COs of Four Oldest Squadrons Fly Together

[soddim]

Not often one finds a scoop in the Horncastle News:

http://www.horncastlenews.co.uk/news...oot.3613297.jp

[Green Flash]

This months AFM has also got the same story (sorry to p!ss in your soup Soddim!). Methinks the RAF PR machine(ski!) has been in action.

[Magnersdrinker]

Yep i noticed there was a typhoon there ,publicity stuff that just dont work . Kinda hits home of what our leaders think is more important than real life issues within the Force.

[L J R]

And it took only three posts to get a negative 'bitter in the mouth' post to add to what is really a 'nice' story.

[Roland Pulfrew]

LJR

Don't worry mate, it's only Magners again. He has obviously been on the Magners - Again!! And he doesn't seem to understand the the importance of good PR.

Personally I think it's quite good and a cracking picture.

[thunderbird7]

And there was me thinking that 201 was the oldest squadron. ( No1 Squadron RNAS )

[Roland Pulfrew]

Slightly off topic but.....

Sorry TB7, according to my Observers Big Book of Squadrons:

1 Sqn 13 May 1912
2 Sqn The same
3 Sqn The same
4 Sqn 16 Sep 12

1 Sqn RNAS 17 Oct 1914 (the same date as 202 (2 Naval) Sqn)

[thunderbird7]

Godamit! Foiled again. Must go and dust off the bookshelf. I've got the Observers Book of Aircraft from 1948 if that's any use..

[right chopper]

and another picture courtesy of 'the Ton'...!!
Merry Christmas

[HAL9000]

Well done the RAF. It will be a sad day if the RAF ever feels it cannot show off its aircraft and squadrons. I suppose, given the time of year, it is inevitable that a few Ebeneezer Scrooges will feel obliged to berate this sort of publicity.

[Gainesy]

PR wise, pics of the Harrier festooned with mission markings might be more relevant.
Or do the PC wankers have them painted out asap?

[ZH875]

How long before the headline reads:


"Oldest CO's of the Four Squadrons of the RAF Fly Together"


Seasons Greetings to all.

[Roland Pulfrew]

bbc

If you are talking about current RAF Sqns (and exclude the 600 series currently issued to some of the Aux AF sqns) then at least 1 GR4 would be in the formation, 617 Sqn formed 23 Mar 43. And then prior to that I guess a Nimrod MR2 of 120 Sqn 01 Jan 18.

Not sure about the other 2 though.

[Archimedes]

I think (off the top of my head) it would be a formation involving:

617 - formed 1943
230 - unlike other naval sqns, formed by amalgamating flights rather than renumbering a squadron
216 - formed early 1918 as 16(N), although its precursor organisation 'A' Squadron RNAS might disqualify it
120 - 1 January 1918 formation date

If 216's predecessor unit disqualifies it, then I think it'd be 99, which formed in August 1917.

[Archimedes]

I think 111 is about three weeks older than 99, so in all probability, yes.

[MAINJAFAD]

Yes, your right, 16 days, 111 formed on the 1/8/17, 99 on formed the 17/8/17.

[Ronald Reagan]

Shame no 5 and 6

A lovely photo which fills one with pride. A shame that there is no 5sq F-3 and 6sq Jaguar. Up until a few years ago easily possible but no longer so. Then the Jag mates and F-3 mates could have taken part.

Wonder if 6sq will get Typhoon and when?

[antipodean alligator]

Women's Auxiliary Balloon Corps

Note with interest that it was the OC of the oldest FIXED(and/orSWING)-WING Squadron that they interviewed, not OC 1(F) SQN!

A small concession to line up in numerical order for the Piccy, but we all know that Shiny II was the first real SQN!!