RAF College, Cranwell
RAF College, Cranwell

Author: Roger Annett

Publisher: Pen and Sword

Published: 2020-01-19

Total Pages: 492

ISBN-13: 1526712202

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A history of Great Britain’s Royal Air Force College in Cranwell, told from the perspective of former cadets. “We Seek the Highest” has been the motto of the thousands of Officer Cadets who, over ten decades, have passed through the rigorous training regime at the Royal Air Force College, Cranwell, Lincolnshire. The words embody the College ethos: to strive to reach the tough standards demanded by the RAF, in the air and on the ground. This book tells the 100-year story from the point of view of the Officer Cadets themselves. The College was founded in 1919—some eighteen months after the birth of the RAF itself—with the aim of providing a cadre of disciplined, highly trained officers, ready to lead the service through the uncertain postwar and post-Empire times to come. Since then, it has responded continuously to the UK’s political, economic, and military requirements. The RAF Officer Cadets’ world has thus been one of change. The author documents these changes from 1919 to today, overlaying the historical and social scene with the candidly related airborne and ground-based exploits of three-score ex-cadets. The core narrative is based on the three years at Cranwell of 81 Entry of Flight Cadets, who graduated in July 1962 with thirty-seven jet pilots and eight navigators, having launched a curriculum-changing experiment in degree-level studies. With a foreword from an Air Chief Marshal former cadet, 130 illustrations, and a full index, this is a cadets’ tribute to a world-famous military academy on its centenary.

RAF College, Cranwell: a Centenary Celebration
RAF College, Cranwell: a Centenary Celebration

Author: Roger Annett

Publisher: Air World

Published: 2020-01-19

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 9781526712189

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_We Seek the Highest_ has been the motto of the thousands of Officer Cadets who, over ten decades, have passed through the rigorous training regime at the Royal Air Force College, Cranwell, Lincolnshire. The words embody the College ethos: to strive to reach the tough standards demanded by the RAF, in the air and on the ground. This book tells the 100-year story from the point of view of the Officer Cadets themselves. The College was founded in 1919 - some eighteen months after the birth of the RAF itself - with the aim of providing a cadre of disciplined, highly-trained officers, ready to lead the service through the uncertain post-war and post-Empire times to come. Since then, it has responded continuously to the UK's political, economic and military requirements. The RAF Officer Cadets' world has thus been one of change. The author documents these changes from 1919 to today, overlaying the historical and social scene with the candidly related airborne and ground-based exploits of three-score ex-cadets. The core narrative is based on the three years at Cranwell of 81 Entry of Flight Cadets, who graduated in July 1962 with thirty-seven jet pilots and eight navigators, having launched a curriculum-changing experiment in degree-level studies. With a Foreword from an Air Chief Marshal former cadet, 130 illustrations, and a full index, the whole offers a cadets' tribute to a world-famous military academy on its centenary.

Reaper Force - Inside Britain's Drone Wars
Reaper Force - Inside Britain's Drone Wars

Author: Peter Lee

Publisher: Kings Road Publishing

Published: 2018-10-04

Total Pages: 354

ISBN-13: 1789460166

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This unique insight into RAF Reaper operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria is based on unprecedented research access to the Reaper squadrons and personnel at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire and Creech Air Force Base in Nevada, USA. The author has observed lethal missile strikes against Islamic State jihadists in Syria and Iraq alongside the crews involved. He has also conducted extensive interviews with Reaper pilots, sensor operators, mission intelligence coordinators, and spouses and partners. The result is an intimate portrait of the human aspect of remote air warfare in the twenty-first century.

A Passion for Flying
A Passion for Flying

Author: Tom Eeles

Publisher: Pen and Sword

Published: 2008-07-15

Total Pages: 249

ISBN-13: 1844688569

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A firsthand account of flying in twenty-eight different aircraft types over a forty-four-year RAF career. Group Captain Tom Eeles served in the RAF for forty-four years and totaled over 8000 hours of flying in twenty-eight different aircraft types. Tom entered RAF College Cranwell in 1961 and gained his RAF wings in 1963. His first posting was to No 16 squadron flying the Canberra. Its role as a light bomber squadron was primarily nuclear strike, with a secondary role of conventional ground attack by day and night. 16 Squadron was deployed to Kuantan, Malaya. In July 1966 and on loan to the Senior Service, Tom reported to RNAS Lossiemouth for a swept wing conversion course on the Hunter before starting the Buccaneer Operational Flying Course. After sixty-five hours in the Buccaneer he was posted to 801 NAS, HMS Victorious. In 1969 he joined 736 Naval Air Squadron, which was responsible for training courses for RAF aircrew converting to the Buccaneer. He moved to 12 Squadron based at RAF Honington. Their task was to provide a maritime strike/attack capability and a nuclear strike capability in support of the UK National Plan. 1975 saw a move to 79 Squadron flying the Hunter. After a spell at the RAF Staff College, Tom became staff officer responsible for all aspects of fast jet advanced flying training on the Hawk at Valley and multi-engine advanced flying training at Finningley. In 1983, he was selected to command 237 OCU, again flying the Buccaneer at Lossiemouth. In this book he recounts his long, ever-changing, adventurous career in the Royal Air Force.

Flying Freestyle
Flying Freestyle

Author: Jerry Pook

Publisher: Pen and Sword Aviation

Published: 2009

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781844158249

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During a twenty-five year flying career in the RAF, Jerry Pook has flown Hunter Fighter/Ground Attack aircraft in the Gulf, Harriers in West Germany, the supersonic Starfighter with the Dutch Air Force, the Harrier in Belize, Central America and the Tornado bomber at the Tri-national Tornado Training Establishment where he trained German and Italian pilots and navigators. Jerry had a long relationship with the Harrier Fighter/Ground Attack vertical take-off aircraft. This he flew in West Germany at the height of the Cold War operating from Wildenrath and off-base operations with Field Wing operations based in the fields and woods of the German countryside. Jerry saw action during the Falklands War when based on HMS Hermes and flying one of the few RAF Harriers in the Ground Attack role in support of the troops fighting ashore. He then enjoyed flying the American-built Starfighter RF 104G during a 3 year exchange tour with the Dutch Air Force - he describes the Starfighter as ' beautiful to fly, smooth and sophisticated, supremely fast and powerful - if you took liberties with it you knew it would kill you in an instant.' After 3 years with No 1(Fighter) Squadron and again flying the Harrier he moved to the then new Tornado, flying in its bomber role. This he continued to fly operationally and in the instructional role for 13 years until grounded from military flying for medical reasons.

The RAF in 100 Objects
The RAF in 100 Objects

Author: Peter Jacobs

Publisher: The History Press

Published: 2017-10-09

Total Pages: 460

ISBN-13: 0750986239

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It was in the closing year of the First World War, on 1 April 1918, that the Royal Air Force was born from the amalgamation of the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service. Since then, the RAF has helped lead the world in the development of aviation and air warfare. From the fighters and bombers of the Second World War, through the early jet age and into modern remotely piloted air systems, the last hundred years' development has been astronomical, and the human story no less impressive. Here Peter Jacobs gathers the most poignant objects of the RAF's proud history and displays them together, in full splendid colour, for the first time. Aircraft, memorials, uniforms, equipment, and some items you would never expect – it's all here, ready to be explored.