Jackonicko
7th Oct 2009, 11:27
There's a thread running on military aircrew marking the sad passing of Lt Cdr Rod 'Fred' Frederiksen, who died last week
http://www.pprune.org/military-aircrew/391314-lt-cdr-fred-fredrickson-rn-2.html
Though perhaps best known as one of 800 Squadrons Sea Harrier pilots during the unpleasantness in the South Atlantic, Fred was also a TP.
I'm trying to put together the bare bones chronological details of his career for obituary purposes, and would appreciate any help with detail/dates and above all anecdotes.
Lt Cdr R (Rod) V Frederiksen
1947?-2009
Known as ‘Fred’?
Began his frontline career as a Sea Vixen pilot with 893 Squadron aboard the Hermes from February to July 1970, after conversion with 766 Squadron between September 1969 and February 1970. In August 1970 he transferred, with his Observer to 899 NAS embarking on Eagle in November 1970.
Fred moved on to fly the Phantom with 892 Squadron between 197? and 19??When? Dates?
Fred attended the Central Flying School at RAF Little Rissington in 1973, subsequently instructing on the ???? at ????. (What and where, and when?)
Fred was on 36 Fixed Wing Course at ETPS in 1977.
He then served as a test pilot on A squadron, A&AEE, until the late 1970s/early 1980s
Fred converted to the Sea Harrier in 19**. Date?
Fred served (as SPLOT???) with No.800 Squadron under Lt Cdr Andy Auld, which was embarked on HMS Hermes during the Falklands war, while Lieutenant Commander Nigel ‘Sharkey’ Ward’s 801 Squadron was embarked on HMS Invincible.
HMS Hermes sailed from Portsmouth for the Falkland Islands Total Exclusion Zone (TEZ) on 05.04.82. The Squadron’s five Sea Harriers were augmented by four SHARs from 899 NAS, which had in effect been absorbed into 800 NAS on 02.04.82. The original 800 NAS pilots were Lt Cdrs Andy Auld (CO), Mike Blissett and Rod Frederiksen, Lts Mike Hale, Simon Hargreaves, Andy McHarg, Clive Morrell, Dave Smith and Nick Taylor and Flt Lt Ted Ball. They were joined by Lt Cdrs Neil Thomas (CO), Tony Ogilvy and Gordon Batt, S/Lt Andy George, Flt Lts Dave Morgan and Robert ‘Bertie’ Penfold from 899 NAS.
On 16.05.82 Frederiksen (flying XZ460) provided top cover for Lt Mike Hale when he strafed the patrol vessel Rio Iguazu, causing it to be abandoned
On 21 May British forces landed on the Falklands, provoking a strong response from the Argentinian air forces. Sea Harriers were flying CAPs, but it was later calculated there was only a 25% chance that the aircraft would be in position to intercept any given raiding force. Despite this, the Sea Harriers downed nine enemy aircraft that day, and RF was responsible for one of these, downing a Dagger (C-409 of Grupo 6) with an AIM-9L Sidewinder. RF was Mentioned in Despatches.
Fred served on "A" Sqn at A&AEE for a second time in 1983-84. Fred completed the flight testing for the Sea Harrier FRS1 Phase 1 Update (which was developed at BAe Dunsfold 1986 -1990, and which included Sea Eagle capability (and also a NAVHARS that worked, among some other avionics bells & whistles e.g MADGE which was trialled on Ark Royal off Gib in her pre-commissioning work up).
Steve Thomas did a lot of the initial testing (DGS etc) but Fred did the Sea Eagle trials firing (XZ440) with a ramp launch then firing at some unfortunate 'scrap' frigate.
This was not the first firing - that The 1st live Sea Eagle firing was mid 1980's, by BAe TP Mike Snelling (using XZ440), taking off from Hatfield, refuelling at Valley (or Llanbedr) before transiting to the Aberporth range.
Sometime after that the FRS1 fleet was rewired and Fred made the first service firing from a SHar in about Jun or Jul 1984. Fred embarked (with XZ440) on board the HMS Illustrious for the firing. The target was HMS Devonshire, and with an inert warhead in the missile the ship's back was broken, and she was subsequently sunk by a Tigerfish torpedo.
Before his Sea Harrier Sea Eagle firing, he conducted the second Sea Eagle firing by a military crew, from a Buccaneer over the Hebrides Range. The first Buccaneer Sea Eagle firing was by Andy Sephton on 8 Oct 1984. Fred fired the second one on 15 Oct 84. The trials aircraft was XT288, operated on behalf of 31 Joint Trials Unit. Fred's Sea Harrier firing was a little after that date.
From May 1985 to January 1988 he was the Commanding Officer of 800 NAS.
Fred was recruited by BAE to replace Taylor Scott who was killed in a flying accident in October 1987. He served as a Test Pilot at Dunsfold from 1988 until circa 1994 (or until “at least 1996”), and used the callsign “Hawker Victor”, Hawker Foxtrot already being used by Heinz Frick.
He was project pilot for the Sea Harrier mid-life update (FRS2, later FA2), and may have fired the first AMRAAM from a Sea Harrier in trials at Eglin.
In the early FRS2 trials some flights were undertaken with the CG moved past its normal aft limit as a worst case. The aerodynamic analysis showed that the aircraft was actually unstable, but this didn’t seem to cause Fred any problems.
A Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air, was gazetted in the London Gazette on 11 June 1994.
(Anyone know what this was awarded for?)
Fred went to be a Sea Harrier (Sim instructor or QFI?) Instructor at INS Dabolim, Goa, in India. Dates? From 1995?
By May-December 2003, Fred was a Sim Instructor at Valley? Was he previously a QFI on 208 Squadron at Valley? Dates?
At some unknown point in his career he was a QFI on RNEFTS? Dates?
See:
The Navy Net: Rum Ration Forums Royal Navy Branches The Fleet Air Arm A very sad Story Indeed (http://www.navy-net.co.uk/Forums/viewtopic/t=22721.html)
http://www.pprune.org/flight-testing/391480-memories-rod-frederiksen.html
http://www.pprune.org/military-aircrew/391314-lt-cdr-fred-fredrickson-rn-2.html
Though perhaps best known as one of 800 Squadrons Sea Harrier pilots during the unpleasantness in the South Atlantic, Fred was also a TP.
I'm trying to put together the bare bones chronological details of his career for obituary purposes, and would appreciate any help with detail/dates and above all anecdotes.
Lt Cdr R (Rod) V Frederiksen
1947?-2009
Known as ‘Fred’?
Began his frontline career as a Sea Vixen pilot with 893 Squadron aboard the Hermes from February to July 1970, after conversion with 766 Squadron between September 1969 and February 1970. In August 1970 he transferred, with his Observer to 899 NAS embarking on Eagle in November 1970.
Fred moved on to fly the Phantom with 892 Squadron between 197? and 19??When? Dates?
Fred attended the Central Flying School at RAF Little Rissington in 1973, subsequently instructing on the ???? at ????. (What and where, and when?)
Fred was on 36 Fixed Wing Course at ETPS in 1977.
He then served as a test pilot on A squadron, A&AEE, until the late 1970s/early 1980s
Fred converted to the Sea Harrier in 19**. Date?
Fred served (as SPLOT???) with No.800 Squadron under Lt Cdr Andy Auld, which was embarked on HMS Hermes during the Falklands war, while Lieutenant Commander Nigel ‘Sharkey’ Ward’s 801 Squadron was embarked on HMS Invincible.
HMS Hermes sailed from Portsmouth for the Falkland Islands Total Exclusion Zone (TEZ) on 05.04.82. The Squadron’s five Sea Harriers were augmented by four SHARs from 899 NAS, which had in effect been absorbed into 800 NAS on 02.04.82. The original 800 NAS pilots were Lt Cdrs Andy Auld (CO), Mike Blissett and Rod Frederiksen, Lts Mike Hale, Simon Hargreaves, Andy McHarg, Clive Morrell, Dave Smith and Nick Taylor and Flt Lt Ted Ball. They were joined by Lt Cdrs Neil Thomas (CO), Tony Ogilvy and Gordon Batt, S/Lt Andy George, Flt Lts Dave Morgan and Robert ‘Bertie’ Penfold from 899 NAS.
On 16.05.82 Frederiksen (flying XZ460) provided top cover for Lt Mike Hale when he strafed the patrol vessel Rio Iguazu, causing it to be abandoned
On 21 May British forces landed on the Falklands, provoking a strong response from the Argentinian air forces. Sea Harriers were flying CAPs, but it was later calculated there was only a 25% chance that the aircraft would be in position to intercept any given raiding force. Despite this, the Sea Harriers downed nine enemy aircraft that day, and RF was responsible for one of these, downing a Dagger (C-409 of Grupo 6) with an AIM-9L Sidewinder. RF was Mentioned in Despatches.
Fred served on "A" Sqn at A&AEE for a second time in 1983-84. Fred completed the flight testing for the Sea Harrier FRS1 Phase 1 Update (which was developed at BAe Dunsfold 1986 -1990, and which included Sea Eagle capability (and also a NAVHARS that worked, among some other avionics bells & whistles e.g MADGE which was trialled on Ark Royal off Gib in her pre-commissioning work up).
Steve Thomas did a lot of the initial testing (DGS etc) but Fred did the Sea Eagle trials firing (XZ440) with a ramp launch then firing at some unfortunate 'scrap' frigate.
This was not the first firing - that The 1st live Sea Eagle firing was mid 1980's, by BAe TP Mike Snelling (using XZ440), taking off from Hatfield, refuelling at Valley (or Llanbedr) before transiting to the Aberporth range.
Sometime after that the FRS1 fleet was rewired and Fred made the first service firing from a SHar in about Jun or Jul 1984. Fred embarked (with XZ440) on board the HMS Illustrious for the firing. The target was HMS Devonshire, and with an inert warhead in the missile the ship's back was broken, and she was subsequently sunk by a Tigerfish torpedo.
Before his Sea Harrier Sea Eagle firing, he conducted the second Sea Eagle firing by a military crew, from a Buccaneer over the Hebrides Range. The first Buccaneer Sea Eagle firing was by Andy Sephton on 8 Oct 1984. Fred fired the second one on 15 Oct 84. The trials aircraft was XT288, operated on behalf of 31 Joint Trials Unit. Fred's Sea Harrier firing was a little after that date.
From May 1985 to January 1988 he was the Commanding Officer of 800 NAS.
Fred was recruited by BAE to replace Taylor Scott who was killed in a flying accident in October 1987. He served as a Test Pilot at Dunsfold from 1988 until circa 1994 (or until “at least 1996”), and used the callsign “Hawker Victor”, Hawker Foxtrot already being used by Heinz Frick.
He was project pilot for the Sea Harrier mid-life update (FRS2, later FA2), and may have fired the first AMRAAM from a Sea Harrier in trials at Eglin.
In the early FRS2 trials some flights were undertaken with the CG moved past its normal aft limit as a worst case. The aerodynamic analysis showed that the aircraft was actually unstable, but this didn’t seem to cause Fred any problems.
A Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air, was gazetted in the London Gazette on 11 June 1994.
(Anyone know what this was awarded for?)
Fred went to be a Sea Harrier (Sim instructor or QFI?) Instructor at INS Dabolim, Goa, in India. Dates? From 1995?
By May-December 2003, Fred was a Sim Instructor at Valley? Was he previously a QFI on 208 Squadron at Valley? Dates?
At some unknown point in his career he was a QFI on RNEFTS? Dates?
See:
The Navy Net: Rum Ration Forums Royal Navy Branches The Fleet Air Arm A very sad Story Indeed (http://www.navy-net.co.uk/Forums/viewtopic/t=22721.html)
http://www.pprune.org/flight-testing/391480-memories-rod-frederiksen.html