Congratulations !
Congratulations, both !
But why the media fuss about Wg. Cdr. Thomas ? We've had lady pilots, Navs, ATC and Fighter Controllers, etc (as well as M.P.s, Doctors, Solicitors, etc - and even voters) for quite a while now ! (my only cavil is about front line close combat).
But my eye was caught by this link from #1 on this Thread:
(Extract D.Tel 9.1.15).
"The pair have said that one of their proudest moments to date involved helping to foil a rocket attack on their base at Kandahar airfield in 2010".
"There was a high threat and the base was expecting an imminent attack after some men were spotted in a nearby ditch, setting up to fire a rocket at their accommodation block".
"They took the aircraft out to 15 miles from their position in the ditch and came down to low level, approaching at more than 500mph and as close to the Operational Low Flying minimum of 100 feet as possible, passing directly over them before heading into a steep climb".
"The rocket crew immediately scarpered in a truck and the pair felt they had made a tangible difference to protect their colleagues".
“The intention is to always use the minimum force required to provide the effect needed by the guys on the ground".
Am I missing something here ? This was in 2010, and there was a war going on in Afghanistan (as we have 453 good reasons to remember). This is the enemy, and he is making ready to kill you (or some of your comrades) if he can. You are airborne in one of the RAF's most powerful weapons. You have a 27mm cannon.
You buzz him off (as I used to shift a flock of goats off my strip before landing).
So that he can come back later and try again ?
I am a simple soul. Can someone please explain this to me (after all, my war was 70 years ago, and things change).
D.
Note - (Tornados came in after I retired):
"The aircraft is also equipped with an integral 27mm Mauser cannon capable of firing 1700 rounds per minute". [Google>RAF - Tornado GR4]
"......cannon.[47] When the RAF GR1 aircraft were converted to GR4, the FLIR sensor replaced the left hand cannon, leaving only one;[85] Guns: 2× 27 mm (1.06 in) Mauser BK-27 revolver cannon internally mounted under each side of fuselage, each with 180 rounds. "27 x 145 B ammunition (Switzerland), Cannon – 20 to 30 mm cannon." (Jane's Information Group, 27 October 2011).
[Google>Panavia Tornado - Wiki, the free encyclopedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panavia_Tornado]