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Letter from the Squadron - 2011

LETTER FROM THE SQUADRON - 2011


After a brief but busy 5 months as OC 208 Sqn it is a privilege to write my first letter to the Association as the Squadron Boss. Obviously much of my time on the Squadron so far has been dominated by the fall out of the Strategic Defence & Security Review (SDSR) which has been a painful period of adjustment. The Navy responded swiftly to the loss of the Harrier by reducing the number of student pilots within weeks of the SDSR announcements. It wasn't until the 1st March that the RAF student numbers were reduced with 10 in-training students being removed from RAF Valley, 3 of which were on course on 208 Sqn. Despite the obvious sadness at the loss of students, those that remain are now continuing with their courses with renewed determination. It seems likely that the next students to arrive from RAF Linton-on-Ouse will progress to the impressive new Hawk TMk2 and as such the recent Hawk TMk1 students will be the last to train on the old aircraft.


Since the last letter to the Association the Sqn has continued to deliver enthusiastic young pilots to the front line OCUs via a stint on our sister Hawk Squadron at Valley. The previous 12 months have seen the Squadron graduate 4 courses totalling 22 pilots and in the process flying some 5500 hrs over 5300 sorties. To achieve so much during 2010 was in itself quite a challenge with many flying days lost through the vagaries of the Welsh weather not to mention volcanoes in Iceland and cracks found on the election seats fitted to our Hawk TMk1s. Of course when the sky was full of ash or the jets were grounded for seat inspections the weather was glorious!


Obviously with the reduction in the size of the RAF and the introduction of the Hawk TMk2, the future of the Hawk TMk1 at Valley is finite and you will probably notice that arrivals and departures from the Squadron show that 208 is slowly starting to reduce in size. This gradual reduction will be stemmed a little in April when both TMk1 Sqns at Valley combine under the 208 Squadron banner and for a short while the Squadron will train ab initio pilots all the way to the OCU entry standard. Two of the previously departed members of staff, Flight Lieutenant James Milmine and Flight Lieutenant Pete Smith left the Squadron last summer to move over the road to 19 Sqn and as such will soon be returning to 208 Squadron where they started, such is the merry-go-round of service life!


Of course the Squadron also saw the departure of Wing Commander Jamie Hunter last summer and I am pleased to say that he has now safely returned from his time in Afghanistan to move onto pastures new. For a brief period the Squadron was commanded by Squadron Leader Al Dow and he too has now moved on to a post at Abbey Wood working on the Typhoon, although unfortunately not to fly it. Flight Lieutenant Tim Davies has also now left the Squadron on promotion to

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