22Sqn goes today

[flybeboy]

22 sqn a flt stood down today at 1pm signed over to bristow 22Sqn gone no helicopters can now use chivenor they are going to use lomas at westward ho

[Vampiredave]

I think that you will find that it is Bristows at St Athan? God help us!!

[Abbey Road]

flybeboy, I am sorry to hear about the trouble with your keyboard. Must be tough to lose access to the Punctuation and Capital keys. :ok:

[ShotOne]

"God help us...??" I'm sorry to see this capability go too, vampire, but the guys taking over are also extremely capable. Life goes on...SAR has long been a civilian task in most of the rest of the world

[SLXOwft]

Don't think anyone else has mentioned - I may have missed it

14th May 2020 - 22 Squadron has re-formed at RAF Benson as the Joint Helicopter Command Operational Evaluation Unit for as part of the Aviation Warfare Branch.
"also ensure frontline crews have Qualified Warfare Instructors to support them on operations worldwide"

https://www.raf.mod.uk/news/articles/22-squadron-re-forms-at-raf-benson/

I am having visions of a bright yellow Apache - must be the lunchtime pork pi(sic).

[Herod]

must be the lunchtime pork pi(sic).

Clever.. Now, why pi?

[Jackonicko]

22 over 7. Because they used to take off over 7 Wing's HQ

[Herod]

That sounds like it might be right. The story I heard was both 22 and 7 squadrons were based at the same field during WWI, and naturally each thought they were best. 22 had a very imaginative way of showing it.

[TUPE]

On a Torteaux, a Maltese Cross throughout, overall a 'pi' fimbriated - approved by King Edward VIII in May 1936. The Greek sign 'pi' denotes the Squadron's service in France with the 7th Wing, the pilots often taking off over the Wing's HQ - hence the 22 over 7, or 'pi'. When the badge was approved, the Squadron was based in Malta, which accounts for the inclusion of the Cross.

https://www.raf.mod.uk/our-organisation/squadrons/22-squadron/

[MPN11]

Well, that's definitive! I had always thought it was the "7 Sqn" version, but glad to be finally corrected.

[SLXOwft]

More thread drift.

When I was searching for something else this morning g@@gle came up with an FOI request from 2019 regarding seniority of dormant squadrons. The top three 216, 201 and now 22 have all been reactivated. The next three adstantes are 23, 43(F) and 111(F). (hat, coat ...)

Those squadrons which were used as (R) numberplates gained no additional seniority.

"The former Reserve squadrons began to accrue seniority from 1 February 2018; they will not be able to retrospectively reclaim the time that they spent as a Reserve squadron. Former Reserve squadrons will be able to apply to readopt any other designators that they have held in the past."

top 30 dormant squadrons at 01AUG19:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/seniority_of_currently_dormant_s#incoming-1410482

Also found was a list from 2017 of the seniority of the top 30 active or dormant flying squadrons.

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/squadron_seniority#incoming-1010329

[Herod]

Thanks TUPE; that settles it.

[MG]

I love the way that FOI request is followed by If you wish to complain about the handling of your request, or the content of this response...Only the British could end with such a civil servant-ese, passive-aggressive way! It implies that ‘you won’t be happy, I know, so here’s the details of where to complain, I’ve done my bit, crack on’.

having said that, from experience, FOI requests were an absolute pain as you had to drop everything to get the answer within the designated time, but any simple request from Joe Public was usually elevated to FOI level so that there was no mistake made. I doubt much has changed.

[Evalu8ter]

‘The next three adstantes are 23, 43(F) and 111(F). (hat, coat ...)’

I guess if the 216 Sqn ‘experiment’ works, we might see them all as ‘swarm’ squadrons in the next few years...either that or the UAS’ will gain ‘shadow’ squadron status. Mind you, the thought of a ‘Tremblers’ reunion including Lightning, F4, F3 and Mavic Pro ‘pilots’ makes it almost worth reforming it as a drone squadron just to watch G&Ts sputter everywhere.......