RAF pilots - Tailwheel training

[Fake Sealion]

I'm off to the Chipmunk 60th anniversary meet in May.
I flew the Chipmunk at RN Flying Grading in 1978 and at the time was aware the RAF had by then ceased to use the Chippie for mainstream pilot training and all RAF pilots were nose wheel experienced only.
Does anyone know when the Chippie was retired from RAF pilot training? Guess it was early 70's?

Wonder who was the last RAF pilot to have a military "taildragger" in his logbook on Wings graduation? Quite a profound event when you think about it in the context of the RAF's history.:{

[diginagain]

The AAC soldiered-on with it well into the last century.

[[email protected]]

The Flying Selection Sqn at Swinderby was using the Chippie for pilot training (or selection anyway) in the 80s - I went through in 82 and I'm sure it lasted there for a few years after that.

The AAC were still using the Chippie for pilot training in the mid 90s at Middle Wallop.

[Fake Sealion]

Wasn't aware of the Flying Selection Squadron. Who went on that course? Was it all non UAS trained pilots?

[shawshank]

The chipmunk is still used for RAF pilot training. Anyone converting to the BBMF types does a stint in one of the 2 Chippies to get used to tail draggers.

[Fake Sealion]

BBMF ? I did say mainstream pilot training.....

[Wessex Boy]

The Flying Selection Sqn at Swinderby was using the Chippie for pilot training (or selection anyway) in the 80s - I went through in 82 and I'm sure it lasted there for a few years after that.
They were still there in June '88 when I graduated from basic training

[Flugplatz]

If it is just a requirement for an RAF tailwheel aircraft in the logbook then there are probably a few current RAF pilots who flew Vigilants as Instructors with the Air Cadet Volunteer Gliding Squadrons prior to signing up full-time. In fact the CFS has current RAF pilots (old and bold) who do the yearly flying inspections at the Squadrons.

A low-wing, underpowered tail-dragger (conventional) configuration with longer than average high-aspect ratio wings... perhaps not the best combo for landing in a crosswind...

Flug :8

[Fake Sealion]

So was the Flying Selection Squadron for non-graduate pilot studes who had not flown the Bulldog at a UAS? Assume they went onto the JP straight from this or were the Fireflys in service by then . . . bit confused with the timeline!!!

[mikip]

BBMF ? I did say mainstream pilot training.....

Given the current state of the RAF that is mainstream!

[Dave Clarke Fife]

So was the Flying Selection Squadron for non-graduate pilot studes who had not flown the Bulldog at a UAS? Assume they went onto the JP straight from this or were the Fireflys in service by then . . . bit confused with the timeline!!!

Last courses (67 and 68 ) at EFTS RAF Swinderby conducted on Chippymoths was back in '93 if the memory serves me well. Graduates went straight to Cranners on JP3/5 whilst non grad went to Linton and Church Fenton for their JP course

[airborne_artist]

FS- 87 Flight/course arrived at Leeming for EFTS in March 1978. The winter wx had been very poor, and 85 hadn't finished. 86 hadn't started flying as a result.

Quite early on SNO started looking at ways of getting things back on track, as delays in Yorkshire meant 705 would have been doing nothing (no holdovers between EFT and RW BFT). Part of the issue was a lack of Bulldog airframes. SNO and FONAC started working on a plan that would have moved about half of 87 to VL and completed EFT on the Chippie.

At that declaration of EFT UDI the light blue suddenly found spare Dogs and we all stayed at Leeming. Otherwise there would have been about five or six of us with another 80+ hours tailwheel experience.

[RAFEngO74to09]

Fake Sealion

Flying Selection Sqn (FSS) was set up at RAF Swinderby in Jul 79 with a 14-hour syllabus to assess the aptitude of potential pilots who had no previous flying experience. FSS was renamed Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS) in Jun 87. RAF Swinderby closed in 1993.

[VX275]

"Wonder who was the last RAF pilot to have a military "taildragger" in his logbook on Wings graduation?"

Simple, anyone who will admit he went solo in a Vigilant as an Air Cadet.;)

[just another jocky]

My...........Mixture
Friend.......Fuel
Fred.........Flaps
Has..........Harness
Hairy........Hood
Balls.........Brakes

Those were the days. Went through FSS late in '83, then on to Fenton on the JP3 then JP5. Only managed one ground loop, and that on trip 14 (last one!) :}

[Fake Sealion]

Airborne Artist

I was in 85flt RNEFTS Oct 78-March 79. We did indeed lose a lot of time due Wx that winter. At one point we were sending Bulldogs across to Blackpool and Warton and up to Sunderland in order to escape from the freezing fog.


So what was the role of the Firefly unit based at Barkston Heath? When did it form and has it now been wound up?

[Dave Clarke Fife]

then on to Fenton on the JP3 then JP5. Only managed one ground loop

Wow......you managed to groundloop a JP!! :}

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

Does the tiger moth they had at Cranwell count?
Soloed that whilst I was being flogged in BFTS groundschool.

[gpugh]

Hi I think the RN carried on with the Chipmunks at Roborough until early 90's, about the same as AAC


Gordon

[Sven Sixtoo]

Well I'm still serving (just) and the first aircraft in my logbooks is

Jan 7 1975 Chipmunk T10 WD380 Flt Lt Middleton / Self FAMIL 0.30


And the last aircraft in my logbooks is

Dec 16 2010 Sea King HAR3 XZ586 Self / Flt Lt Lynch SAR operation 4.50

I claim 5870 hrs 20 minutes on taildraggers in my RAF career.



Sven

Still desperately needing a job.

[TorqueOfTheDevil]

Sea King HAR3


:DSven - who said anything about FW?

[Dan Winterland]

The Flying Selection Squadron was formed for flying grading in about 1978 aimed for pilots who had done less than 30 hours flying (i.e hadn't done a RAF flying scholarship or held a PPL). The candidates did a 14 hour course with tests at 7 and 14 hours. Unlike the Navy course, they didn't go solo. In 1985, it was decided to give the students a 65 hour course which included solo time, IF, nav and formation. They then went to Cranwell to do the short course the graduate students from UASs did. This was some 30 hours shorter than the full basic course, all flown on the JP5. In about 1988, the experimental long course on the Chipmunk was made official and the unit was renamed the Elementary Flying Trining Squadron. The course had reduced to 54 hours and the students went on to any of the three FTSs, but still doing the short course. The last course was in early 1993 and I could check my logbook to see who was the last taildragger trained student. But I can confirm that I was the last QFI in the RAF to train on a taildragger.

[NutherA2]

As a result of the 1957 defence cuts I spent 2½ years at Halton, where the principal entertainment was provided by the Chipmunks of “Flying Flight”. After that tour I only flew a Chippie once more, the logbook reads:

WD388…Coleshill…Self…F1179 Check…0:50

It was a little over 14 years since I'd last sat in a Chipmunk and it didn’t seem to fly much like my current type, the F4, but it did enable me to achieve issue of my ATPL with the DHC1 as the only type for which I was qualified; sadly not a lot of airlines were suitably equipped.

[sharpend]

I instructed at RAF Church Fenton from 1970 - 1973 (HSP, becoming RNEFTS). There was also Yorkshire UAS and PFS (the RAF Primary Flying Sqn).
The Chippies were sold for £300 in 1973.