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INSIGHTIssue 5 2012MAGAZINEISTAR Flies20000 hoursInsightMAGAZINE 1THE MAGAZINE OF RAF Waddington is now onlINE: www.THEINSIGHTONLINE.CO.UK

INSIGHTIssue 5 2012MAGAZINEFrom theEditor…I’d like to thank Flt Lt Anna Sznerch for her outstandingwork on the Insight Editorial Team over the past year.I’ve asked her to write this month’s Editor’s Forward, asshe is the ‘brains’ behind this edition.As Christmas fast approaches, wewave goodbye to the rather wetsummer that has graced us withits presence, and welcome thecourageous achievement of 20000 hours forISTAR capabilities between v (AC) Sqn and14 Sqn. With Insight’s new Editor, Sqn LdrMark Brammer ‘sunning’ himself in hotterclimates, a new recruit, Flt Lt Levi Birchwas fast on the uptake of keeping me on thestraight and narrow as we prepared all of thearticles for issue.Over the past few months the stationcontinues to maintain its busy operationaltempo with various accomplishmentsincluding 14 Sqn and V Sqn’s joint success in‘clocking up’ 20000 hours worth of flying since2009. Personnel from Number 51 Squadronhave enjoyed an Expedition to Alaska whilstthe Community Support Squadron has beenbusy on various visits across station and to theOlympics to sample some of the internationalsporting achievements. On a more personallevel certain individuals stand out acrossstation for their dedication and commitmentto their part in the recent Olympics. NotablySquadron Leader Nick Davies (Air WarfareCentre) who performed in the role as theLondon 2012 Triathlon Run and BikeCourse Leader. Whilst, Flight SergeantAntony Wingate (8 Sqn) was at the heart ofthe Olympics, in a pivotal role, as a memberof the London 2012 Flag Raising Team.Peppered with such success, thedetermination and professionalism ofRAF Waddington’s personnel was furtherhighlighted in the recent Air Officer inCommand Number 1 Group Award nightwhere, as a station, Waddington scoopedtwo awards.As I bid farewell in my role as DeputyEditor of Insight I welcome my successorFlt Lt Heather Constantine who, has kindlyvolunteered to take over – brace yourselffor some good Costa coffee breaks thatclassically last well beyond the assigned halfan hour you’d like to think they should last.We hope you enjoy the contents bandinvite you to make your own submissions tothe editorial team. We accept articles fromall sections at RAF Waddington and thelarger aviation-interested community. Sosubmit away and you too could be a part ofthis great magazine!On the coverISTar fLIES 20000 hoursEditoriaL TEAM:WAD-InsightEditorialTeam@mod.ukExternal Email: Use personal email addresses listedTel: 01522 720271 (7801Ext No.)Editor:(Sqn-Ldr) Mark Brammermark.brammer679@mod.ukDeputy Editor:Flight Lieutenant Anna SznerchWad-BSW-PMS-P1-OC@mod.ukDistribution:Corporal Stephen CalvertExt 6495 steven.calvert415@mod.ukArtwork: S OliverPhotography:Sgt Karl Whitelaw, Cpl Loz Platfoot, Cpl Sarah Draper,SAC Chris Davidson, SAC Lauren Pope, SAC AndyStevens, SAC Ben StevensonAdvertising by:Jo MarchantTel: 01536 526674Designed by:Rowena WilsonTel: 01536 521126Published by:Lance Publishing Ltd, 1st Floor, Tailby House,Bath Road,Kettering.NN16 8NLTel: 01536 512624Fax: 01536 515481www.lancepublishing.co.ukEmail: mike@lancepublishing.co.ukPrinted by: Lance Print Ltd4 InsightMAGAZINE

16 253133In this Issue…06STATIONCommander’sFOREWORDair cadet pilot20 SCHOLARSHIP 34ssafa10,000 operational07 houRS25flyING the flag ofTHE 2012 olyMPICS3668TH anniversairyOF operationMARkET gardenred flag alaska, top08 30OF the worldistar 20,000 houRS,DOuBLE-WHAMMy12 51 sqn3116 mouNTAIN goose 3118the 56(r) sqn trinityCHALLENGE 32royal seal ofAPPROVALkARTINGpadre’s patterPlease send yourcontributions to:The Editor,Insight Magazine,RAF Waddington,Lincoln, LN5 9NB.annuAL adventure19 TRAINING camp 33champions, llamasAND farewellThe magazine is entirely funded by advertising and costs the Station nothing to produce. Insight is not an official publication and, unless otherwise stated, views expressed in thismagazine do not necessarily represent MOD, RAF or Station policy. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the permission of the editor or publishers. Advertisementsaccepted on the understanding that they conform to the British Code of Advertising Practice. Insight is produced by kind permission of the Station Commander, RAF Waddington.InsightMAGAZINE 5

RedFlagaLaskaRed Flag normally evokesthoughts of Las Vegas, but thiswas a different kind of Flag,this was Red Flag ALASKA(RFA), complete with blackbears on dispersal©Alexrk2AlaskaTop of the WAn advance party had set off a few while this was successful, it did see them arrivedays earlier to prepare for the a considerable few hours after the E-3D. TheE-3D arrival on 1 Aug 12 while good news is that eventually all of the RFAthe rest of the required personnel contingent were reunited at JBER and thewere flying out budget-conscious economyclassbriefings were attended so we were all set forwith a civilian airline. At short notice, a two weeks of flying.few people who were due to travel out onboard The cycle of events for the E-3D’sthe E-3D were transferred to a civilian flight as participation included a full planning dayit started to look like the E-3D was going to be followed another full day of a mission flightdelayed a day leaving RAF Waddington. This and debriefs. This cycle was performed 6was necessary in order for enough of the crew times with all of our planned missions beingto attend the mandatory initial crew briefings completed - which was a fantastic effort bywhich would allow the E-3D to participate in everyone involved, particularly the engineersRFA when it arrived. What actually happened for keeping the aircraft serviceable (and bearfree)was that the E-3D left RAF Waddington on theand the weapons section of the E-3D creworiginal schedule and completed the journey to for sticking with the demanding planning andUS Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) debriefing cycles. The Exercise provided a greatjust outside Anchorage in southern Alaska opportunity to work with the F-22 Raptorin one hop due to kind winds and with great which is a fifth-generation fighter and rarelyviews of Iceland and Greenland. Meanwhile, seen on our side of the Atlantic. This broughtthe contingent flying out civilian via the new challenges but also opportunities for theimaginative routing of London to Anchorage E-3D crew to investigate and employ withinvia Houston, Texas in the American Southwest, the mighty Yukon air battlespace. The servicewere delayed leaving Heathrow, meaning that provided by the UK E-3 crew was appreciatedthe connecting flight at Houston was missed. by those taking part with numerous favourableThis lead to the majority of the original civilian comments received and it was also particularlytransportation personnel having to spend satisfying to detect and co-ordinate thea night in Houston which I am told was an intercept of the UK Hercules which wasindescribable hardship. The other members operating at low levels amongst the mountains.of the crew who had only changed to civilian We’re forced to admit that it wasn’t all workair flights to make the briefs had to scrape and no play, however. The middle weekendaround for another connecting flight and, allowed the majority of personnel a day off

orldon the Saturday which opened up an excellentsight seeing opportunity. A contingent drovedown to Seward for a whale watching andglacier boat trip. The weather was kind andthe whales obliged along with the porpoises,sea lions, jelly fish, orcas, sea birds and beavers.The glacier was an amazing sight and the glacialice tasted great in a margarita. Alaska in thesummer has a lot to offer during the day (whichwere 22 hours long) as well as some good eveningentertainment. There were numerous activitieswhich allowed the detachment to enjoy thespectacular scenery with coastal cycle paths,fishing spots and hiking routes although notall paths on trail maps are to be trusted! Aswell as car, boat, bicycle and on foot trips;there were also those who took to the skiesin light aircraft. One of these flights was atour around Mt McKinley including a glacierlanding which was a fantastic experience byall accounts. The view of Mt McKinley wasamazing from the Sentry flight deck at 30000feet, so I can imagine how impressive itwould have looked from a light aircraft.After two and a half weeks, RFA wasover and it was time to make our way home.The return flights were uneventful forboth those on the E-3D and civilian airline,with the route for the civilian flight stayingin northern USA. The detachment was afantastic training opportunity and Alaskawas a wonderful host, despite those bears.InsightMAGAZINE 9

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51SqnThe end of January 2012 - it was time to leave thecold, wet, miserable British winter behind and headoff for sunny but slightly more austere climbs to join aUSAF crew on-board the RC-135V/W Rivet Joint (RJ)aircraft operating from Al-Udeid, Qatar.The deployment came as a resultof a joint manning venturebetween the RAF and USAF toensure 51 Sqn crew membersare operationally ready for the arrivalof the UK RJ in December 2013. Thedeployment was designed to provide theopportunity to gain more hands-on timeand experience necessary, whilst adheringto the Memorandum of Understanding(MOU) between the two services. It hadonly been two months since some of usreturned to the UK from a 5 month OCUin Offutt AFB, Nebraska. The courseconsisted of 8 weeks classroom workand simulator lessons delivered by CrewTraining International (CTI), a civiliancompany predominantly made up of ex-RJcrew members. Following that, furthertraining was carried out on the 338th foryet more theory, practical and of courseflying training. Interspersed throughoutthe training was a myriad of additionalUS-specific training RAF personnel hadto complete such as weapons handling,crypto briefs and the plethora of onlinestudy packages, much inline with the E&Dstyle briefs RAF personnel already receive.Following a brief 3 week respite back inthe UK at the beginning of November,it was back to Offutt for a fortnight ofpre-deployment training, ensuring thatauthorisations, qualifications and anyother ‘shuns’ you can think of were up todate; this culminated in a mass brief for allthose RAF and USAF personnel deploying.By the time we arrived in theatrefollowing a sightseeing tour of the Middle-East courtesy of RAF AT, our Americancounterparts had already completed 45of their 90 days. No, this isn’t the resultof delayed AT but again, part of the MOUstates UK personnel will complete a 45 daytour length. Following immigration (the lesssaid the better), we were whisked away to ouraccommodation to settle in before an earlystart the next day. The accommodation issomewhat surprising, no not really, it’s asexpected, a two-man room, tin-hut styleand everything covered in sand, very inkeepingwith the standard middle-east 5star excellence we’ve all become accustomedto. It was late at night, so a quick unpack,shower then bed were in order. What couldpossibly be awaiting us for our first morningin theatre? A brief, always a good startingpoint and one of many throughout the day,throughout the deployment in fact, followedby further checking and double checkingof ‘shuns’ (previously mentioned) beforethe 763rd Expeditionary ReconnaissanceSquadron permitted us to fly in theatre.There are several RJ crews in theatresupporting a varying number of lines offlying per 24 hour period in support of OpHERRICK. The eight-man RAF contingentwas dispersed amongst three of the crews;our various specialisations Navigator,Airborne Systems Engineers andCryptological Operators. After 48 hours intheatre, packed with USAF and RAF arrivalprocessing, we were finally ready to startwork and get in to a rhythm that wouldhopefully make time pass quickly.Before we go into the war stories oflong flights, lack of sleep and workingagainst the odds to deliver and upholdthe professional standards expected bythe RAF, a little bit must be said aboutAl Udeid. For those of you who havevisited before, I apologise. For those whohaven’t, close in. It’s Little America, as12 InsightMAGAZINE

“Welcome to a topsy turvyworld for the next 7 weeks. Itwas time to say “goodnight”to the sun, except for fleetingglimpses, and “hello” moon.”you’d expect from a base with such a largeU.S contingency. Pizza Hut, Burger King,Baskin Robins - to name but a few outletsthere to make your stay all the moreenjoyable. If only there were swimmingfacilities, large gyms and a 24-hour cinemato make down time all the more enjoyable,and maybe a BX and social area that sellsalcohol to help unwind after a long day.Our crew was assigned to the ‘nightgo’. Welcome to a topsy turvy world forthe next seven weeks. It was time to say“goodnight” to the sun, except for fleetingglimpses, and “hello” moon. This was toprovide the first major hurdle, ‘enforcedsleep’ during a sunny day when themajority of the base was up and about. Theworking cycle was spread over 72 hours; I’dlove to use “days” or “nights” to describe it,but by the end of the deployment it reallywas a blur as to which was which. It went alittle something like this:Day 1 14:00 Sleep (Try to get an allotted 8 hourssleep required, I mean try)23:00 Start work as standby crew in caseof any illnesses (Load the ‘nightgo’ aircraft and c/o pre-flight for theoperating crew)02:00 Return to Ops and mission plan forour flight 24 hours later05:30 Shift over so long as the a/c wasairborne and on task06:00 Back at the accommodation checkemails, go for a run and then stayawake until roughly midday when itwas time to head off for lunch(or was that supper?)Day 214:00 Sleep (try to get an allotted 8 hourssleep required errm try)22:00 Wake and shower before leaving forbreakfast at 22:3023:00 Start work (Mission brief, take over thea/c from the standby crew and launch)Day 315:00 Land, Debrief groundcrew, Return toOps for a crew debrief with Sqn execs17:00 Return to accommodation and sleepuntil midnight00:00 Force the body to wake up and catchup on emails, laundry, fitness etc.Stay awake (if possible) until 14:00then the whole thing begins again.After two weeks, the body became tiredenough to sleep at 14:00 and the wholecircadian rhythm had truly begun to shift.The gym and running track were a big helpwhen trying to stay awake in the latterstages of night. As much as I enjoyed therunning (more so I did it because it kept meawake), I could never force myself to joinmy fellow crew (namely USAF personnel) andpartake in a bizarre fitness regime called‘Insanity’ which I would compare to a neardeath experience for even the most robustof athletes. It hadn’t taken long eitherbefore I felt completely embedded as partof the crew and the intercontinental jokesand banter had started to break the silenceduring the long flights. Contrary to popularbelief, although separated by thousandsof miles of ocean and hundreds of yearsof history, we share a common groundon many things, although the thought ofeating steak or chicken or any other largemeal presented by the mess at 22:30 issomething I could never subscribe to.Work was very British in many sensesof the word. As a standby crew you wouldberate the primary operational crew if theydelayed take off or had airborne issuesforcing them to RTB and take the spareaircraft which again you had to pre-flight(Two pre-flights in one night-Oh Lord!!). Asthe Op crew you were in despair at thestate of the aircraft when the standby crewhad carried out the pre-flight (A CB not set,whatever next!). It was obviously down toineptitude and lack of attention to detailand had nothing to do with the fact it waslate at night and the body clock was in itsown little world of turmoil. Morale boostsfor the crew were attempted in many ways;1. System of a Down (Hard Rock) blastingaway on the crew bus – Not too Bad2. Insanity exercise programme – No chance3. Sharing of goodies sent fromsomeone’s mum (mom) – Aahhh lovely4. Glee the musical on the crew bus –HOME-TIMEWe came to our last flight (#15 for UK, #30for USAF) - what a wonderful atmosphere.Nothing would fail; we’d take off, carry outthe mission, land, then happy days. And soit did, except for the landing part. Strongcrosswinds had almost forced a diversionuntil after 3 missed approaches and fourbounces down the runway – Touchdown,Houston the deployment is over, grabyourself a beer and say “hello” to daylight. Afew days on the ground followed, our USAFcounterparts were in U.S transit (50 manrooms), we had escaped to the palatial RAFtransit (Two man room), Americans alwaysgo bigger, this time smaller was so muchbetter. Bags were packed and it was timeto go home,seven days before the USAF,Oh dear how we gloated! Oh dear how weshouldn’t have. A full bore rolling goat laterand we departed a day prior to our brothersin arms. Goodbyes were said, friends weremade and people to avoid were duly noted,no difference to a standard RAF deploymentexcept louder, bigger and we were on theverge of saving the world!InsightMAGAZINE 13

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© http://www.stockfreeimages.com14-20 JUL 2012MOUNTAINGOOSEIn a welcome break from a hectic operational flyingschedule, a number of 51 Squadron (Sqn) personneljoined forces with old friends from RAF Cranwell & Digby,trading the relative flatness of Lincolnshire for the freshair and mountain delights of the Scottish Highlands.Fastidiously planned by the ever efficientCoops, with some challenging routespicked out by seasoned hikers Dougieand Gary, this particular exped hadall the promise of being a good one with zeroleft to chance and nothing overlooked... or so itseemed until a quick phone call from Mrs Cooperalerted the usually meticulous (and now somewhatsheepish) Coops to the small fact that he had leftboth his lunch and walking boots at home! Spiritswere high (and also in abundance judging from theclinking sounds from many of the bags) as we headedin convoy up to the Glencoe area. The banter,already in full flow, was further fuelled whenwe headed east on the A66, courtesy of somedodgy navigating by Rick and Phil. Following abackseat intervention, a quick adjustment wasmade and we were soon back on course, stoppingonly for junk food and to exchange currency atthe border. Cries from the exped leaders that“...you’ll work off those calories on the hills!” hadeven the most health conscious of us tucking intodeep fried local delicacies.On a grey and overcast day we set off fromElleric in Glen Creran for the summit of BeinnFhionnlaidh (959m) passing Glenure Lodge andup the shoulder of the mountain. After a navfaff (yes there was a theme beginning to emerge)searching for some elusive lochans, it becameabundantly clear that either they or we weren’twhere we were supposed to be. When we finallyfound the locans, they were so large you hadto wonder how we could have missed them atall. Following coffee and cake, we entered thelow cloud about 600m which unfortunatelyremained until the summit where we had lunchand a group photo in the infamous Scottish clag.Then we set off towards Glen Etive over roughground and a very steep, tricky descent whichculminated in a long walk back through theforest to Invercharnan. That evening, Dougiediscussed the routes for the following day andmentioned that one of the Munros (the name givento peaks over 3000ft) we planned to bag, He hadclimbed these previously, explaining that thepeak next to ours, although over 3000ft, hadn’tbeen considered a Munro but regarded as part ofthe main peak. However following a review in1999 it was awarded ‘Munro’ status. This meanthe would have to climb it again in order to ‘bag’it officially, to which Rob, who was a tired littlebunny after the days exertions, piped up “thatdoesn’t explain why I have to do it!”The evenings began to take on a familiarpattern; we would gather together to playcards or Yatzee whilst reminiscing over theday’s events. Ah yes Yahtzee, a game that Rickmaintained was elusive. “No one ever getsYahtzee” he exclaimed and then just as Coopscrosses it off his list, Sparka, who had neverplayed before, rolled two on the trot winningthe game hands down. Surveying the bemusedfaces and ignoring the cries of “what? No way!!!”Sparka took his cue to leave and retired smuglynever to roll another die. One evening, asDougie entertained everyone with funny storiesof previous antics on the hills, he exclaimedproudly to the room “that was my 225th Munrotoday!” to which Lisa, who was nursing someblisters, replied “that was my last!”Whilst Lincolnshire was being subjected tothe most miserable of summers, the Gods lookedfondly on our intrepid explorers. The sun shoneas the group embarked on a very challenging,rewarding and picturesque route that would seethem bag the summits of Stob Coire Sgreamhach(1072m) and Bidein nam Bain (1150m). We hadn’tgone far before we passed a notice board and abarrier proclaiming that the bridge across theriver Coe was closed; Of course we duly ignored itand carried on downstream in search of a suitableplace to cross. Some chose to cross by boulderhopping; the more adventurous and sprightly ofus hung our boots and socks around our necksand waded right in! Following the path up CoireGabhail – “The Lost Valley” - we were treated tosome stunning views which unfortunately alsoincluded what waited for us up ahead; a longhard slog up the winding and somewhat erodedtrail that cut a beautiful but very steep jaggedpath to the summit. Our pain was rewarded withstunning vistas across the whole of the Glencoearea and out towards the sea beyond. On ourdescent we spotted an RAF Sea King doing somemountain flying below and the weary among usremarked that it was a pity we couldn’t call in afew favours and get ferried back to the foot ofthe mountain. Only half an hour later though,as Eric Clee teetered precariously on his walkingsticks like a little old man, he took a suddennasty tumble and narrowly missed smashing hisscull on a large rock. Thankfully, once again, thefortunes were in our favour and the only hurtsuffered was to his pride. Of course as soon aseveryone realised he was fine our initial concernsgave way to some serious banter that had us all institches for the remainder of the descent.On day three we were offered the stark choiceof either 5 hours walking in the rain with Garyor 7 with Dougie! Of course, as the group hadcome to learn, neither Dougie nor Gary wereparticularly honest when it came to paintinga picture of anything remotely resemblingreality. “It’s just a few hundred metres furtheron” translated to over a mile, while Gary wasnotorious for claiming “Oh its only 120ft orso to the top,” usually meaning 500ft alongwith at least one and sometimes two falsesummits. Regardless, not even the constantrain could dampen the spirits of the jovial‘Lofty’ who, despite being completely soakedthrough, was still able to joke and entertain usall as we waited in the minibus for the returnof the others. Unfortunately those in Dougie’sgroup who had chosen the longer walk got morethan they bargained for. The large amount ofrainfall made the normally calm River Copallfast flowing and impassable forcing them tomake a further long trek across a horribly boggypath back to the bridge at Lagangarbh. The rainhadn’t hindered Phil who, while fishing, had‘bagged’ two large Pollock. The exped endedwith a mammoth 11 hour trek bagging fourMunro’s that left everyone exhausted but inaddition to the dozens of bites from a swarm ofmidges they carried with them some wonderfulstories and battle scars as mementoes. On thefinal evening, the group fuelled by the successof the expedition and most likely emboldenedby the ‘Scotch’ that ‘Lenny’ was passing aroundenthusiastically began making elaborate plansfor Mountain Goose 2013.The highlight of the journey home was thesqueals of laughter as the group in the fasterwagon sped past shouting ‘losers’ only to drivepast the turn off for the road east on the A66forcing a detour of 40 miles.ParticipantsMajor (Maj) Eric CleeMaster Aircrew (MAcr) Dougie BruceMaster Aircrew (MAcr) Gary VongyerFlight Sergeant (FS) Mark ‘Sparka’ BeckettFlight Sergeant (FS) Rob ForwoodFlight Sergeant (FS) Iain ‘Lenny’ GrahamFlight Sergeant (FS) Phil MyersFlight Sergeant (FS) Mark ‘Lofty’ WilliamsChief Technician (CT) Rick KearneySergeant (Sgt) Lisa BradySergeant (Sgt) Mark ‘Coops’ CooperInsightMAGAZINE 17

THE56(R) SQNTRINITYChaLLEngEOne in six children is born prematurely (prior to 36 weeksgestation). Mandy and I knew little about this when we decidedto have children. I was at the Control and Reporting CentreScampton, supervising the control of a major UK air exercisewhen the call came in that Mandy’s waters had broken.She was 28 weeks pregnant. I rushed toLincoln to find that the hospital would notbe able to properly care for our child. Wespent an anxious afternoon waiting for thehospital to find a bed elsewhere: the choice was betweenSt James’ Hospital in Leeds or the Royal Norwich andNorfolk Hospital. In the meantime, Sam (our unbornson) had had a surfactant injected into his lungs toaccelerate their development, as one of the major issueswith very premature babies is that their lungs have apapery rather than spongy consistency.The decision was eventually made to go to St. James’in Leeds; Mandy was rushed there in an ambulancewhilst I followed in the car. The journey itself was touchand go as the equipment in the ambulance was such thathad Sam been born mid-journey, he would have died.The undulations in the road surface caused Mandy tobegin contractions. This was a significant worry duringthe trip. Fortunately, Sam was not born during thetransfer and Mandy arrived safely at St James’. Sam wasborn the next morning, and immediately whisked awayby the medical team to ensure his survival; they did haveto resuscitate him at one point when his heart stopped.We eventually got to meet Sam some 3 hours later,although he was extremely poorly. Sam had chroniclung disease, a minor brain haemorrhage and neonataljaundice amongst other things and was hooked upto a cocktail of liquids being pumped into his body24 hours a day. I became obsessed with his oxygensaturation readings; when the readings fell below90%, doctors would arrive to take action. Sam’s lungproblems were severe; their fragility meant that theright lung kept tearing and this necessitated a chestdrain to suck the air out to allow the lung to inflate.Doctors removed the chest drain 3 times and the lungkept collapsing; Sam still bears the individual scars ofthese incisions to this day. After several weeks of thisand no noticeable improvement in Sam’s conditionwe were given a stark choice. The only remainingtreatment available was dexamethasone, which canassist babies’ lungs to work more effectively, but hasbeen linked to increased chances of cerebral palsy. Ifwe chose not to go down this road, then Sam wouldprobably die. Sam reacted well to the dexamethasoneand his oxygen saturation improved rapidly such thatabout 10 days after the medication started, he waswell enough to travel to Lincoln and be cared for thereas his condition was no longer life-threatening.Sam spent the next few weeks at Lincoln Hospitalin the Nocton Ward before he was deemed wellenough to be taken home. The staff at both StJames’ Hospital, in Leeds, and in the Nocton Ward,in Lincoln, had been fantastic and the level of careprovided by the National Health Service was of thevery highest standard. However, the inability to stayat Lincoln in the first place was a worry; it causedadditional stress and meant that Mandy was away fromhome for 7 weeks, whilst Sam was in Leeds.The Lincoln BABIES organisation raises moneyfor new equipment for the Nocton Ward of LincolnHospital. This enables Lincolnshire families to stay athome when their children are born prematurely. TheLincoln BABIES organisation will form one of threecharities to benefit from the herculean efforts of SqnLdr Rich Milburn, Flt Lts Martin Bindemann andJonathan Jarvis and FS Paul Jones of 56(R) Sqn whowill undertake the ‘Trinity Challenge’ this autumn.The challenge comprises the Paras “P CompanyChallenge”, a 10 mile run around Catterick TrainingArea loaded with a 35lb bergen, followed by theChester marathon and then finishing with the Ring ofSteel in Scotland in mid-October.The 56(R) Sqn team will also raise money for‘Hounds for Heroes’, an organisation that aims toprovide specially trained assistance dogs to injuredand disabled men and women of both the UK armedforces and civilian emergency services. Through thisprovision its aims are to provide help and practicalsupport leading to an enhanced quality of life fortheir clients. Initially ‘Hounds for Heroes’ intendsto raise £100,000 to buy 5 Labradors; these dogs willbe carefully selected for all the qualities needed toproduce excellent assistance dogs. The Charity willcarefully select puppy parents to start with this veryessential part of their training. After approximately15 months, the specialist training will start, with acombination of puppy parents and the new owner. Allthe time the puppies will be meeting on a weekly basisto carry out socialisation and specialist training. Whenthe dogs are fully trained the ownership will be fullytransferred to the new owner.In addition, 56(R) Sqn will support CancerResearch UK who, every year, spend hundreds ofmillions of pounds on research into diagnosing,preventing and treating cancer. They are the biggestsingle independent funder of cancer research inEurope, supporting the work of more than 4,000scientists, doctors and nurses across the UK.Please help 56(R) Sqn and theseworthy causes by sponsoring the team atjustgiving.com/trinity-challenge or on one of thesponsorship forms around the station. Alternately,please e-mail support to AWC-56RSqn Int Exp1a.Sam shortly after BirthSam with his little brotherMax this summer18 InsightMAGAZINE

weekly in: Boston, Lincoln,Newark, Dunholme,Spilsby, Scunthorpe,Gainsborough and Nocton

Air CadetPilotsCholarshipCourse 7 2012Being part of the Air cadets has allowed me to developmyself in areas I would never have otherwise been unableto. Many opportunities have been presented to me andeach I have embraced as I knew they were unique.Recently I was successful in myapplication for a gliding scholarshipat RAF Syerston. On completing theinitial scholarship I began workingas a volunteer and have now almost completedmy training to become a graded glider pilot; thismeans I will soon fly with Air Cadets on theirfirst few sorties, I am really looking forward toflying with members of 1237 Squadron. All of thisexperience has been absolutely incredible; however,the ultimate opportunity still awaited me: the AirCadet Pilot Scholarship is the absolute pinnacleof what the Air Cadets has to offer. It comprises a12 hour flying scholarship with Tayside Aviation,flying a Grob 115 Heron, only 7 of which fly today.Accommodation is provided at the Dundee HiltonHotel, on arrival at the hotel the very first briefreminds you that you are one of a very fortunatefew who are ‘worthy’ of such a tremendousopportunity. We went on to meet our assignedinstructors; I was pleased to find that my primaryinstructor was also the Chief Flying Instructor whohad 14,000 hours flying experience.On the first day my three peers and I wereshown the ropes: the day to day tasks that neededto be carried out in order to get flying as soonas possible. We would park the aircraft in a rowoutside the hangar and begin to complete checksto ensure each aircraft was serviceable. With animportant exam to pass before we could take ourfirst solo flight we then proceeded to revise in ourSgt Cameron Stillcadet building. The first day was full of learningand getting to grips with the new lifestyle thatI would have for the next two weeks. The sunshined all day and I, along with my roommate,decided to make the most of it and read throughour books whilst looking on at our peers taking tothe skies. As the sun began to set, my instructorwas yet to land. I wondered if I may miss mychance to take to the skies. But on his arrivalI was told to climb into the aircraft as we weregoing flying! Checks complete and having beencleared to ‘Taxi, line up, and wait runway 27.’ Iprepared myself to taste what would soon becomethe ‘norm’. We took to the sky, the only aircraftflying for miles around, learning the basics of theaircraft and enjoying the scenery, the sunset andthe instructor. All too quickly the hour was up andit was time to return to base. Our spirit o was highas we departed at 8pm for the Hilton hotel wherewe would have tea and socialise, talking of ourindividual experiences and exchanging stories,happy and secure in the knowledge that the nextday we would be doing it again!As days passed we accumulated our hours. Iwas nearing the time of my written exam: the oneI had revised for all the previous week. It coveredfive different subjects: air law, radiotelephony,emergencies, aircraft technical, and navigation.If this exam was failed there was no solo, it wasthat simple. The half hour that passed whilst myexam was marked seemed like an eternity; silencewas cast over the cadet room when the examinerwalked in to give the results. My heart sank asthey looked at me with disappointment, only toannounce my result of 92%!Air Cadet Pilot Scholarships are a rarity and Iam very grateful and feel privileged to have beenawarded this fantastic opportunity to complete acourse with the prospect of flying solo in a Grob115 Heron within 12 hours of training. I forgedsome fantastic new friendships with my peers; wesupported one another throughout the course,particularly when it came to revising for ourexam. The instructors were amazing and were aninspiration to us all. There was much to learn, andthe learning curve was tremendous, but each andevery day was so exhilarating and highly rewarding.This was a lifestyle I happily adapted to. I willremember the scholarship, the experiences andall the people I had the pleasure to meet for many,many years.

AnnualadvENTUretraining campOn 21st July 2012, four cadetsfrom 1237 Squadron attendedthe annual adventure trainingcamp with Trent Wingat Windermere.The week involved lots of outdoor activities which werethoroughly enjoyed by all the cadets who attended. After a longjourney to the National Air Cadet Adventure Training Centrein Windermere, the 29 cadets were split into 3 flights, in whichthe majority of activities you did in these groups. We then wentover the road to a park opposite the accommodation in which wewere given some team building exercises to do to learn about thepeople in the flight. We also had a task to find a mascot for eachflight within certain boundaries of the park, in which we had totake with us to all activities. This was a fun challenge for all theflights. Mascots for the week included a piece of slate, a featherand a piece of slate with a feather lodged into it.The camp included activities such as kayaking, rock climbing,swimming, high ropes course, abseiling, gorge walking, and hillwalking, as well as complimentary activities in the evening, andfree time in which you could socialise with other cadets from thewing. Each flight did different activities on different days, and thewhole camp participated in the activities on the final two days. Thisallowed you to socialise with more people from across the wing.Cadet Stephanie Riley said, ‘my favourite activity of the campwas gorge walking. Although it was hard, it was fun jumping intothe rock pools and climbing up the waterfalls.’As well as participating in activities throughout the weekthat you wouldn’t normally get the chance to participate in,one of my personal favourite parts about camp is meetinglots of new people throughout the wing. This also improvespersonal skills such as confidence, as you get to talk to andmeet lots of new people, which is an important skill that canbe gained by all cadets.I would definitely recommend this camp to every single cadeton the Squadron, as we all had an excellent time and met somenew friends that we will keep in touch with for life. If you wouldlike to spend a week outdoors and embrace the fantastic resourcesthe Lake District has to offer you, getting the opportunity tomeet other cadets from the wing, then apply for a place at theNACATC Windermere camp next year!On Saturday 14thJuly, Nine cadets attendedthe silver Duke of Edinburgh in the Peak District.On the first day, the second group includingCadets Nock, Jackson, Rawlings, Ions,Corporal Burrell and a teddy acting asCorporal Brandt (who unfortunately got leftbehind),managed to get lost for about 10 minutes. Asthe first group, Cadets Clark, Wildman, Bachelor andCorporal Gilkes did really well, kept up a good pace andsteamed ahead through a long journey. On the secondday, being really lucky once again with great weatherthe second group worked better as a team, other thangetting stuck in a sheep field, chased by sheep andcows and experiencing the taste of stream water, wemanaged to finish over two hours early.Shortly after followed group 1. Travelling throughEyam on the second day was really interesting forboth groups as that’s where the plague happenedand many houses had signs telling us who died inthem. Part of the walk encompassed walking pastthe Riley family’s grave, which were first, minus themother, to die in the plague. It was really nice to seeit in good condition as they died in 1666. The lastday wasn’t as good as the weather took a turn forthe worst and decided to rain. Half way through ourjourney at Edensor the path we was supposed to takewas blocked so we had a challenge to create a majordetour, finally reaching Bakewell after an hour ofplanning and waiting for the assessor to check the newroute the second group ended up in the middle of agolf course after a few slips and falls from CorporalBurrell. Soon after arriving at the mini bus was thefirst group waiting patiently. Finally it was time to gohome after an amazing eventful weekend. On behalfof all of us who attended thank you to Ma’am, Sir,Shadow (the dog), CI Onn and Flight Sergeant Love forbeing supportive.By Corporal Delane BurrellInsightMAGAZINE 21

Flyingthe Flagat the2012 OlympicsFlight Sergeant Antony Wingate (33) was responsible for mounting the winners’from 8 Squadron RAF Waddington flags onto the trapeze ready for the medalhad a starring role right at the heart presentation and national anthem.of the Olympic action as a member Flight Sergeant Antony Wingate said:of the London 2012 Flag Raising Team. “It’s an honour and a privilege to take partAntony, who lives in Edwinstowe, on the in this once in a lifetime opportunity. Tooutskirts of Mansfield, was a member of the represent the Royal Air Force in this mannerteam responsible for leading the procession is one of the proudest moments of my life.”with the medal winners’ national flags.Flight Sergeant Wingate was also partDuring the Fencing and Taekwondo, Antony of the same team at the Powerlifting eventduring the Paralympics.To advertise hereplease contactJo on 01536526660ADMIT Services Ltd.Tel: 0845 30 20 40 4Advice on Private Alcohol and Drug Detox and Rehab Clinics• Free advice on private rehab • Free referrals & assessmentsclinics in the UK & abroad • Rehab clinics from £500• Immediate accessto £5000 per weekto treatment• Large discounts availableCall Keith or Louise:ADMIT is member of the Referral0845 30 20 40 4Agents’ Federation establishedor Mobile: 07971 382493to ensure the appropriate and8 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays,ethical referral and treatment of9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sat & Sun.addiction patientswww.admitservices.co.uk www.referralagentsfed.org.ukSuperb lighting and brilliant musicfrom our mobile disco and karaokeAre you planning a children’s party? Are you celebratingan anniversary? or is the office party looming?07941702188gogodiscos@gmail.com www.gogodiscos.co.ukClassic LandroversBritish ClassicsHeritage MotorsParts 1948 to DateRetail Trade ExportSpecial ProjectsRestorationsManufacturingCountry Workshops, Risegate, Nr. Spalding,Lincolnshire, England, PE11 4EZTel/Fax: 01775750113, www.british4x4centre.co.ukClaSSIfiedsPlease support our advertisersConvert your skill, experience andtraining into a internationallyrecognised civilian qualificationwith an ILM certified course atRAF Waddington19th - 22nd November 20124th - 7th March 2013ILM Leadership and Management Skills22nd - 25th April 2013 ILM Coaching inc. NLP Practitioner part 113th - 17th May 2013 ILM Coaching inc. NLP Practitioner part 2Starting your own online business26th - 30th November 2012including ILM Enterprise &4th - 8th February 2013Entrepreneurship£250 discount if 2 courses are booked togetherWe are fully approved so you canuse SLC’s, ELC’s or Resettlement For further info contact your Learning Centre or Inspired2Begrants to fund training on 01522 501886 or email info@inspired2Be.comInsightMAGAZINE 25

TheRed LionCAYTHORPE, LINCS01400 272 632www.redlioncaythorpe.org.uk2 courses & coffee £17.95 3 courses & coffee £21.50Available from Fri 30th November until Sat 22nd DecemberStartersHomemade cream of wintervegetable soup with butter croutonsPrawns, crayfish tails & smoked salmonin a marie rose saucePetite salad of stilton, walnuts & mulledwine poached pearMain CourseRoast Lincolnshire turkeywith traditional trimmingsSlow confit of belly pork withherb-crushed potatoes & a cider jusOven-baked pave of salmon with alemon & salmon roe buerre blancPotato gnocchi in a three cheese saucewith wilted spinach & mushroomsDessertsChristmas pudding with brandy sauceBaileys cheesecakeChocolate & clementine torteBlack cherry & kirsch pavlovaCoffee & mince piesFor bookings contact John on 01400272632or email john@redlioncaythorpe.org.ukTheGenerous Briton75 HIGH STREET, BRANT BROUGHTON LN5 0RZ01400 272 119www.thegenerousbriton.co.ukChristmas Fayre Evening Menu£19.95 per head. Available from Fri 30th November until Sat 22nd DecemberStartersHomemade soup of the day served withcroutons & crusty breadSmoked salmon, cream cheese & prawnparcel with marie rose sauceHomemade chicken liver paté withmelba toast & beetroot chutneyGrilled goat’s cheese &red onion marmaladeMain CourseRoast Lincolnshire turkeywith traditional trimmingsSliced fillet of English beef on aportobello mushroom witha peppercorn sauceSmoked hake and broccoli pancakesin a cream sauceRoasted aubergine stuffed withmushrooms & pine nuts in a white winesauce topped with a parmesan crustDessertsChristmas pudding with brandy sauceChocolate & raspberry rouladeLemon & lime panna cottaCheese and biscuitsCoffee & warm mince piesFor bookings contact Jane or John on 01400 272119 or email johncork@btconnect.com

WaddingtonDoubLE!Scoopsthe RAF Waddington scooped the double at the recent1 Gp Awards Dinner on 19 July at HQ Air Command,RAF High Wycombe.The challenge is on to see ifWaddington can ‘do the double’again next year, or like LiverpoolFC in 1984 and 2001... perhapsthe Treble??!!Just like Liverpool FC in 1977, 1984 and 1986, after muchhard work and effort, RAF Waddington was able to scoopthe ‘double’, courtesy of No 8 Sqn (Sentry) andNo 14 Sqn (Shadow).After transferring from No 2 Gp to No 1 Gp on 1 Jan 2012, RAFWaddington featured for the first time at the 1 Gp Dinner AwardsDinner alongside the fast-jet fleet. RAF Waddington itself, itspeople, its units and sqns were eligible for a variety of 1 Gp Awardscovering Staff Excellence, Air Land Integration, Air MaritimeIntegration, Force Development, Operational Innovation,Engineering Excellence, Operational Command, OperationalPerformance and MOB Excellence. These Awards were all madepossible by sponsors from MBDA, Selex, Fujitsu, Rolls Royce,Cobham, Lockheed Martin, Goodrich ISE Systems, BAE Systemsand Thales UK.The Station Commander at RAF Waddington, Gp Capt AlGillespie, was proud to be able to ‘lift’ the trophies for bothEngineering Excellence (Sqn Ldr Steve Deith, No 8 Sqn Eng) andOperational Performance (Number 14 Squadron). SquadronLeader Steve Deith, late Senior Engineering Officer of Number 8Squadron, was awarded the Engineering Excellence Award for hisinspirational leadership and evolution of the Sentry Component.The award is sponsored by Rolls Royce and presented by Mrs JaneBailey, who praised Sqn Ldr Deith for raising the morale of hisSqn and challenging ingrained practices and procedures, as well asenabling Sentry to deploy on Op DEFERENCE at 24-hrs notice andtransitioning seamlessly into Op ELLAMY, from an engineeringperspective. Although this Award was bestowed up the individualrather than the Sqn or team, Sqn Ldr Deith said: “….this awardwould certainly not have been achievable without a first-rate teambehind me”. Nobody achieves this kind of recognition alone...it isdown to the commitment and total professionalism of the No 8Sqn Engineering personnel.”No 14 Sqn became the recipients of the second award given toRAF Waddington that evening. No 14 Sqn, the third most seniorSqn in 1 Gp, received the Award for Operational Performancesponsored by MBDA and presented by Mr Cliff Waldwyn. OC No14 Sqn, Wing Commander Richard Moir, was delighted to hear thenews and later said: “No 14 Sqn was reformed in Oct 11 as aShadow R1 Sqn and has since provided ISTAR on numerousoperations. It has been a huge effort in such a short periodof time, and winning the No 1 Gp Op Performance Award isa great honour and tremendous recognition for the air andground crews who have performed outstandingly in such ademanding period. We now look forward to the challenge ofretaining the Award.”The challenge is on to see if Waddington can ‘do the double’again next year, or like Liverpool FC in 1984 and 2001... perhapsthe Treble??!!InsightMAGAZINE 27

CommunityMattersBy Mr John Ferguson‘Wow what a Summer it’s been!’ Okay, I know I’m notreferring to the weather which has been miserablebut it definitely did not detract from a great summerfor families at RAF Waddington.Isaid in the last edition of Insight thatCommunity Support Squadron (CSS) wouldbe flat out hosting events over the summerand I wasn’t exaggerating. This summer hasdefinitely been our busiest ever, and as I writethis, we haven’t finished yet. This years’ summerprogramme has been really well received andwithout doubt we have reached a larger number ofService families than ever before. The highlightsfor me were definitely the three really successfuland well attended joint ‘Deployed’ families andAirplay youth club trips to Yorkshire WildlifePark, Fantasy Island and the ever popular tripAlton Towers but there really has been so muchgoing on it’s been difficult to choose.As in previous years this summer has seen acomprehensive ‘Airplay’ programme of holidayactivities for dependent children, which forthe main was creative, well attended and verypopular with families although disappointingly,the flagship events which were to be tworesidential outward bounds visits, were cancelleddue to insufficient interest. Whether this was lackof interest from young people or from parents, itremains to be seen but we will try again in early2013 and see if we can do better.Of particular note in the youth activitiesprogramme, was a well attended and wellsupported ‘Station Tour’ which went down reallywell with young people and incorporated visitsto Fire Section, V(AC) Squadron, Air Traffic andNumber 8 Squadron. As you can see from thephotos, young people really did enjoy all the visits,particularly designing their own aeroplanes butmy thanks go out to all hosting personnel, FlightLieutenant Mark Scott, Pilot Officer Val Klejnow,Sergeant Tim Oliver, Sergeant Dave Evans andCorporal Jim Millington who took the time tohost the tour and provide young people with aninsight of the day to day business of the Station.It’s really strange to think that although theirparents may work at RAF Waddington, manydependant children and young people don’tnecessarily know what their parents do or evenwhere they work. The Station Tour was a greatway to address that and will almost certainly besomething we will do again.Possibly the largest and most well supportedevent this summer was the ‘National FamiliesWeek’ event, held in partnership with4Children, our nursery day care and extendedschools provider on Station. For the first timeat Waddington, on 28 August a formal eventwas planned and not withstanding concernsabout the weather, maximum effort went intoorganising and hosting a day that will long livein the memory. At our first attempt at a 0-19 andfamilies ‘partnership’ event, I have to say I wasdelighted with what we were able to arrange andwith a strong attendance at the event, it is easy tosay that families were pleased too.The event which for a change, was blessed withgood weather was a real ‘partnership’ eventon every level and a big success. A hugenumber of children, young peopleand families attended the event28 InsightMAGAZINE

with a large number of children from the nursery,holiday club and youth club joining in withactivities. 4Children arranged for ‘Rand Farm’ tovisit with some of their animals and generouslyput on a fantastic buffet lunch for everyoneattending. A big well done should go out toDamian, the 4Children chef for putting on a greatspread and even coming back into work fromholiday, to plan the catering. Hugely popular onthe day was the ‘Go-Kart Party, battery poweredgo-karts on an inflatable track but ably supportedby other members of the community such as theDeployed Families Group, with Mrs Alison Druryhosting arts & crafts, and Mrs Cath Gillespierunning the SSAFA Volunteers stand and sellinga huge amount of cakes, tea, coffee and raffletickets. Other notable attendees were the RoyalAir Force Police Community Policeman, CorporalPaul Slater and Flight Lieutenant Graham Ormefrom the Station Fencing Team. Special thanks(I think!) should go out to Corporal Slater whomanaged to breathalyse and handcuff childrento their hearts content and fit numerous childrensimultaneously into his vehicle while deafeningeveryone else for an hour with ‘blues and two’s’ablaze. Thanks Paul!The other main activity planned for the dayformed part of the ‘Airplay’ activities programmefor children aged 8+. ‘Parkour’, better knownto some as street running, involved the NorthKesteven Outreach team who were hired to comealong with their equipment and run a session forour older children and young people. As it turnedout, the activity was so popular and exciting,many of our young children wanted to have ago, and with parents cheering them on, most ofthe children and young people at the event didexactly that. How children as young as 4 or 5 canthrow themselves around and over boxes andbalance beams, I’ll never know but they did andthey all had a great time. It should be noted thatalthough this was an activity planned for thoseaged 8+, great flexibility was shown by NK staff,allowing everyone (including me to have a go)but my thanks go out to our older young peoplewho allowed their activity to be ‘hijacked’ but stillmanaged to participate and have a great time.Well done! Thank you to everyone who playedtheir part in a really successful inaugural eventthat hopefully will be the first of many.You might be forgiven for thinking thatCommunity Support Squadron have a whaleof a time over the summer, going on deployedtrips and hosting fun days etc. and you wouldbe exactly right. There is however, a serious sideto our work and a business as normal approachto the summer overall. Over the summerCommunity Support Squadron staff havecontinued to deliver as normal across all areason Station, community arrivals briefings, roadshow events, delivering Non Formed Unit andFamily Pre-deployment Briefings and have evenbeen out to Royal Air Force College Cranwellto brief some of the personnel and families of7006 Intelligence Reserves Squadron, as partof one of their regular training weekends.With many reservists’ families as affected byoperational deployments as regular Servicepersonnel, we are keen to ensure all of our‘Waddington community’ is aware of thesupport available to them. Supporting familiesaffected by deployment or separation throughduty is always our first priority and if you wantmore information on support available pleaserequest this through the HIVE on01522 727675.I’m sure that throughout what remainsof 2012 and into 2013, that there will muchmore to report to you from a communityperspective but please remember, if youhave any comments or questions or moreimportantly suggestions on what we can doto further improve our services, please get intouch with any member of the CommunitySupport Team. Your feedback and suggestionsare always welcome.Best WishesJohn FergusonHead of Community Supportjohn.ferguson733@mod.uk

ISTAR 20,000 HOURSDOUBLE-WHAMMYIn an impressive double gold for RAF Waddington, No 5 (AC) Squadronand No 14 Squadron have notched up 10,000 flying hours each whilstprotecting British and Coalition forces in Afghanistan since 2009.Although Shadow R1 aircrafthave been operating from RAFWaddington since July 2009, No 14Squadron only officially reformed on14th October 2011. After gaining a fifth aircraft inDecember 2011, the Squadron flew its 10,000thoperational hour on 19th July 2012.Wing Commander Rich Moir, OfficerCommanding No 14 Squadron said:“Marking the 10,000th operational hour for theShadow R1 is very important as it is a significantmilestone, and stands as testament to the hardwork, dedication and determination of all thoseassociated with the success of this unique platform.Since it was first introduced into service it has hadan outstanding serviceability rate and has deliveredconsistently over the skies of Afghanistan. It is anachievement that all associated with the projectshould be very proud of.”Similarly, on 14 August 2012, Sentinel R1hit the milestone of 10,000 operational hoursin support of British and Coalition troops.Impressively, more than half of these hourshave been clocked up since May 2011, whichdemonstrates the operational tempo of theSquadron over the last year.In a competitive tone worthy of this Olympicyear, Flt Lt McCartney, No 5 (AC) Squadron AirborneMission Commander said: “10,000 hours is a majormilestone for any Squadron and, as the RAF’s leadingISR Squadron, it has particular resonance. With ourhigh operational output over the last 3 years, there arevery few Squadrons that can match our contributionin both Afghanistan and Libya. All of our personnel areproud to serve on this fine Squadron.”Looking more broadly at what Sentinel’saccomplishment means, Wg Cdr Al Marshall,Officer Commanding No 5 (AC) Squadron said:“The achievement of 10,000 flying hours sincethe recent introduction of the Sentinel capability,highlights the significant commitment by, andexcellent teamwork between, Squadron personnel,industry and our other supporting organisations.…the rate of effort, particularly when Sentinel wassimultaneously deployed to both Afghan and Libyantheatres has been exceptional, and has delivered asuperb contribution to Defence and reinforced theoverall importance of Intelligence, Surveillance andReconnaissance capabilities.”Saluting the success of both Squadrons the StationCommander, Group Captain Al Gillespie said:“The search capabilities of Sentinel and Shadowhave provided UK and Coalition partners with anunprecedented insight into the unique operatingenvironment of Afghanistan. The ability to searchvast areas and provide real-time information to othershas led to more efficient and effective application ofother military capabilities such as Remotely Piloted AirVehicles, Coalition helicopter-borne forces, light-armedreconnaissance vehicles and combat aircraft.”“Its superb capabilities with its groundmappingradar and ability to detect personnel andvehicle movements from many miles away have ledto some ground forces describing it as ‘go/no-go’asset for their operations; meaning that withoutSentinel, they would not continue.”

RoyalSeal ofApprovalHis Royal Highness The Earl of Wessex visited RAFWaddington on Tuesday 9th October to present aselection of Honours and Awards to Station personnel;some of whom have recently returned from Operationsin Afghanistan. The Earl of Wessex is RAF Waddington’s HonoraryAir Commodore a title bestowed by Her Majesty the Queen inOctober 2008.Senior Aircraftsman (SAC) Luke Shingler (24) was presented witha campaign medal having recently returned from an operational tourin Afghanistan.SAC Shingler said:“I was incredibly proud to receive my campaign medal and it wasa real honour to have it presented to me by His Royal Highness. It’s aday to remember for me and my family.”Known for taking a keen personal interest in the base’s personneland their families His Royal Highness spent time chatting with awardrecipients following the presentation.KARTINGThe 5th round of the RAFMSAkarting event was held at SheningtonAirfield in Oxfordshire and with this beingthe final round, the team from Waddingtonneeded a strong finish to their debut seasonto end as high up the table as possible.Once again karts 50 and 51 made it to the grid and after astrong showing in free practice on the Friday and Saturdaymorning. Cpl Tim Johnson and SAC Chris Broadwith hadthe task of driving 50 “Vulcan” with CT Andy Rendell, CplPaul Cree and SAC Gaz Roberts in 51 “Nimrod”.Qualifying was a mixed affair with Andy putting Nimrod 16th on thegrid out of the 31 teams, but a mystery fault with Vulcan slowed it down thefast straights of Shenington dropping Tim down to a disappointing 20th.The two hour endurance race started with both karts having goodstarts and different strategies, with Chris and Tim doing two 30 minutesstints and Andy, Paul and Gaz doing 40 minutes each.Vulcan’s speed problems very quickly cleared and started eatinginto field, sadly 2 spins due to it’s over exuberant driver hamperedsome of its early progress.Steady and consistently fast driving from Andy had Nimrod up into9th at there first driver change and Gaz continued that trait before passingNimrods controls to Paul.Tim in Vulcan kept out of trouble as some of the other teams hadcomings together and mechanical problems which kept them in thepits for several laps for repairs or retiring them altogether.Vulcan and Nimrod finished 15th and 16th only 30 secondsapart and after completing over 100 lap’s each.After a five race season RAF Waddington where delighted tofinish 5th overall out of the other RAF stations, Army unitsand Navy team.ArmyRAF CosfordRAF MarhamRAF Brize NortonRAF WADDINGTONRAF ConningsbyRAF DigbyRAF ValleyArborfield GarrisonRoyal NavyRAF LossiemouthREME Corp194 points181 points145 points118 points85 points81 points73 points64 points63 points29 points20 points12 pointsThe whole team would like tothank the station for there supportduring the season, especiallyStation Gym, MT, workshops andthe Nuffield Trust.The team now go intothe winter break and willget the karts ready tostep up and challengefor a top 3 finishnext year.

• Dry Cleaning • Curtain Cleaning • Duvet Cleaning• Repairs / Alterations • Wedding Dress Cleaning• Laundry • Suede / Leather Cleaning• Evening and Wedding dress specialist• Discount for RAF Personnel • Carpet Machine Hire14 The ForumNorth Hykeham, LincolnTel: 01522 500 54010 NewportLincolnTel: 01522 513 546D&M T WING7B St Mary’s Street(inside Cotton On)City Centre, LincolnMobile towbar fitting serviceWitter, Brink, & PCT Towbars supplied and fittedVan Ply lining and extra seat fitting.Service discount available01529 306670Mobile 07740 683867Email dandmtowing08@btinternet.comUnit 3, Pride Court, Sleaford Enterprise Park,Sleaford NG34 8GLWeb dandmtowing.co.ukPadre’s PatterBy Padre Steve RadleyI arrived at RAF Waddington at thebeginning of August as one of the StationChaplains. After a month of being here I feelthat I am starting to feel at home.In the last year I have moved fivetimes: Wakefield to College HallMess at Cranwell; from there toDaedalus Mess; Daedalus to theOfficers Mess at Marham; OfficersMess to house at Marham; Marhamto Cranwell (because like many of youI couldn’t get a house at Waddington).Hopefully I will be calling RAFWaddington home for a couple of years.I am fairly new to the Royal AirForce and I came through SERE (the“vicars and tarts” course at Cranwell) lastsummer after serving 5 years, 2 monthsand 22 days in HM Prison Wakefield.Previous to that I had pastoral charge ofthree churches and was the Free ChurchChaplain at HMP Newhall.The role of the Padre is diverse andI have had the benefit of followingmy colleagues around and observingtheir input before I am let looseon you all. However, I have alreadywalked alongside various membersof personnel and their families in avariety of situations. I look forwardto journeying with many more of youduring my time here.I have also been attending andleading some of the services onSunday mornings at the Church of theResurrection.It would appear that a femalechaplain is causing a bit of uncertaintywith regards to greeting. I have a funnyfeeling that this might be something todo with my colleague Padre Alex… Theterm ‘Padre’ is a generic term used forchaplains in the military. Whilst literallyit means ‘Father’ the sentiment behindit means an ordained figure/priest.So Padre is fine! (But “Madre” is muchfunnier – Ed).A few things about myself that youmay find interesting: I go skiing everyyear, I have walked on fire, I have skiedoff a mountain and landed on a frozenlake and I had my head shaved shinybald for charity. If you want to knowany more then I guess you will have tocome and talk to me!I hope to be visiting as many areasof the station as possible in the next fewweeks. However, don’t be shy and if youwant a padre to visit your area then byall means ring us and let us know.You areclearly aperson oftaste!Valentino’sPizzeria31 E Redwood Drive,Waddington, Lincoln, LN5 9BNOpen 7 Days A Week4pm till 11pmFast Free DeliveryOn orders of £6 and overFamily Meals & Pick-Up SpecialsPlease contact us for more informationTel: 01522 722770Tel: 01522 722321Order online: just-eat.co.uk32 InsightMAGAZINE

Champions,Llamas and FarewellRarely, if ever, can a pipe bandsay it was rivalled in spectacleby… dancing llamas.However, that was the challenge for the RAFWaddington Pipes and Drums, invited toplay at Kirkcudbright Tattoo, a musicalfinale to a week of holiday celebration inthe small fishing town in Scotland’s Dumfries andGalloway region.Hundreds of townspeople and holidaymakerspacked the arena area by the harbour on Monday,August 27, as singers, musicians and the Black RockDancing Llamas Display Team staged a colourfulevening’s entertainment which ended with a rousingmassed bands finale led by pipers and drummers fromRAF Waddington along with the Kirkcudbright andDistrict Pipe Band.It may come as no surprise, though, that thegreatest applause went to … those remarkable llamas!The engagement was also a poignant milestonefor Waddington-based Flight Sergeant HughHiggins – it was the last band function he played asa serving However, that was the challenge for theRAF Waddington Pipes and Drums, invited to playat Kirkcudbright Tattoo, a musical finale to a weekof holiday celebration in the small fishing town inScotland’s Dumfries and Galloway region.Hundreds of townspeople and holidaymakerspacked the arena area by the harbour on Monday,August 27, as singers, musicians and the Black RockDancing Llamas Display Team staged a colourfulevening’s entertainment which ended with a rousingmassed bands finale led by pipers and drummers fromRAF Waddington along with the Kirkcudbright andDistrict Pipe Band.It may come as no surprise, though, that thegreatest applause went to… those remarkable llamas!The engagement was also a poignant milestonefor Waddington-based Flight Sergeant HughHiggins – it was the last band function he playedas a serving member of Her Majesty’s forces. Hughretired five days later.The event was even more emotional for piperHugh, 49, as Kirkcudbright is his home town and theenthusiastic crowd cheered him loudly as he and theband marched, playing, into the arena.Hugh has completed 29 years service his lastposting being 56(R) Squadron here at Waddington. Hehas seen Operational Service on;Operation PALLISER, Sierra Leone, on board HMSIllustrious with a very small elite team from the JointForces Air Component (JFAC).Operation TELIC with 1 Air Control Centre(1ACC) in IraqOperation HERRICK, twice with 1ACC inAfghanistan.We wish Hugh success with his new civilian lifeand are very pleased that he his living locally and willcontinue as a piper in the band.Well done to all the participants in this seasonscompetitions, it ended on a great winning high withRAF Waddington being declared (once again) ‘AllEngland Champions’.InsightMAGAZINE 33

SSAFA is a well known namein the Forces environment,but not everyone knowswhat the Soldier’s, Sailor’s,Airman’s and FamiliesAssociation actually does.As a national organisation, SSAFAprovides a multitude of servicesincluding; children’s holidays,Norton Homes accommodation forthe families of injured personnel, assistance forex-service personnel, housing assistance andmuch more. The SSAFA website, www.ssafa.org, details all the services available nationwide.More locally, our In-Service Committeerepresents the interests of serving personneland their families here at Waddington, Digbyand Scampton. Our volunteers are available tooffer practical assistance or just a friendly faceand someone to talk to. We are fortunate tohave an amazing group of volunteers willingto give their free time to help others, but wealways need new recruits. Whether it is as atrained volunteer, as a committee memberor as part of the fundraising sub-committee,we are pleased to welcome serving personnel,dependents or members of the widercommunity. As well as taking direct requests forassistance we work alongside our professionalcolleagues, Vanda and Ali, who are located inthe IWF (Hive) and they hold the role of SSAFAPersonal Support and Social Work Service.The role of SSAFA Forces Help PersonalSupport & Social Work Service is to ensurethat RAF stations in the UK have a first lineof SSAFA Forces Help contact. We are civiliansocial work professionals trained specificallyto provide a confidential and impartial welfareservice to RAF personnel, their families, andother service personnel on RAF stations.We provide support for many issues thatmay be causing you concern and anxietyincluding the following:• Hospitalisation and Long-term sicknessabsence.• Family/relationships/personaldifficulties.• Stress/anxiety/depression.• Debt/financial/benefit advice.• Illness/disability/additional needs• Housing/resettlement/medicaldischarges.• Bereavement/loss/grief.• Equal opportunities/discriminationharassment.• Support groups/liaison with otherappropriate/specialist agencies.• Child care issues.• Adoption.Our service is flexible to adapt to the needsof individuals, for instance some peoplerequire one off advice whereas others aremore complex and require us to act on theirbehalf by advocating, writing letters orreports. We can provide home visits as wellas office appointments and if we cannot helpwith particular issues we can refer to a moreappropriate agency.So if your family require emotional and/orpractical support or just someone with the timeto listen in confidence, please contact us.Sergeant Andy SowerbyI started volunteering with SSAFA in 1998 onthe children’s additional needs holidays. Oneof the most nerve racking days of my life wassitting waiting for the child I had been pairedup with and would be responsible for, for thenext 5 days. I needn’t have worried; I washooked and carried on volunteering until 2008.Late 2007 I applied to become a communityvolunteer at RAF Brize Norton. It was not longafter completing the volunteer course thatI became the committee secretary. NaivelyI thought this would involve minute takingand not much else, but I soon discovered thesecretary is there to support the chairperson.This increased the workload a little, but it alsoincreased my awareness of how the volunteergroups worked.On being posted to RAF Waddington inJune 2010 I requested to transfer to the localcommittee, attending my first meeting in theSeptember. This was quite an interesting timeto join as the Waddington, Scampton, andDigby committees were amalgamating. In Aprillast year I went on a course to become thecommittee fundraiser for RAF Waddington.I was set the task of raising £1000/yearto enable the committee to function. Thisinitially seemed rather daunting, but withthe generosity of RAF Waddington personnelwe’ve already surpassed that. You may haveseen us in our blue SSAFA t-shirts on themain gate, in mess foyers or selling cakesaround station.This year I’m looking further a field forsupport- I’m hoping to hold a street collectionin Lincoln in May or June and the RAFWaddington Voluntary band have generouslynamed SSAFA as a benefactor for one of theirconcerts. I have also started working with thelocal ex-service committee to see how best wecan raise both awareness and funds.Carol Hughes – CommunityVolunteer Co-ordinatorI have been a part of the Waddington/Digby/Scampton SSAFA organisation since itsinception 3 years ago having served in severalposts on the committee and I am currently theCommunity Volunteer Co-ordinator. The roleis a busy one which primarily entails being thelink between the Service Committee, welfareagencies and the Community Volunteers. AsCo-ordinator I am supervised by the regionalVolunteer Development Manager ensuring allSSAFA polices are adhered to.I am responsible for recruiting andselecting the volunteers and although wehave quite a few, we are always looking formore willing helpers, especially in theScampton and Digby areas! I make sure34 InsightMAGAZINE

that all our volunteers have received thecorrect training before they are allowed torepresent SSAFA and that they are fullyaware of the commitment they are making.Knowing all the volunteers well is a keypart of doing my job as I have to match upthe volunteer with the requests for help. Itwould not be much good if a volunteer witha fear of dogs were sent to a home withseveral boisterous pooches resided!It’s a fantastically rewarding job, exceptwhen having to regularly provide statisticsto central office, and frequently produces asurprise or two which keeps me on my toes.Our work continues to go from strengthto strength with the hard work of ourwonderful volunteers. So, if you want to getinvolved and be part of something reallyworthwhile, helping someone in their hourof need, please do become a volunteer – wewould love for you to join us!Finally, (from Cath)Thank you to those who have supported usso far this year. After the earlier success ofthe Bacon Butties event, we have decidedto incorporate another into our Big brewon 11 Oct – more details to follow!SSAFA In-Service is now the proudowner of a beautiful shiney white marquee!It measures 6m x 4m and is available forprivate hire at a charge of just £20. (Termsand conditions apply). So, if you would liketo hire the marquee for either a Sqn BBQ ora family party etc then just contact one ofthe Committee Members who can give youmore information. Bookings can be madethrough Sgt Andy Sowerby on Ext 8039.We would love for you to join us inwhatever role you feel comfortable;perhaps being a case worker is a bitdaunting for you but you would like tohelp with the fundraising. Perhaps you cangive one day a fortnight or can only sparean hour every now again – everything youoffer is greatly appreciated and we can findjobs for you to do!!!I hope this gives you an insight into whatSSAFA does and that you now know we arehere for you if you need us. If you wouldlike to join our expanding Committee youwould be very welcome – either as a caseworker or as part of our fundraising team -we would love to hear from you.ChRIS BRIdgeunveilingMEMOrialOn Friday 14th September2012, the mothers of SeniorAircraftman ChristopherBridge and Royal Marine LanceCorporal Steven James Fellows unveiled amemorial in Shiregreen, Sheffield. This wasdedicated to their sons who had lost theirlives in Afghanistan, and to all others whohad given their lives in the service of theircountry from the same community..Previously, there had not been a warmemorial in Shiregreen; at the ceremony theformer Home Secretary David Blunkett MPpaid tribute to the drive and determinationof Nicolette Williams and Ann Fellowswho campaigned and raised funds for theFriday 14th September,Shiregreen Sheffield.memorial. During this poignant ceremonya lament was played by Pipe Major FinlayMacGhee from RAF Waddington.Senior Aircraftman Christopher Bridgefrom C flight, 51 Squadron Royal Air ForceRegiment, was killed by an explosion whileon night patrol outside Kandahar airfield onAugust 30, 2007.Lance Corporal Jamie Fellows was killedin action on Friday 12 December 2008 inSangin, Helmand province, Afghanistan.Pictured at the memorial is Chris’smum Nicolette Williams, Pipe Major FinlayMacGhee from RAF Waddington and friendsfrom 51 Squadron RAF Regiment whotravelled down from RAF Lossiemouth.Our service is flexible to adaptto the needs of individuals, forinstance some people requireone off advice whereas othersare more complex and requireus to act on their behalf...InsightMAGAZINE 35

68 thanniveRSARyof OperationMarket GardenOn 19 Sep 12, thirteen RAF Waddington personnel departed onEx ARNHEM REMEMBERED to participate in a staff ride coincidingwith the 68th anniversary of Operation Market Garden.Set to become an annual fixture forRAF Waddington I hope this articleencourages wider participation from thestation for future years.Day 1Departing RAF Waddington TDF at 1630, weheaded to board the ‘Pride of Hull’ Ferry toRotterdam. Rocked to sleep by the rolling waves,we awoke bright and early to the ear piercingtannoy announcing our arrival.Day 2We took the 2 hour drive directly to Wolfheze tobegin the stands. FS Matson provided an overviewof Operation Market Garden. Beginning on 17Sep 1944 it was anticipated to mark the end ofWWII and bring victory by Christmas. As eventstranspired, the plan failed in epic proportions andthe desire to capture the road bridge at Arnhemwas a ‘bridge too far.’Following lunch we proceeded to HartensteinHotel, the home of the Airborne Museum. CplJones delivered his stand within the gardens,exploring how the main commander Montgomery,and Urquhart, commander of the British 1stAirborne Division, demonstrated the nineleadership attributes of the RAF. It was concludedthat although both men were courageous andstrong war fighters, they also had their flawswhich impacted on Market Garden.After wandering around the memorials, we tookthe short journey to Arnhem Bridge, the ‘bridgetoo far.’ Cpl McDonnell presented his stand on thecommunications problems experienced. Landing8 miles from the bridge, the British 1st Airborneencountered a variety of issues meaning they wereunable to capture it, losing 8000 men as a result.Already developing an overview of MarketGarden’s issues, we retired to our Hotel in Zevenaar,recharging our batteries before another packed day.Day 3Travelling towards Nijmegan, we arrived at DeOversteek or ‘The Crossing.’ Cpl Hall delivered astand on the 82nd Airborne Divisions attemptsto cross the water. Looking out across the wideriver and seeing the distance and open terrain tothe Nijmegan Bridge, we imagined the terror thesoldiers must have felt conducting the operationin broad daylight in collapsible canvas boats.Proceeding to the Liberty Museum in36 InsightMAGAZINE

Overloon, Sgt Belben and Sgt Martin discussed theLink Up plan of XXX Corps, transiting a 64 milecorridor to reach the Airborne troops at ArnhemBridge by D+4 to assist in the breakout andproceed towards Belgium. With limited flexibilityin the plan, XXX Corps encountered unexpectedGerman resistance and implications at nearly all ofthe crossings. Their failure to reach Arnhem in theexpected timeframe had a severe impact on theAirborne Division, who were fighting with limitedequipment and support. Looking around theLiberty Museum and grounds, we developed anunderstanding of the impact the four year Germanoccupation had on Holland, and how importantliberation was when it occurred in Oct 1944.Continuing to Grave, we found a small AirMonument where Cpl Earrey delivered his standon ISTAR and intelligence gathering across theNetherlands in WWII. Moving onto a field inWolfheze which provided the setting to one ofthe para drop zones, Cpl Christie and Cpl Connordiscussed the use of Air Power in the operation.Heavy bombing took place over the Germanoccupied airfields in northern Holland, and transportcommand were responsible for delivering thesignificant number of troops to the front line. Againmany problems arose, not least the prolonged dropsover three as opposed to one day and the significantdistances of the drop zones from the bridges.As the sun began to set on a long day, we madeour way down a quiet lane and found the field wherea Dakota piloted by Flt Lt Lord was shot down. SACRendall explained that prior to the aircraft exploding,the aircrew managed to make 8 drops over the areato provide vital resupplies to the ground troops. FltLt Lord died along with six of his crew, the navigatorbeing the sole survivor who was captured as a POW.The brave story did not come to light until F/O Kingwas released and as a result, Flt Lt Lord was awardeda posthumous Victoria Cross.Leaving the site we all reflected on the stories wehad heard throughout the day, imagining the horrorand fear that these men must have felt.Day 4Returning to the same drop zone as the previousday, the quiet field was now bustling with avariety of people to watch a para drop markingthe 68th anniversary of Market Garden. Flt LtRowell conducted an impromptu discussion on thelogistics of a drop, before being rudely interruptedby the RAF Waddington Pipe Band who wasparticipating in a number of the memorial events.Watching nearly 500 paras jump over a 2 hourperiod went some way to demonstrate just howlarge an air drop Market Garden had implemented.Departing for a quick lunch, we proceeded tothe Airborne Museum and made the awkwardchange in a quiet car park into our Number 1s.We formed up as Rev (Flt Lt) Colley led a smallservice in front of the Transport CommandMemorial along with the RAF Waddington PipeBand. Following the ceremony we sat down withAlan Hartley, the Veteran who raised £20,000to put the memorial in place in 2006. An RAFTechnician during WWII at Hampney Down, hewould regularly go on flights with his aircrew. AsMarket Garden commenced the aircrew insistedhe go along for the ride, but as events transpiredhe was required elsewhere. As they departedthat day for Holland, they never came back. MrHartley has lived with that story ever since, raisingthe funds for a suitable memorial. RAF Waddingtonheard of his story in recent years and the servicewill now become an annual fixture in the stationcalendar, ensuring these men’s legacies live on.Following the service we were able to look aroundthe museum and take in the sites as many veteransand WWII enthusiasts descended to the area toremember events from 68 years ago.Day 5Our final day in Holland, we again donnedour Number 1s and proceeded to the BritishCemetery for a Service of Remembrance. One ofthe few representatives of the Royal Air Force westood in a smart formation to watch. The mostpoignant part of the ceremony was the annualtradition where children walk amongst thegraves with flowers to place at each headstone.Following the service, Cpl Connor laid a wreathon behalf of RAF Waddington. Rev (Flt Lt) Colleypresented the groups last stand, explainingthe repatriation of troop’s pre and post 1960,where the family can now bring the body of thedeceased back to the UK.Another quick change in a muddy car park,we had lunch and warmed up. Prior to departingfor the ferry we visited Oosterbeek Church,which served as a casualty post amongstthe fierce fighting and looks onto the lowerbanks of the Rhine where the 1st Airbornewere evacuated in late Sep 1944. Flt Lt Rowellconcluded what we had learnt on our travelsregarding Market Garden. With the benefitof hindsight, we agreed that with the limitedcommunications between commanders andno robust back up plan, it was never likely tosucceed. On the other hand, we assessed theOperation brought the four year occupation ofHolland to an end, which judging by the warmhospitality provided to the veterans some 70years on was a successful judgement call. Wearrived back in a rainy UK feeling educated,humble and proud to have played some smallpart in the annual memorials. I urge allpersonnel from across RAF Waddington to putnext years date into the diary to ensure thatthose who participated in Operation MarketGarden nearly 70 years ago are given the respectand remembrance they truly deserve.InsightMAGAZINE 37

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