The Agent .......

Are you Agent S? If so, you've changed your tune from the IV Sqn Rumor Network!

UK Receives New-Generation G-120TP Aircraft for Pilot Training

LONDON — Britain has taken delivery of the first of a new generation of aircraft set to revitalize its fixed-wing military pilot training capabilities.

Affinity Flying Training Services delivered two Grob G-120TPs to the British Royal Air Force (RAF) base at Cranwell on Nov. 17, kicking off a program which will see 38 aircraft across three different types handed over by the end of 2018 to replace Britain’s aging stock of trainers. The delivery comes nine months after Affinity, a joint venture between KBR and Elbit Systems, secured a £500 million (US $622 million) deal to supply fixed-wing aircraft for the UK Military Flying Training System (UKMFTS) program led by Ascent.

The G-120TPs will be used to teach basic aviation principles and handling skills as well as provide an introduction to basic navigation, night flying and instrument-only flying. The aircraft will be based out of RAF Cranwell and RAF Barkston Heath.

The private finance initiative (PFI) deal signed in February with Ascent, the Lockheed Martin-Babcock joint venture running the UKMFTS program, will see Affinity procure, operate and maintain 10 Beechcraft T-6C Texan aircraft, 23 Grob G-120TP Prefect turboprops, and five Embraer Phenom 100 jets to train RAF and Royal Navy aircrew. The deal runs until 2033. The first Texan and Phenom aircraft are scheduled for delivery next year. The final Grob is due for delivery in March 2018, the last Phenom in January 2018 and final T6-C in November 2018.

The deal will see the current training fleets of Grob G-115, Beechcraft King Air 200/350s and Shorts Tucano pensioned off.

Advanced training on RAF-owned BAE Systems Hawk jet trainers is also part of the UKMFTS program but is separate to the Affinty deal. Airbus Helicopters signed a similar deal in May to provide 32 helicopters for the UKMFTS program.The first deliveries for that start in 2018.

Couple of misleading details here. Last I heard, the Tutor will continue in service, just not in the EFT role. And the first deliveries from AH will need to be before 2018 given that the go-live date is 1st April 2018! Or has the plan changed?

With the state of the Squirrel fleet at Strawbs (85 mph gust and a lot of untied Squirrels) maybe the date will have to come forward. Still not sure what this gust will do to a small rotary that is not tied down, it can't be good.

Correct. It will continue with UAS & AEF flying nationwide.

I note the Grob G120TP's are on the civil register and maintained under EASA 145.

Airbus Helicopters UK receives first MFTS aircraft
 

Airbus Helicopters UK has received the first of 32 new rotorcraft which will eventually be used to deliver training to Royal Air Force, Royal Navy and Army Air Corps crews under a £1.1 billion ($1.36 billion) deal.

'were' would be the correct word.

As a contractorised contract, maximum effort is put into the paperwork. The aircraft are test flown by Grob with a German D-xxxx registration. They are accepted by Affinity on the UK civil register, and are then transferred onto the UK Military Register. The first two, G-MFTS and G-MEFT have now become ZM300 and ZM301 respectively. With an active military clearance, subsequent aircraft 'may' forgo the UK civil registration step, but it probably depends on how many variations of the civil registration can be made using MFTS, MEFT etc, since 23 would be needed :E

CAEBr
 

So can I assume that rather than like the Grob Tutors that are maintained under EASA 145 the G120TP fleet will be maintained under military oversight ?

UK military registered aircraft are subject to the MRP, not civil regulation, and any contracted maintenance organization must have MAOS approval.

Refer to the ATC gliders thread.....;

You are mistaken as there is no prohibition on using civil regulation and there are current UK military registered aircraft maintained to EASA standards with their oversight.

Also do not forget Ascent has also received apart from the Prefect :) .......lol

cheers

Affinity takes delivery of new towing vehicles - Affinity Flying Training Services

Affinity continues ramp up with new vehicles - Affinity Flying Training Services

Shouldn't they be yellow? :E

"Just this Once". Just-to-clarify, would it not be UK CAA oversight' to EASA Regs.?

A.D.

DHFS aircraft are civil owned, military registered; flown under military regulations but serviced under CAA standards. CAA inspections seemed to be fairly frequent and at short notice.

Shackman
 

As the CAA is now mearly a regional office of EASA are you telling me that the regulatory authority for the maintenance of these aircraft is EASA ?

I as because you statement differs from some above.

Military registered are military regulated in all respects. MRCOA are subject to RA 1124 that requires them to be subject to Civil Aviation Authority oversight arrangements to ensure access to the civil spares pool and to maintain their value when returned to the civil register. CAA oversight ensures minimum compliance with civil regulation beneath the primary MRP.

Lynxman
 

I think we are getting there slowly, firstly I think by using the term CAA you are referring to EASA as the G120TP is an annex 1 aircraft.

Now for the big question, will the maintenance organisation require EASA145 approval ? And will the certifying staff require EASA part 66 licences ?

Also can parts repaired by an EASA 145 organisation be accepted for service on these aircraft without further approval from military authorities ?

If you take Shadow (pimped King Air) as an example, the RAF maintainers start with a quick year away to study and gain their EASA licences. They also require further time away to work on other civilian types to keep their skills on items that they may not have been exposed to with Shadow. Maintenance can also be completed by civilian contractors under their own approvals, with or without assistance of the RAF techies. The usual RAF engineering management chain have no powers or oversight as the buck stops with the licensed RAF technicians who coordinate directly with the various civilian authorities.

The only challenge is keeping hold of these SNCOs once their RoS is completed.

So the bottom line is the final oversight is EASA145.

The unintended consequence is as soon as the highly skilled RAF techies get a part 66 licence they will be gone like a rat up an aqueduct.

Don't the highly skilled RAF techies only need a part 66 licence if they are to 'certify' the work?

Is there a UK military version of part 66 yet? EMAR 66 was published some time ago http://www.eda.europa.eu/docs/defaul...s-removed).pdf but that would have needed to be UK-ified by the MAA. I suspect there would have been some debate about the use of a Licence or equivalent competence level but it should have been completed by now.

EAP

EPA86
 

For years the RAF has been very reluctant to let its technical staff get a civil maintenance licence, mis information was rife both about obtaining and maintaining a maintenance licence.

I can remember lending a techie my British airways licence course notes ( and a copy of the crewrooms question bank ) as no help whatsoever was forthcoming from inside the RAF.

To find that the RAF must now put these guys on a course to get a part 66 licence would seem like a reversal of years of custom & practice.

But it will end in tears for the RAF if they fail to reward those who have worked to get the licence with the market pay rate.