Heron Flight - End Of An Era

[T3fan]

Today (Mon 29 Sept) the final RN Jetstream T3 will depart RNAS Yeovilton for the last time, heralding the sad closure of Heron Flight and the end of an RN fixed wing operational support and communications capability dating back to WW2.

On behalf of all on Heron Flight we would like to thank everybody who has worked for us, helped and supported us over the years. In particular, we want to thank those who have spent considerable time and effort over the past 9 months in the valiant but ultimately failed battle to save us.

Personally, I would also like to pay tribute to the incredibly professional and dedicated SERCO personnel, who have worked tirelessly over many years to cement Heron Flights enviable reputation for reliability, flexibility and punctuality. A more loyal and ‘can do’ bunch you could not wish to meet; they do not deserve this and I wish them all the very best in their quest for new employment.

Although now is not the time to apportion blame (they know who they are!) it would be nice to know that in future livelihoods are not sacrificed as a result of dubious accounting and petty inter-service rivalry. Heron Flight was a lean and cost effective capability that benefitted all 3 services and undoubtedly contributed to the OC of our front line units. It will be sorely missed and very difficult to replace.
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[serf]

Heron Flight today, 7 Regt AAC tomorrow..........................

[spheroid]

Although now is not the time to apportion blame (they know who they are!)

He knows who he is and he should be ashamed

[Training Risky]

Ooooh who? Civil Servant or military? Command HQ or MOD?

Spill the beans!

[Chairborne 09.00hrs]

So long, and thanks for all the fish!

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q217/John_txic666/XR441VL8689.jpg

[Bismark]

Today (Mon 29 Sept) the final RN Jetstream T3 will depart RNAS Yeovilton for the last time, heralding the sad closure of Heron Flight and the end of an RN fixed wing operational support and communications capability dating back to WW2.

What on earth is going on....have I missed something? Why on earth has this service been cut?

Quote:
Although now is not the time to apportion blame (they know who they are!)
He knows who he is and he should be ashamed

Who is it? Own up man!

[The Ferret]

Is this another example of the beancounters slicing through another perfectly sustainable and operational capability? I remember many trips in the Heron, Dove and then the "Wetdreams" from one end of the country to the other - efficient use of duty time and often cheaper overall than taking the first class sleeper train!

Another erosion of benefits to ageing pilots who were able to use the Flight as their ticket to civvy street and the airlines having flown helicopters all their previous natural life!

Bah Humbug!

The Ferret
:=:=:=

[BEagle]

From http://www.pprune.org/military-aircrew/335801-demise-jetstream.html post #3:

You are well out of date! Surely you have heard that CAS didn't like being seen getting out of an RN Jetstream at an RAF base so he told his underlings to get shot of the T3s, despite the fact that the Crabs are in desparate need of AT and the T3s are so cheap to run compared to the 146 or the 125. And they can move 16 people all over Europe!
Look at the savings - £5 mil over 10 years to run Heron Flight versus a annual £3million uplift in MODs travel budget by getting rid of the T3s.

Surely that can't be the full story? Was Heron Flight really Torpydoed in such a despicable way?

[AllTrimDoubt]

Basically...yes!

(Good luck to all those at Heron Flt for the future)

[L1011GE]

Time for nostalgia, if anyone wants a mahogany model of a Jetstream or a Heron PM me (or any other aircraft)

[sycamore]

There`s a very nice Heron,Devon,and Anson at Cov.,plus a couple of Daks,DC-6s,that would make a nice comms and freight Flight....

[davejb]

I'm not surprised (little does that these days) but I am saddened -

During the Bosnian crap (think of a better description) the Navy 'borrowed' me on RFA Argus for a few days, and the lowly Sgt at Northwood that they spoke to about it said that getting me and my kit down there was down to the dark blue.

16 hours later I had a private Jetstream to the south of Italy, via France (that place they used to run F1 races in the 70's or so). Bloody amazing, and all they wanted was a butty box from inflight each on the flight deck - still the best and cheapest trip to the sun I've enjoyed! Damned nice blokes, I can't imagine a better service unless CAS wants some flunky to serve the coffee instead of opening the damn thermos himself. (Isn't that what an ADC is for?)

Being an FS back then I DID have to fight the urge to wave regally at the tower as we left ISK.....

Thanks Heron, I for one really appreciated the service...for what that's worth in the grand scheme of things.

[Occasional Aviator]

Great shots Tourist, it brings back happy memories of BDU for me!

I served at Yeovilton for several years and I do agree - Heron Flt were a great outfit and no doubt operated the aircraft in a very efficient way.

But seriously guys, does anyone really believe that a service chief has that much sway over the equipment programme? You clearly haven't worked in MoD if you think that Torps could make 'his underlings' get rid of a type operated by another service. How realistic would it sound if I went around accusing 1SL of killing off the Jaguar to make sure we were short of CAS aircraft, and thus justify F-35?

And I'm sorry, for those that 'heard him say it' or 'have the inside track', things just don't work like that. Sorry. Let's not keep blaming all the ills of the FAA on the RAF - actually we're all under a lot of pressure, so let's all just get on with delivering joint effect.

[Two's in]

I remember the 'Admiral"s Barge" Heron around 1980 (wasn't it green and white?) being the most immaculate aicraft I had seen at the time and since. All that polished wood and brass was truly amazing - whatever happens to a piece of Military history like that?

[Juan Smore]

It is a total travesty that Heron Flight should be treated in this wholly despicable way. The flight had to be the most cost-effective, efficient and 'can-do' unit in the RN which provided superb comms support to all three services.

The combined budgetry burden on those units which will now have to travel commercially will be far greater than the savings realised by disbanding Heron Flight. It just proves the gross ineptness of those making the decisions; can they not cope with simple maths? It's not rocket surgery after all.

The best of luck to all the chaps who now have to move on; you didn't deserve it.

A Heron Flight fan.

[Seaking93]

The 'Admirals Barge' Heron is alive and well, I saw it by chance last month as I drove up I5 in Oregon, it was sitting on the line at Albany MAP looking just as it did at VL, its now registered as N82D.