(BBAC) has represented British ballooning at - The Air League

A NEW VISION FOR BRITAIN’S AIR RESERVES
In the recent past, military planners have often
turned first to the Reserves to find savings. The
result over the years is that Britain’s Reserves
and particularly our air reserves have shrunk in
relation to those of our allies, most notably the US,
Canada and Australia.
The Independent Commission on the UK’s Reserve
Forces set up by the Prime Minister last autumn, of
which I was a member, was designed to look again at
the balance between our regular and reserve forces.
In terms of our air reserves this was in my opinion, a
welcome opportunity to bolster the Royal Auxiliary Air
Force and to look more closely at the opportunities for
making wider use of air reserves generally.
This view was based on a number of factors. The first
was the need to ensure that we retain at least some of
the operational experience of airmen when they leave
the regular service. Coupled with this is the increasing
need, as the armed forces reduce in size to make use of
civilian expertise. A third factor is the size of the civilian
aviation cohort (which now numbers over 500,000 in
the UK), in relation to the RAF, the Fleet Air Arm and
the Army Air Corps. The reserves provide a sensible and
cost effective way of making better use of these skills
and experience around our armed forces. Two other
factors are also worth considering - the experience
of other countries and the present encouragement of
volunteering through ‘the big society’ initiative.
The results of the Review if they are carried forward
are most encouraging for our air reserves. The Army
is considering forming a new Gazelle reserve squadron
and expanding their UAV reserve formation. The Navy
Visit to RAF Scampton
ABOVE - With Red Arrows pilot Kirsty Moore at Scampton
Ross Strachan
The trip was a fantastic experience with an excellent
insight into some of the RAF careers that are often
unheard of. Along with an informative visit to the RAF
Scampton Museum and a superb display from The
Red Arrows, this trip was an excellent and insightful
two days.
Sarah Reed
The evening began with lots of traffic and a good use
of an I-phone to get us in the right direction. With
the boys staying at the mess at RAF Kirton-in-Lindsey
and the two girls having a visitors house at RAF
Scampton. The next day began with a brief meeting
with the Red Arrows team as they are currently
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wants to expand their Air Reserve Branch by increased
mixed manning of their rotary wing assets and looking
at new formations for coastal protection which include
reservists. Finally the RAF wants to bring the RAuxAF
up to strength and increase the use of full time and
sponsored reserves. In particular the new Voyager
tanker sqn will have a number of sponsored reserve
aircrew in it and 100(Hawk) Sqn may well in the future
be fully manned by reserve aircrew, making it the first
RAF fast jet reserve sqn since 1957. In addition the
report recommends the RAF carries out further work
into the increased use of reservists. All these changes
might well mean that between 20-25% of the RAF’s
strength could be made up of reservists by 2020.
ABOVE - No 100 Sqn Hawk (MoD photo)
LEADING EDGE update
Time will tell whether the MOD planners take advantage
of the opportunities presented by this Report. However,
not to do so would in my opinion leave this country
with less effective and more expensive armed forces.
Keith Mans, Chairman
training for a marathon. The museum was filled with
monumental history that makes the RAF what it
is today, a compelling view into the life of how our
country, especially our technology has developed.
With the sun coming out, the renewed Red Arrows
display team jetted into the air with a burst of the
red, blue and white smoke. Splitting into groups of
5 and then 2, the synchronised display filled the air
above Scampton. The group was mesmerised envying
the team high in the sky. Finishing the great trip was
a look around the 1 ACC looking into the UK warning
radar and control systems. Great thanks go to the Air
League for organising this eye opening trip.
Oliver Angell
The visit to RAF Scampton was a fantastic opportunity
to stay on an active base and meet people in many
different roles in the RAF.
Watching a full display by the Red Arrows was very
impressive and a real privilege, but also being able to
go behind the scenes at 1 Air Control Centre gave an
amazing insight into the day to day operations of the
RAF. I was surprised at the complexity of continuously
monitoring the skies above the UK, and was something
that I had previously taken for granted.
I would like to thank all those involved in making this
possible and would highly recommend other members
to get involved in similar visits.