736 NAS - Why?
 

Hi
Was lurking about on the RN Website and found That FRADU at Culdrose had been given a squadron number. According to the blurb nothing has really changed except that now they also do observer training which seems strange as I always though 750 did that job. The Pilots are still Civvy so why give it a Squadron Number?

736 NAS - Why?
 

Because it then becomes more difficult to disband the unit?

Perhaps they are going to fill the unit with serving pilots who are on hold for F35. There were also buzzes that more of the aircraft were going to be based at Yeovilton rather than Culdrose.

736 NAS was the dark blue Bucc training squadron, at Lossie I think.

Althenick - maybe we can then declare FRADU to NATO in the RN/FAA order of battle? With our declining frontline we may be getting to the stage where what out to be regarded as support/training assets get included to "massage" the numbers and to make our stats (at least on paper) look a bit stronger.:}

A bit like renaming the OCU's reserve squadrons....

Get hat, coat......

MB

Bismark - Your answer seems pretty good but why put them to Yeovil?

736 was also the conversion unit for the Scimitar at Lossie.

736 NAS - Why?
 

Why Yeovilton?

Why not Yeovilton? It does have a runway after all and suppose it may as well be used.

Madbob,

Always wondered why the VGSs are now Volunteer Gliding squadrons

Given that the RAF has effectively given up on retaining any anti-shipping capability, can you think of any better place to attempt to retain those maritime skills, and teach new Navy pilots how to attack ships? By the time the F-35 comes into service those skills will have been lost to both services.
Imagine it as a kind of seedcorn project, keeping the maritime strike skills alive.
My guess is the Navy will get more hand-me-down Hawks based at Yeovilton as part of an expanded standards flight. It may not be perfect, but desperation measures are required.

VGS
 

tmm

As a VGS CO at the time I think I can make some informed comments on the subject. The then COS for the Air Cadets was asked if we could be called squadrons by a number of us at an annual conference of VGS CO's. It eventually went to the Air Force board and was approved.

Why did I want it to be called a squadron? My VGS was on an Army Garrison (formerly an RAF Station). The Army insisted on calling us a gliding club and gave us support in the same vein. Once we became a Squadron it was a lot easier to ask and obtain support more appropriate. e.g. messing, accommodation and so on.

Pity the Army subsequently declared all the hangars unsafe and booted us out without warning but that is another story. Funny old thing but I understand they are now safe again and being filled with - you guessed it Army units. Not flying units mind!

ACW

Seadrills
Going by your location you obviously are in the know.
I was under the impression that Yeovil was to become quite busy with Wildcat and CHF Merlin.
Thanks for all the replies

Al

Have you been to Yeovilton? The normal residency is 100+ aircraft (136 when the SHAR was there) - a few additional Hawks will not make much difference.

I am not in the know...

..but I do know that Yeovilton used to cope with 800, 801, 899, NFSF(FW), Historics and Heron Flight south side and 845, 846, 847, 848, 815 and 702 north side.

I thought that the Merlin transition meant a reduction in aircraft numbers for the Junglies and even with 727 south side I'm pretty sure a few more Hawks wouldn't really break the bank.

(Errr, looks like I posted at the same time as Bismark, with much the same message. Great minds etc etc)

"why put them to Yeovil?"

I hope you meant Yeovilton.........Yeovil (Westland) has a short grass runway with a bump in the middle.....would be fun for a jet

Sorry Milo - Having been a "Fulmar brat" I didn't know there was a difference as the old man was never stationed there lol.

736 Sqn history
 

The squadron was first formed at RNAS Yeovilton on 24th May 1943 as an air combat training squadron for naval aviators, before moving to RNAS St Merryn in September that year. Between 1943 and 1952 the squadron operated several piston-engined aircraft including the Supermarine Seafire, Fairey Barracuda, Hawker Sea Fury and Fairey Firefly.

The squadron moved to RNAS Culdrose in 1950 where in August 1952, it was eventually disbanded as piston-engined squadron and reformed as the Advanced Jet Flying School; operating Supermarine Attacker and Meteor T.7 jet aircraft.

It was recommissioned at RNAS Lossiemouth in June 1953 as a training squadron for Sea Vampire and Hawker Sea Hawk. In 1959 the squadron was equipped with Supermarine Scimitar F.1 aircraft under the command of Lieutenant Commander J.D. Baker, to provide support for operational squadrons. As Scimitars started to be phased out of first line servicing, 736 Squadron was disbanded on 26 March 1965.

736 NAS reformed shortly afterwards with the Blackburn Buccaneer S.2, using aircraft and aircrews from the recently disbanded 700B Flight (the Buccaneer S.2 Intensive Flying Trials Unit) in order to train aircrews for the aircraft. Still based at RNAS Lossiemouth, from 1967 onwards the unit shared a pool of aircraft with 803 NAS, the Buccaneer HQ and weapons trials unit. With the decision to transfer all the RN's Buccaneers to the RAF, 736 NAS took on the extra task of training RAF crews. To cope with this, several Buccaneer S.1s were taken out of storage to increase the numbers of aircraft available, and a number of RAF aircrew who had previously served exchange tours with FAA Buccaneer squadrons were posted to 736 NAS as instructors. After a few accidents due to engine problems the S.1s were withdrawn from service in 1970. In 1971 the RAF stood up their own OCU (237 OCU) to take over the training of both their own and the dwindling number of RN aircrews.

736 NAS was finally disbanded in early 1972, and was inactive until it was recommissioned in order to operate the Fleet Air Arm's Hawk T1s in 2013.

Insight into 736 NAS and their role in preparing a FAA Fixed wing cadre for the arrival of the F35!

Royal Navy 736 Naval Air Squadron will fly from the new Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers | Mail Online

BBC News - Royal Navy takes over Culdrose air base Hawk jets

I would have thought that 764 NAS would be a more appropriate numberplate.

With regard to the squadron's base, my understanding is that when FRADU re-equipped with Hawks it moved to Culdrose as the range of the Hawk is less than the Hunter with four 100-gallon tanks apparently. T.1s are not plumbed to carry auxiliary tanks. An article in the aviation press (sorry, can't remember which comic) on Hawker Hunter Aviation's ops at Yeovilton last year would suggest that when the T.1 comes to an end, if HHA receive the contract for FOST support they will likely more than likely use Yeovilton as a base.

So you're saying that the Hawks, which replaced the Hunters, are likely to themselves be replaced by Hunters?