22 NAVY NEWS, AUGUST 2007
ForForcce Onee One
W
ITH the
fortnight in France. The fortnight in Gap- headed into the hills, others tried
rotors barely
Gap is also home to Tallard saw the aircrew white water rafting and mountain
stopped after
adrenalin junkies – chiefly first carry out flights with biking.
free-fall parachutists who their training instructors 2007 has seen frantic activity
fl ying over the
love leaping above the aboard to ensure for the Lynx squadron, part of
capital for Falklands 25
massif. pilots adequately the Commando Helicopter
commemorations, the
And that posed reconnoitred potential Force, opening with cold weather
Lynx fl iers of 847 Naval
problems for the 847 landing sites – and training inside the Arctic Circle in
fliers. picked out possible northern Norway; then the 847
Air Squadron packed
“Every member escape routes in case team helped Ark Royal through
their bags for a massif of the aircrew was anything went wrong. her Operational Sea Training;
deployment.
used for lookouts And once the QHIs they remained in Ark for NATO
Three Mk7 Lynx with 50
– especially for the were happy, they stayed war games in the Baltic, Exercise
personnel decamped to Gap-
parachutists, but also behind at the airbase Noble Mariner; then the Lynx
Tallard airfield between Grenoble
guarding against rotor blade while the pilots tackled the returned briefly to Blighty for the
and Nice for experience in high-
strikes with the rocks,” explained mountains on their own. Falklands commemorations before
altitude operations.
Lt Mike Vallance, one of 847’s “The training at Gap means heading to southern France.
The Massif des Écrins to the
Qualified Helicopter Instructors that 847’s aircrew can operate The pace of life should slacken
northeast of Gap provided the
(QHI). effectively in mountainous terrain now back at Yeovilton – but only
perfect (and relatively warm)
Rocks and jumpers were not the and that we have confidence – we slightly as the squadron acquaints
environment for operating at
only challenges the fliers had to know that the skills learned, even itself with the next generation of
higher altitudes.
contend with. in the south of France, will be their aircraft, Lynx Mk9 (also
Gap-Tallard airfield is home Turbulence, air density and invaluable on future deployments
known as ‘Battlefield Lynx’),
to training for the Aviation Légère temperatures all made flying in operational theatres,” said pilot which is already in service with
de l’Armée de Terre – French tricky – the Lynx Mk7 is limited Lt Adam Zipfell. the Army Air Corps.
Army Light Aviation, the Gallic to 10,000ft so with the tips of Given Gap’s reputation for And once acquainted with
counterpart of Britain’s Army Air numerous mountains in the massif adventure training and extreme Battlefield Lynx, 847 deploys to
Corps – who admirably hosted the topping that, their pinnacles sports, during downtime the 847 Afghanistan and Iraq in support of
Fleet Air Arm fliers during their proved out of reach. team was spoiled for choice: some British peacekeeping missions.
● Twin peaks... (Left) An 847 Lynx fl ies over a pair of distinctively-shaped rocks in the Massif des Écrins and (below) two Lynx prepare to set
down on a plateau in the massif
● Massif attack... (Main picture) A Lynx banks over the surprisingly lush terrain of the Massif des Écrins northeast of Gap
Pictures: LA(Phot) Billy Bunting, RNAS Yeovilton
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