Originally Posted by
Pontius Navigator
I flew in WF380 with No 1 Air Navigation School RAF Stradishall on 7 May 1963. It ceased as a Nav Trainer in 1966 but some remained in service till 1976. That 1969 my be a servicing date.
Varsities were certainly still in use at Stradishall in 1967 when I went to summer camp there although I didn't fly in one; being a Cadet WO, I was allocated for a Dominie flight. I believe No 1 ANS moved to Gaydon shortly after this but I can't find a date.
Varsities were still in use in 1971 at Topcliffe for training SNCO Air Engineers and at Oakington for multi engine training and in 1972 at Strike Command Bombing School at Lindholme.
We had several at Farnborough when I arrived there in 1974 and once a week or so, a Varsity with callsign 'Bluebell One' would call Farnborough ATC on a local flight from West Malling (maintenance base?) until about mid 1975. One of the Farnborough Varsities was used until about 1979 for development of of FLIR and LLTV systems (mounted to 'look' though the optically flat windows in the 'bomb bay') which eventually led to NVGs.