Calling all 849Sqn FAA Skyraider AEW & Gannet AEW crews
Firstly let me introduce myself, my name is Ian Shaw, I live in Lincoln and I’m an ex RAF Warrant Officer who served for 32 years before leaving to work for Lincolnshire Police 5 years ago. I am very keen to try and contact any crew members who flew on the AEW versions of the Skyraider or Gannet as I and a friend are in the process of writing a book on the history of AEW aircraft.
The book we are writing is being adapted from a manuscript my Brazilian friend Sergio (who has two of his aviation articles published in this months's Air Forces Monthly magazine) written over the past few years in Portuguese, so he had most of the story and data prepared. However, our new European Publisher has asked us to modify the style and format somewhat as I translate/edit it into English. He threw us a curved ball by asking that we try and find quotes and stories from the original Air and Ground crews who operated the various types of AEW aircraft. Which as everyone is getting older could have proven difficult to say the least but several members from various AEW websites have come up trumps for us giving us some wonderful stories and annecdotes to include.
We are very keen to get in contact with any ex aircrew from 849 Sqn who flew or maintained Skyraiders AEW Mk1 or Gannet AEW Mk3's and obtain some input from them about the missions that they flew. We feel that it is vital that their story be told as part of the AEW history, especially as we are struggling to get any input from the MOD at all at the moment having written to HQ Air Command via the RAF Waddington CRO 7 months ago without a reply! Which is very unfortunate as we wanted to write the full story and give credit where it was due, which is sadly lacking in the only other recent published book on AEW Operations by an American Hawkeye operator.
So, we were hoping that some one on this part of PPRuNe would be willing to pass this email request onto any ex 849 Sqn members that you might be willing to recount their stories and anecdotes to us for inclusion in our book. We are outside the 30 year rule for the early part of the Squadron's operations so we should be okay in including their Cold War stories now. RN FAA AEW crews deserve their place alongside their contemporaries in a tome specifically about them and their aircraft.
Thanks in anticipation and best regards
Ian Shaw & Sergio Santanna
Any responders please PM me in thefirst instance and will pass on my snailmail and email addresses as required