Op Ferdy
Perhaps I can help as I was Sqn Ldr Ops at Upavon when the Op Ferdy flights started in either 1987 or 88. Before then all trooping flights in and out of NI went under the heading of Banner whether to Germany or UK stations. Then a military bus travelling between NW of the Province and Aldergrove was bombed.
I went over to NI to do a recce of Ballykelly for which the kind folks of 78(?) Sqn lent me a Wessex and driver - also letting me prove yet again that I can hover but the World around me cannot. After that visit we wrote the Op Order at Upavon, including the Approach Procedures for let downs remaining at all times over the Lough with then minimum time over land for the final circling approach - these were definitely not CAA standard and would not have gained BEagle's approval. The Op Order gained the name Ferdy. When they started they happened to be for Germany based regiments (remember back then there were a lot of regiments in Germany) but also allowed the carriage of women and children (for which Beverley seats were fitted) because of the (lack of) security situation on the roads. Ferdy was the Hercules use of Ballykelly rather than specific to the other destinations.
The terms Banner A and Banner B were really an unofficial shorthand, which developed later, used by Ops both at Lyneham and Upavon to describe the flights.
The original reason for the Bs was the security situation but they were much more convenient for the Army who, of course, decreed what the security situation was.
Last edited by Xercules; 20th Jun 2014 at 21:43.
Reason: Accuracy