Flying Lawyer
29th Oct 2011, 11:35
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Grand Master’s Commendation
awarded by the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators to
CAPTAIN MATTHEW NOBLE-CLARKE AAC
Awarded at the discretion of the Grand Master, HRH The Prince Andrew Duke of York KG GCVO,
for an act of valour or outstanding services in the air.
Citation: Captain (now Major) Matthew Noble-Clarke joined the Attack Helicopter Force (AHF) in 2006. Between then and mid 2010 he completed four tours in Afghanistan and was the first Apache pilot in the AHF to have amassed over 1,000 hours of operational flying in that theatre. His average tour interval in that period was just five months, and he has spent 19 months deployed in a period of three and a half years, a phenomenal achievement to which he committed voluntarily and without rancour or fanfare.
An extremely experienced and naturally gifted aviator he is a master of commanding AH on operations. These qualities have extended to the intense demands of Air Mission Command, invariably a task assumed by the senior AH commander, and at the most taxing end of the spectrum of aviation delivery in Afghanistan. Such a role could, and in his case regularly did, require command and coordination of up to 15 aircraft, of multiple types and from multiple nations, over several waves, and in contact with the enemy. He is in a class of his own in this role. His experience has also made him an ideal mentor to less experienced Air Mission Commanders of any rank, and he always offers help and advice with patience and humility. He has exploited his experience to develop and adapt AH tactics, techniques and procedures to the constantly changing threat.
Every one of his tours has been marked by peerless commitment and professionalism. He is unswervingly progressive and has been the main catalyst for a host of positive changes in AH procedures, many of which have also benefited the four other aircraft types in the Joint Helicopter Force (Afghanistan). He has had a measurable and enduring influence on the operational development of UK AH capability; indeed it would be difficult to imagine an aviator who has contributed more to the operational output of AH over the last four years. Captain Noble-Clarke has been under fire as a matter of routine; he has attained and maintained the very highest standards of military aviation delivery; he has become a class leader in AH support to Special Forces operations; and he has cheerfully endured countless exhausting days in 50 degree heat in support of our ground forces. He is deservedly awarded the Grand Master’s Commendation.
Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators (http://www.gapan.org)
Grand Master’s Commendation
awarded by the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators to
CAPTAIN MATTHEW NOBLE-CLARKE AAC
Awarded at the discretion of the Grand Master, HRH The Prince Andrew Duke of York KG GCVO,
for an act of valour or outstanding services in the air.
Citation: Captain (now Major) Matthew Noble-Clarke joined the Attack Helicopter Force (AHF) in 2006. Between then and mid 2010 he completed four tours in Afghanistan and was the first Apache pilot in the AHF to have amassed over 1,000 hours of operational flying in that theatre. His average tour interval in that period was just five months, and he has spent 19 months deployed in a period of three and a half years, a phenomenal achievement to which he committed voluntarily and without rancour or fanfare.
An extremely experienced and naturally gifted aviator he is a master of commanding AH on operations. These qualities have extended to the intense demands of Air Mission Command, invariably a task assumed by the senior AH commander, and at the most taxing end of the spectrum of aviation delivery in Afghanistan. Such a role could, and in his case regularly did, require command and coordination of up to 15 aircraft, of multiple types and from multiple nations, over several waves, and in contact with the enemy. He is in a class of his own in this role. His experience has also made him an ideal mentor to less experienced Air Mission Commanders of any rank, and he always offers help and advice with patience and humility. He has exploited his experience to develop and adapt AH tactics, techniques and procedures to the constantly changing threat.
Every one of his tours has been marked by peerless commitment and professionalism. He is unswervingly progressive and has been the main catalyst for a host of positive changes in AH procedures, many of which have also benefited the four other aircraft types in the Joint Helicopter Force (Afghanistan). He has had a measurable and enduring influence on the operational development of UK AH capability; indeed it would be difficult to imagine an aviator who has contributed more to the operational output of AH over the last four years. Captain Noble-Clarke has been under fire as a matter of routine; he has attained and maintained the very highest standards of military aviation delivery; he has become a class leader in AH support to Special Forces operations; and he has cheerfully endured countless exhausting days in 50 degree heat in support of our ground forces. He is deservedly awarded the Grand Master’s Commendation.
Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators (http://www.gapan.org)