to a frontline
squadron. All photos via Ian Black42-49_lightning_learningDC.mfDC.indd 43 06/02/2017 10:18