10 NAVY NEWS, AUGUST 2008

IT’S interesting just how many people
then at least passable. in miniature. It’s grown by 20 models in the past patchy) commentary, the all-arms commando
tell us they have ‘the best job in the
But the wind did, at least, put the kibosh on 12 months (if only it were that simple to add real demonstration became a series of semi-intelligible
Navy’.
displays by some eagerly-awaited gems: chiefly aircraft...). set pieces: a Land Rover dragging a RIB along a
the RN Historic Flight’s Swordfish which has The HMS Cambria reservist, currently attached runway until Royal Marines swooped down on it.
Helicopter mechanics. Viking drivers. Search
spent most of the past decade undergoing a to 847 NAS, has turned down a dozen requests Hawks racing to and fro over the ‘battlefield’. Lots
and rescue winchmen.
refurbishment. to attend air shows in the past year. Yeovilton of explosions. Artillery pounding. A BV rumbling
And the worst job?
The breeze kept the Royal Jordanian Falcons is the only one he does. “It’s the best one and around. An 847 NAS Lynx engulfed by the swirl
Well, possibly being part of the FOD plod –
on the ground too. An American B-52 bomber, it’s my show. The reaction of the public here is of smoke and mist (pictured above). Commandos
those who ensure the runways and standings are
sadly, was a no-show (bad weather at another fabulous.” releasing smoke canisters. Chaos. Confusion.
clear of rubbish, or Foreign Object Damage – at
airshow in Lincolnshire prevented its appearance), Like many exhibitors he was up before dawn to Noise. Smoke. Rather like the real thing...
Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton around 4.30pm
but a venerable Sea Vixen, Mustang and Sabre all drive down to Yeovilton and set up his stall before With the ‘terrorists’ defeated, the aircraft of the
on Saturday July 5 2008.
bravely took to the skies. the gates opened at 9am. Like many exhibitors Commando Helicopter Force all line up along the
It was cold. It was wet. It was blowing a hoolie.
So too the oldest flying Harrier in the UK, the he was there long after the public had gone, edge of the runway, turn to face the crowd and
And the detritus left behind by several thousand
red, white and blue VAAC (Vectored-thrust Aircraft dismantling that stall. bow as the public claps in appreciation.
spectators was swirling around.
Advanced flight Control) jump jet. A converted Air Day traditionally ends with a storm of fire This year, the wind denied them that. The
Organisers moved Yeovilton Air Day forward by
two-seat trainer, the VAAC Harrier can be flown and steel. helicopters had to fly slowly over the runway, the
a couple of months two years ago. Better weather
traditionally from the front seat or using computer And it did in 2008 (half an hour earlier than waves of their crew proving increasingly difficult
in July, you see.
‘fly-by-wire’ technology from the back seat, giving planned because other displays had been to see in the growing murk and driving rain.
And for the past couple of years it’s worked
the pilot a taste of what it will be like to fly the cancelled). But there was a storm of wind and hail Before they did, many spectators had already
rather nicely.
Joint Strike Fighter in the future. to contend with too. streamed for home – a true shame given the effort
We’d like to think that the rather large Fly Navy
So much wind and hail (actually rain but driven hundreds of people put into air
flag (hoisted above the beer tent...) was fluttering
Perhaps bravest of the lot were the
into the faces of spectators by the raging day.
vigorously in recognition of the decision to order
commando parachutists of 29 Regiment
tempest), in fact, that for most of Perhaps a few years from
two new aircraft carriers.
RA who jumped out of a helicopter several
the 40-minute demonstration now, people might be asking:
And perhaps it was.
hundred feet above the airfield, trailing
you could only catch snippets Were you still up for the wall
But the stiff breeze was probably the chief
huge flags beneath them. Despite the
of commentary coming out of fire?
cause.
gusts, all landed a stone’s throw from the
of the loudspeakers: “... If you did witness the
And someone who designed the day’s flying
smoke marker on the ground... and some
most deadly weapons...” “... explosive last act of air day,
programme evidently had a cheeky sense of
were then promptly carried along the floor
highly-motivated...” “... well- hats off to you. You were
humour given the weather. First up, the Typhoon.
by the wind before they gathered up their
trained...” “... very versatile probably cold and very wet.
The Eurofighter never fails to (a) be very loud (b)
chutes to a strong round of applause.
aircraft...” and, intriguingly, As the black smoke from the
impress even if it is (cough, splutter) RAF. There are some displays which even the British
“down to their last few boxes explosion billowed and rapidly
And weaving in and out of the clouds gave it an weather cannot wreck: those in the hangars.
of Mars bars...” dispersed over the stalls and
almost celestial quality – at least to the untrained The Army Air Corps’ Apache gunship (sadly only
Minus (or, more accurately, stands, thousands of people
eye (photographers complained it was a “grey a static display) was among the largest draws.
accompanied by dashed for the sanctuary of
plane against grey clouds”). As was another indoor display on a rather
their cars.
In fairness, the British weather wasn’t all bad. small scale. Last year we bumped into Lt Geoff
And then came the FOD
Indeed, for most of air day it was, if not glorious, Cooper and his collection of Fleet Air Arm aircraft
plod.
d
nas yeovilton and ls hamish burke, dsop cosfor
, r
ow
es: la(phot) paul a’barr
● (Left) All smiles from these commandos as they prepare to jump out of the back of a Chinook during
the all-arms display while (above) a gunner of 29 Commando Regiment RA braves the elements and pictur
parachutes to the ground trailing the White Ensign
0010_NN_Aug.indd 110_NN_Aug.indd 1 113/7/08 11:26:463/7/08 11:26:46
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