RAF Manston – History of No. 1 AEF (1967 to 1995)
 

Hi everyone…

Some of you may know that the AEF (Air Experience Flight) organisation turns 51 this coming September. Over the years this organisation, which was originally equipped with Chipmunk aircraft, has been an invaluable “recruiter” for not only the RAF but the Fleet Air Arm along with the Army Air Corps across all ranks and trades. Many UK aircrew (Mil or Civil), past and present, will have probably gained their first thrill for flying in the back of a Chipmunk !

Having had the privilege of serving with No. 1 AEF for nine years back in the 70’s and early 80’s, as a small tribute, I have authored a brief history on Wikipedia that I thought some of you might find of interest… or even jog a few early memories !

1 Air Experience Flight - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It would be really great to hear from past “customers”… even better if you could share some photos and stories.

I’m still looking to add to the article… where any help would be greatly appreciated. I’m particularly keen to find out more on the pre Manston era, but appreciate that might be a bit of a long shot now. Equally, I’d appreciate any detail from 1981 to the date the Flight closed at Manston in 1995.

There may have been other aircraft serials on the fleet at times… where it would be good to add these to the fleet list (even find out if they are still flying)… so time to look at the 414 or your 3822 (if you still have it !)

Maybe some contribution from the current 1 AEF Team down at St Athan who carry on the good work today ?

Kind regards

Coff.

Just had a quick look in my 3822, between 93 & 95 i flew in

WG430(6)
WK554(4)
WP855(5)
WP860(6)

What a cracking time that was, wish i could turn back the clock.

Manston AEF, happy memories of flogging down the A2 in a coach from Gravesend (402 Sqn ATC) then spending the day trying to steal bits of aircraft from the fire pits despite being told not to go over there! The Red Arrows (Gnats) also used to use Manston in the winter and our NCO's crewroom was adorned with a nice Red Arrows pitot head cover pinched by some naughty cadet. Also did my first solo there with 617 VGS but that as they say is another story.

Coffman check your PM

Hi fire3...

Thanks for your reply... much appreciated. A quick search suggests WG430 is in the USA, while WK554 is now in South Africa, with WP855 "downunder" in Australia and WP860 up at Perth Scotland (all still flying it would seem)... I'll update the Wiki page shortly. It looks like 430's Tail ID No: was a 3 ?

Thanks again...

Coff.

Hi Matt...

Thanks for your PM's. All noted. Much appreciated.

Just had a fantastic hook-up with the son of one of the Founder Pilots... just about to drop him a line... more history to add and maybe some early pictures !

Kind regards...

Coff.

i will try to track down some pictures of my time with 1 AEF,.

Did you know the old 1 AEF sign that used to sit outside the AEF hut is now in the Manston history museum?

Hi fire3...

Thanks I'm aware of where the old sign now rests. Am I right in assuming you were a Staff Cadet with Boss Paddy & Pete ? If so please PM...

Coff.

1 Aef Staff Pilot
 

Hi. Thank you for the 1 AEF history. I was lucky enough to fly for 1 AEF whilst I was a staff officer in MOD in 1990 & 91. Pete Stonham was the Boss and was much respected by all present. I really enjoyed my tailwheel checkout with Pete, never having been qualified on the Chippie before (I learnt on the JP in 1972/3), although I do remember being in the "boot" as a CCF cadet. My Sundays during that period consisted of a usually pleasant drive or motorcycle ride across Kent followed by 5 Chippie trips to Dover Castle and a nice ride home again. It really eased the pain of life in the MOD.

I recall that Pete was also the driving force behind the little museum at Manston over that period.

For your record, I am Ex-Harriers.

Tony Harper

Hi Tony...

Thank you so much for taking the trouble to reply... glad you like the story so far ! Having a bit of an issue uploading some of the fleet pictures (copyright stuff)... but I'll get it cracked somehow. I'm also going to try and get the current 1 AEF chaps to join in.

I only met Pete the once (I was from Jonnie Johnston, John Shelton and Paddy Brown days)... really nice chap Pete... as they all were.

I'll drop you a PM...

Kind regards...

Coff.

1 AEF Airframes
 

I have in my F3822

• WK577 in 1965
• WP837 in 1966 and 1969
• WP642 and WD370 in 1970
• WZ845 in 1971

60's memories
 

Happy memories. Spent 3 years from 1965 - 68 as staff cadet with 1AEF. Many happy times and over 50 hrs on chippies. Set me up for life.
Anyone remember when all the WWII fighters arrived for filming "Battle of Britain"?

More airframes
 

Found my 3882 and includes airframes:
WP846
WP837
WP577
WP851
WP344
WP627

Did forced landing in WP627 in Mar 68

Serial Check
 

Hi BeanC...

Thanks for your information... I suspect 642 was WK642 ?

Kind regards...

Coff.

Serial Check
 

Hi Captain W...

Thanks for your information. I suspect 627 was WB627, 577 was WK577 and 344 was WD344 ?

Kind regards...

Coff.

I was flying Whirlwinds at Manston '65-68 and flew the Chipmunks part time. I have WG 896, WG 837, WG 536, WP 627, WP 855, WD 344, WP 827, WP 846 & WP 837.
I was on shift when all the Heinkel's and Me 109's appeared. A bit startling as no one had bothered to tell us that they were coming. Suddenly the sound of all those Merlins - marvellous.

Serial Check
 

Hi Rotorfossil...

Thanks for your information... and I’m really pleased that you’ve made contact. Whilst another story... perhaps you can share the history behind the exquisitely hand drawn “crew room artwork” we inherited from 22 Squadron ! You’ll know the one I’m referring to... the almost full size reclining sun worshiper with the little yellow Whirlwind in the top left corner !

I’ve also made contact with the son of one of the founder pilots (Alpha 33 - sadly no longer with us) where we are jointly doing a bit of research on the 1 AEF fleet history.

Please check your PM...

Kind regards...

Coff.

Manston has fantastic memories for me, in the late 60's early 70's my first flight was with the ATC, 312 (Canterbury) squadron. My first flight was with a pilot I only knew as "Ding", and It changed my life, especially after the aero's! and I made Flying my career. Does anybody remember him? and what was his real name? Would love the opertunity to shake his hand.





wulf190a

Hi Wulf...

Thanks so much for your post. That will be Donald (Don) Ding you remember... Call Sign "Alpha 36". I'm afraid I lost contact with him and the other guys in the early 80's. Don was a charming Irish gentlemen who certainly enjoyed his aerobatics. He was also one of the pilots along with Les Zapp and John Powell who flew as the "Zap Pow Ding" wave !

Best regards...

Coff.

Stand corrected
 

Coff, your suspicions are correct. It was in fact WB627, WK577 and WD344.
Have to admit my F3882 is a bit faded and grubby!

Didn't fly with the AEF, but flew Chippies in and out of Manston a few times. Once in about 1988, I had to collect a Chippy from Manston for the summer camp at Coltishall. I got a lift in a Jaguar and got straight into the Chippy after signing the 700 still wearing leg restraints, g suit and oxygen mask. Got this piss taken a bit when I (eventually) got back to Colt.

Another time, I was ferrying a Chippy to Belgium, refuelling at Manton. The ceiling was 200' and right on the limits for a PAR. (I wasn't an AEF pilot, I had an IR on type.) I was haded over to a VHF frequency, but requested a UHF because the aircraft I was in had a full size UHF box and a tiny glider VHF in an almost inaccessable position under the instrument panel. They refused and kept on swapping me to other VHF frequencies and I was almost putting myself into UPs trying to tune the VHF. After I landed, I phoned ATC and asked what the problem with the UHF was. They replied ''But you're a Chipmunk, you don't have a UHF!''.

Any names?
 

Here's a couple of pics. Hope they download ok otherwise back to the drawing board!

This picture must have been taken about 1967 +or- a year. Any one remember who they are? I think in there somewhere are Boss Smith, Brian Lockwood, Arthur ?, Iain ? and others.

http://i788.photobucket.com/albums/y...anston1AEF.jpg

And the Messerschmitts. You can just see the Control Tower in the background. Was white in those days.

http://i788.photobucket.com/albums/y...stonBattle.jpg

Pictures
 

Hi Captain W...

Thanks for your PM and the great pictures !

Left to Right... I recognise Left 1 Arthur Standen, Left 4 Bill Downing and Left 7 Darby Allen (clutching the broom !). Does anyone recognise the other faces ?

Best regards...

Coff.

Hi Coffman Starter. The reclining girl picture on the wall was done by a wife of one of the pilots. When the ops/crewroom was given a makeover, that wall looked a bit blank so one day the picture appeared. Fortunately the Station Commander didn't raise any objection so it stayed.

Help With Historic Photos & Images
 

Fellow PPRuNe Members...

Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread so far along with the PM's and other information provided.

I would really like to try and see if any PPRuNe Members might have some historic pictures relating to 1 AEF, Pilots, Ground Staff and in particular the Chipmunks that could be shared. Captain W has already posted a B&W from the 60's showing some of the regular weekend aircrew... does anyone have anything earlier that could be scanned and posted ? I would also be pleased to see later images... especially anything taken on the final day of flight operations at RAF Manston.

To help get the ball rolling here is a picture of WB627 in the Grey & Dayglow livery of the late 60's. Permission to upload this image has been kindly granted by the son of the pilot (Alpha 33) upfront.

http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/...rter/WB627.jpg

Looking forward to your posts...

Best regards...

Coff.

Another similar photo, circa 1967

http://i788.photobucket.com/albums/y.../Chipmunk3.jpg

PAR Funnies...
 

Hi Dan W...

Thanks for your post... it was always amusing to be asked on PAR Finals to "check gear down - three greens"... prompting the inevitable reply "gear down and welded" !

Kind regards...

Coff.

WP837 - 1 AEF Founder Aircraft
 

Hi Captain W...

What a start ! WP837 (C1-0720) is one of the Founder Aircraft of the 1 AEF Fleet. According to some very helpful research shared by one of the authors of "DHC-1 Chipmunk - The Poor Man's Spitfire", WP837 officially joined a dedicated fleet established for 1 AEF 24/09/1959. Prior to that WP837 was part of a pooled fleet operation out of RAF Biggin Hill with London UAS. WP837 remained with 1 AEF until 29/09/1969 then joining Cambridge UAS.

WP837 can be seen here (3rd back from the front) in an article published by Flight dated 28/11/1958 covering the formation of 1 AEF at RAF Biggin Hill.

1958 | 1- - 0834 | Flight Archive

It would also seem that WP837 is still airworthy and flying in Australia under the Civil Registration of VH-WPO

WP837 Chipmunk VH-WPO Point Cook 09-04-06

Best...

Coff.

Aerobatics - Pegwell Bay Rejoin
 

Hi all...

I thought this picture might stir a few memories for quite a few !

Letting down over Pegwell Bay, following an aerobatics session, for a rejoin over Richborough Power Station Cooling Towers.

Aerobatics at RAF Manston were either performed "overhead above three" (overhead the airfield to the north of the main runway) or at "Pegwell above three".

Again permission to upload this image has been kindly granted by the son of Alpha 33. At a guess this picture is mid to late 70's as Hoverlloyd packed up operations at Pegwell Bay at the turn of the 80's.

http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/.../pegwell01.jpg

Kind regards...

Coff.

Don't forget RAF Woodvale. Had my first flight there from the CCF, wonderful experience, led to Flying Schol and UAS. Bliss.

My memories of Manston are slightly different - first tourist Canberra pilot (only one in Signals Command/90 Signals Group), White Card, and usually launched on Friday afternoon for 3 hour navex. Weather clamps- only diversion Manston (again) - yet another weekend in a flying suit (or even an old style roll-waist immersion suit) in Manston OM, with just me and a navigator and the fruit machine! Hey, ho! Weather always seemed to clear on Monday morning!

Thanks for replying
 

Hi Chipp63 ...

Thanks for your reply. I would be very interested to know more about any connection 1 AEF had with RAF Woodvale as all the records I've seen so far indicate that the Flight started life at RAF Biggin Hill and remained "southern" based. Could you be referring to another AEF Flight ?

Best ...

Coff.

Thanks for replying
 

Hi Wander00 ...

Ha ha ... the well known "clamp factor" ... the remainder of the UK "clamped" Manston open ... Manston "clamped" the remainder of the UK open !

So you were the guys that emptied the fruit machine after we had loaded it !

Great to hear from you ...

Best ...

Coff.

Coffman,
You're right, I think it was 10 AEF.

Coffman,

the Manston Factor usually worked, except for one Thursday (why do I remember it was Thursday): we had been flying a six-ship of T17s from Ballykelly, then moved to St Mawgan, flying an exercise in SWAPPs on the way. Should have realised something was "up" when the AEO heard on SSB a Shackleton being diverted to S France or Gib or somewhere distant. By the time we were overhead St Margan everywhere in UK was going out with fog, and I was the only White Card (add 300ft to decision height) in our bunch and I was top of the stack. The fog was rapidly getting worse and I was on top of the stack, last down the descent - options few- text book solution, if not in sight of lights at decision height, overshoot, fly over the airfield and bang the nav and aeo out, then take the aircraft out to sea and do ditto. Concluded that with a radar altimeter we could take it to 150 feet (my decision height was 863' as I recall - the 3' being all important) so we set off down the glide slope spot on the numbers all the way down and at 150' as I started to level for the overshoot the AEO called "lights straight ahead", and we landed. They had to send a "follow me" truck to get us to the pan, and the boss (one of the flight commanders) was giving me a funny look as we opened the door. Later in a quiet corner he gave me the official bollocking- "next time overshoot and throw the aeroplane away" , and then took me to the bar and bought my beer for the rest of the night.

I also recall a diversion to Manston where there were so many airliners there we were limited to loading "get you home + dibversion" fuel, and the started parking aircrafy down one side of the very wide runway.

Seems a lifetime ago now.

Pegwell Hoverport
 

Coff

As hovercraft captain and flight manager of Hoverlloyd during the '70s I am very interested in the photograph.

With some ex-colleagues I am in the process of writing the history of Hoverlloyd from 1966 to its demise in 1981.

We would very much like permission to use the photo for our publication.

I think I can also identify the year it was taken. A new jacking area off to the left of the pad is being constructed in readiness for the delivery of our fourth SRN-4. That would put it around late summer 1976.

Regards Roger

Pegwell Hoverport
 

Hi Roger ...

Really pleased to hear from you ! If you drop me a private eMail (PM) via this forum with your contact details, I'll gladly put you in touch with the owner of the photograph who actually took the picture !

Thanks also for putting a date to the picture ... I thought the mid 70's was about right !

I can't count the number of times I watched you guys "appear" out of the spray and settle on the pad, whilst hanging upside down on my straps doing aeros over the Bay !

Best regards ...

Coff.

Pegwell Hoverport
 

Coff

Sorry to be a dumb new boy but how do I make this private?

Roger

MID 60s 1 AEF
 

[IMG]02-17-2010 11;40;21AM[/IMG]
I'm a bit late joining this thread but I thought that the photo above may be of interest. It was taken by a local newspaper snapper who accompanied an ATC squadron from the Bexley area on their AEF trip, It was taken in 1967 with stalwart WP837 as it's centrepiece. Yours truly is doing the staff cadet job, the pilot is a guy called Tim Fear who was filling time between Hunter postings - I believe he'd just returned from Aden. I was the only staff cadet at the time and I seem to recall that I may have been the first, or certainly among the first, of these lucky lads who took some of the load from the ASF guys.

Our CO at the time was Ron Chapman who had recently replaced John Weeks. The Deputy Flight Commander was Arthur Standen. He hailed from Welling so we used to travel down together most weekends. The other pilots were usually from Les Zapp, Brian Lockwood, Derby Allen, Bill Downing, Ken Fluck, John Miles and Fred Insole from among others. Happy days!

Check your PM's Staff Cadet :ok: