Future of the FAA
Red On, Green On
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DP was a good friend of Pere Artist. He drove Plymouth during Corporate, and PA was by then back in the central staff of MoD, and being the immediate past Captain of Endurance, was a tad busy with the planning. Pretty sure I must have met him, somewhere.
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Heli-Power 2010: CHF commander reveals challenges ahead
November 17, 2010
The commander of the UK's Commando Helicopter Force (CHF) says his organisation is facing a challenging time over the next decade.
With heavy commitments in Afghanistan and the need to provide a contingent amphibious assault capability ready to be deployed anywhere in the world, Capt Jon Pentreath told delegates at the Heli-Power 2010 conference in London that the force would soon have to start making plans to introduce two new aircraft models and have to prepare crews to operate those types.
'We face huge uncertainties,' explained Pentreath, 'We are heavily committed to Afghanistan, and training for deployments there. Paving the way for new aircraft and training crews for those types will provide us with a real challenge.'
Based at RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset, the force is made up of three squadrons operating the Sea King Mk4 – 845 and 846 Naval Air Squadrons are front-line units while 848 NAS is the training squadron. A fourth unit, 847 NAS operates the Lynx Mk7 flown by Royal Marine aircrews.
However, under current plans in 2020 the look of the force will be very different. The current plan is for the unit to be equipped with 25 Merlin Mk4s - marinised Merlin Mk3s, which are currently used by the RAF's 28 and 78 squadrons. The Merlins would replace the Sea King, and four Wildcats will replace the six Lynx currently in use.
The four Wildcats will come out of the Fleet Air Arm's allocation of 28 aircraft and will be equipped like those to be operated by the British Army Air Corps.
'In an ideal world we would retire the Sea Kings after the new fleet of Merlins is ready,' Pentreath told Rotorhub.com.
So far no clear plans have been made about the Merlin Mk4 programme. Pentreath said the aircraft would ideally have a folding rotor head, but a folding tail rotor might not be necessary as the aircraft would probably fit onto the deck lifts being developed for the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers the CHF is likely to operate from.
Cost is another issue, however, and although it’s common for naval aircraft to be converted for operation on land – take the Royal Navy's F-4 Phantom and Buccaneer strike aircraft which were handed down to the RAF during the 60s and 70s – it’s quite another to retrofit a land-based fleet for naval operation.
The entire UK Sea King fleet is due to exit service at the end of 2016, which means the first CHF Merlins would have to be ready to begin training in 2015.
By Tony Osborne, London
November 17, 2010
The commander of the UK's Commando Helicopter Force (CHF) says his organisation is facing a challenging time over the next decade.
With heavy commitments in Afghanistan and the need to provide a contingent amphibious assault capability ready to be deployed anywhere in the world, Capt Jon Pentreath told delegates at the Heli-Power 2010 conference in London that the force would soon have to start making plans to introduce two new aircraft models and have to prepare crews to operate those types.
'We face huge uncertainties,' explained Pentreath, 'We are heavily committed to Afghanistan, and training for deployments there. Paving the way for new aircraft and training crews for those types will provide us with a real challenge.'
Based at RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset, the force is made up of three squadrons operating the Sea King Mk4 – 845 and 846 Naval Air Squadrons are front-line units while 848 NAS is the training squadron. A fourth unit, 847 NAS operates the Lynx Mk7 flown by Royal Marine aircrews.
However, under current plans in 2020 the look of the force will be very different. The current plan is for the unit to be equipped with 25 Merlin Mk4s - marinised Merlin Mk3s, which are currently used by the RAF's 28 and 78 squadrons. The Merlins would replace the Sea King, and four Wildcats will replace the six Lynx currently in use.
The four Wildcats will come out of the Fleet Air Arm's allocation of 28 aircraft and will be equipped like those to be operated by the British Army Air Corps.
'In an ideal world we would retire the Sea Kings after the new fleet of Merlins is ready,' Pentreath told Rotorhub.com.
So far no clear plans have been made about the Merlin Mk4 programme. Pentreath said the aircraft would ideally have a folding rotor head, but a folding tail rotor might not be necessary as the aircraft would probably fit onto the deck lifts being developed for the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers the CHF is likely to operate from.
Cost is another issue, however, and although it’s common for naval aircraft to be converted for operation on land – take the Royal Navy's F-4 Phantom and Buccaneer strike aircraft which were handed down to the RAF during the 60s and 70s – it’s quite another to retrofit a land-based fleet for naval operation.
The entire UK Sea King fleet is due to exit service at the end of 2016, which means the first CHF Merlins would have to be ready to begin training in 2015.
By Tony Osborne, London
I thought that training had already begun.....or is that just the Instructors?
Red On, Green On
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Joint Integrated Training Center located at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida
Anyone know if any UK pilots were assigned to the staff or as students? No, there were not.
Red On, Green On
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Funnily enough the last time I was there was a couple of days after I'd first met the current Mrs AA, but about 30 months before we were married. Close run thing - I could very easily be in Austin, Tx, now if I'd stuck with the young lady I met in FWB 
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There still seems to be a major divergence as to what exactly is happening to those RAF Mk3/3as, Whilst the Sheppard brief by JP seems to set the seal on it..there does seem some wriiggle room in the script - certainly about timings and any modification plans. I would assume he cleared the script with Cdr JHC.....so it would apear to have credibility. On the other hand, there have been occaisons in the past when such briefs have become "kite flying" exercises in the hope of maintaining momentum (possibly from desperation & frustration). If so then JP has no doubt come close to Hari-Kiri.
What I do know, is that an unmodified Mk3 has little resilience or performance for regular/continuous use in the maritime environment....and thats before you look at essential mods such as a folding head which only adds a dollop of mass and reduces payload noticeably - many know little of how low the payload margins are in a battle ready Mk3 despite the recent MAUW changes. The Mk1/2 was built with all sorts of engineering type tweaks and anti-corrosion measures that were never applied to the Mk3 build standard. A study not so long ago showed that it would be more cost effective to buy new cabs rather than properly upgrade the Mk3s for marops...Mmmm??. So there must be some real head scratching going on at the JHC given the lack of cash.
This issue seems to have quite a bit of traction yet!
What I do know, is that an unmodified Mk3 has little resilience or performance for regular/continuous use in the maritime environment....and thats before you look at essential mods such as a folding head which only adds a dollop of mass and reduces payload noticeably - many know little of how low the payload margins are in a battle ready Mk3 despite the recent MAUW changes. The Mk1/2 was built with all sorts of engineering type tweaks and anti-corrosion measures that were never applied to the Mk3 build standard. A study not so long ago showed that it would be more cost effective to buy new cabs rather than properly upgrade the Mk3s for marops...Mmmm??. So there must be some real head scratching going on at the JHC given the lack of cash.
This issue seems to have quite a bit of traction yet!
And the tail rotor issue is still live, irrespective of the lifts. IIRC the tail rotor height off ground is 6.9m or so, scraping the hangar deckhead even on QEC.
Plus all the other elements mentioned above like tiedown points (removed for mass savings - tells you something!), folding head and non-fizzy airframe components.
Plus all the other elements mentioned above like tiedown points (removed for mass savings - tells you something!), folding head and non-fizzy airframe components.
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From the viewpoint of a civilian about to embark on the officer selection process (RN), what is the current, (I presume, ever-changing), status of FAA recruitment for Pilot officers?
It is a firm ambition of mine to become a Royal Navy officer and, secondly - to fly in the Fleet Air Arm, (as opposed to the RAF - no significant reason, just preference).
Rotary or fixed-wing; neither takes precedent, but - to air on the side of curiousity, roughly when will the FAA begin/continue to recruit fixed-wing pilots?
Thanks
It is a firm ambition of mine to become a Royal Navy officer and, secondly - to fly in the Fleet Air Arm, (as opposed to the RAF - no significant reason, just preference).
Rotary or fixed-wing; neither takes precedent, but - to air on the side of curiousity, roughly when will the FAA begin/continue to recruit fixed-wing pilots?
Thanks
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At the moment, the RN have met the recruitment requirement for Pilots in 2011. Therefore, there will be no more places for the commencement of Officer (Pilot) training at BRNC Dartmouth in 2011. However, recruiting has not stopped and applications for FATS and AIB are still progressing. If a candidate was to pass both FATS and AIB as a Pilot they would be offered a place in a different specialisation (Observer, ATC, Warfare) or placed in a holding pool waiting for confirmation of pilot training numbers for 2012.
Hope this helps.
Hope this helps.
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I'll prgress with my application anyway and see what comes of it in the next 6-8 months and work hard towards making sure I'm considered for the 2012 intake!
Just what I needed to know, proudfishead - many thanks.
Just what I needed to know, proudfishead - many thanks.
