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Dowding House, in
Moffat, is looking for new
tenants.
The sheltered housing
complex is owned and
run by the RAF Associa-
tion. It allows retired
RAF personnel and their
spouses to retain their
independence, with minimal support available from a warden.
Any former RAF man or woman, their widows and widowers who have
reached 60+ may apply, irrespective of whether they are members of the
Association.
Tenants move into freshly decorated flats, with new carpets. They also
have use of a communal lounge, conservatory and launderette. Rent is
around £520 per month and includes heating.
Applicants need to complete an expression of interest which you can re-quest from our welfare office in Edinburgh on 0131 225 5221
Do you want to live at Dowding House?
Diary dates
Scotland and Northern Ireland
Newsletter
September 2018
THIS NEWSLETTER SHOULD BE DISPLAYED FOR THE USE OF ALL MEMBERS
I N S I D E T H I S
I S S U E :
Accommoda-
tion at Dow-
1
Scottish In-
ternational
2
Red Arrows 3
Scottish In-
ternational
4
Scottish
international
5
Volunteering
News
6
Volunteering
News
7
Wings Haven
Caravan
8
Area Confer- 9
Some news
form Ayr-
10
In Other 11
Office details 12
P A G E 2 The Scottish International Airshow
Area Director Joe Stanfield giv-
ing RAFALO Corporal Josie
Donnelly some tips on naming
the teddy bear.
The Chinook was a
great centre piece
for the RAF village.
The RAF Association vol-
unteers were delighted
with the gifts they got from
the Typhoon truck.
RAFALO’s Corporal Lee
Laing and SAC Matty Lees
kept everyone refreshed all
weekend in the pop up wings
The Red Arrows closing the
Scottish Airshow 2018
RAFALO Corporal Josie Don-
nelly telling Nicola what to ex-
pect from her first airshow
Left;
Right:
Left:
Right
Left:
Right:
P A G E 3
The Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows, is one of the world’s premier aero-batic display teams. Representing the speed, agility and precision of the RAF, the team is the public face of the service. Look out for some new moves dedicated to the 100 years of the RAF in this years display!
They assist in recruiting to the Armed Forces, act as ambassadors for the United Kingdom and promote the best of British. Flying distinctive Hawk jets, the team is made up of pilots, engineers and essential support staff with front-line, operational experience.
Initially, they were equipped with seven Folland Gnat trainers inherited from the RAF Yel-lowjacks display team.
This aircraft was chosen because it was less expensive to operate than front-line fighters. In their first season, they flew at 65 shows across Europe. In 1966, the team was increased to nine members, enabling them to develop their Diamond Nine formation.
In late 1979, they switched to the BAE Hawk trainer. The Red Arrows have performed over 4,600 displays in 56 countries worldwide
The engineering team that supports the Red Arrows is known as “The Blues” and consists of 85 members who cover all of the various trades in the RAF.
Each season nine members of the Blues are selected to be members of the ‘Circus’. Each member of the Circus works with the same pilot for the duration of the season and is re-sponsible for servicing their aircraft and preparing their flying kit prior to each display. The Circus also fly in the back seat of the jets during transit flights.
THE AIRCRAFT
The BAE Systems Hawk is a British single-engine, jet-powered advanced trainer aircraft. It was first flown at Dunsfold, Surrey, in 1974 as the Hawker Siddeley Hawk, and subse-quently produced by its successor companies, British Aerospace and BAE Systems, re-spectively. It has been used in a training capacity and as a low-cost combat aircraft.
The Hawks used by the Red Arrows are modified with an uprated engine and a modifica-tion to enable smoke to be generated, diesel is mixed with a coloured dye and ejected into the jet exhaust to produce either red, white or blue smoke.
The Hawk T1 version is currently used at RAF Valley for fast-jet pilot advanced training, however this role will increasingly migrate to IV(R) Sqn and the Hawk T2 in the future. The Hawk T1 is also operated by the RAF Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows, and 100 Sqn. While the Hawk T1 is used primarily in the advanced flying-training role, it is equipped to an operational standard and is capable of undertaking a war role.
The Red Arrows
P A G E 4
2018
The Scottish International Airshow was again a great success as the attendance figures shows. The attendance figures are always an element of experienced estimation. We have some idea of the Low Green density from CCTV and we know what a big crowd looks like along the promenade. The RAF Village was particularly well supported which was a credit to the Area Branch Support Officer Dave Mowatt (along with 2 of the Airshow Directors Bob Chandler and Cal Reid.) set up and managed the whole village. The above photographs show the huge vil-lage area where the Chinook was the centre of attraction, surrounded by the tented area of the 603 Sqdn, RAF Reserves, Aircrew Recruiters, Regular and Reserves Recruiters, Uni-versity Air Sqdn. the Red Arrows Display Team, the ATC Typhoon Display Team and the RAF Ben Fund. The RAF Association was exceptionally well represented. The MET (with an excellent sales team) had a huge selling area and did brisk business as did the Ayr & Prestwick Branch caravan. However, the unique centre of temptation was the Wings café (with its endless supply of cameral wafers) it was never short of customers especially when the vet-erans and the UAS cadets were sitting chewing the fat. The hard work undertaken by eve-rybody on behalf of the Royal Air Forces Association was rewarded by the success and enjoyment by over 100,000 spectators. As well as the ATC Squadrons ‘Wings’ collecting, a successful, membership drive taken on by Nicola Harkness and general work taken on by the RAFALO’s, everybody contributed to the resounding success of TSIA 2018. The RAF Village was visited by Air Marshal Stu-art David Atha, CB, DSO, ADC Royal Air Force Deputy Commander Operations and Air Vice-Marshal Ross Paterson CB OBE ADC DL. Air Officer Scotland. to show their appreci-ation and support for a job well done R A Chandler BEM MSM Scotland and Northern Ireland Area Chairman Royal Air Forces Association Tel: 01292288247 M: 07720840278 Email: [email protected]
P A G E 6 News from our Area Volunteer Coordinator
Befriender Edinburgh EH4
Befriender Longniddry EH32
Befriender North Berwick EH39
Befriender Pencaitland EH34
Befriender Glasgow G82
Befriender Dufftown AB55
Befriender Ayrshire KA19
Befriender Ayrshire KA9
Befriender Ayrshire KA
Caseworker Oban
P A G E 7
Award shortlisting
In other news, we are pleased to share that the Association has been shortlisted for a Third Sector Award, ‘Volunteer Team of the Year’ in 2018. The submission was for all aspects of the Association’s volunteering including our branch activity, welfare volunteers, BSOs, Area Welfare and Volunteering teams including our training.
Alyson Hunter, Director of HR and Volunteering, who nominated the Association for the Award, said, ‘The timing could not be better in being shortlisted for this special award in RAF 100. This is great recognition of the dedication of all our volunteers and employees involved in delivering a unique, rewarding and much valued service and support to the Association and its activities. We simply could not deliver what we do without everyone’s teamwork and involvement.’
The Awards dinner takes place in London on 20 September and the Association will be rep-resented by a mix of volunteers and employees, all of whom have been involved in the suc-cess.
The Wings Café
Glasgow’s Wings Café is open
every Friday from 11am to 2pm, -
serving bacon rolls , tea and cof-
fee with a nice slice of banter.
Everyone is welcome.
Cathcart Old Parish Church
119 Carmunnock Road
Glasgow
G44 5UW
0141 583 5400
P A G E 8
R ‘n’ R in Scotland’s sunniest place
Set in 175 acres of countryside, near the sea and with a swim-
ming pool, sauna, steam room and gym on site. Book this Asso-
ciation seaside holiday home to take advantage of all this and
more. © Glasgow Branch
A new RAF Association holiday home on the east coast of Scot-
land is now taking bookings. Glasgow Branch has opened the
modern, welcoming and wheelchair accessible mobile home
near the seaside town of Dunbar – to celebrate the 100th anni-
versary of the RAF.
It offers rest and recuperation, with woodland walks, children’s play areas and a freshwater lake fishing in the park. A supermar-ket, bar area, snack bar, restaurant and function suite are also all on site. The two twin-bedroomed holiday home is perfect for exploring Edinburgh (an hour’s drive away) and Northumberland. Dunbar has a picturesque harbour as well as restaurants, coffee shops and an invigorating cliff walk. Take advantage of the high sunshine hours every year to visit the sandy beaches nearby.
For Further details please contact Nicola at Scotland office on 0131 225 5221 or
P A G E 9
Scotland & Northern Ireland Area Conference 29th to 31st March 2019—Killhevlin Hotel
Enniskillen
When? 29th - 31st March 2019
Where? Killyhevlin Hotel, Enniskillen, Northern Ireland
Price? B&B £130 per couple, £95 single occupancy
How to book? Contact the hotel direct on 02866323481 and ask for Mandy
Cut off date? 31st January
Please come and join us to celebrate another successful year and
update yourself on all the latest Governance training.
Please be aware that all Delegate information will be sent out to Branch Secretaries and Chairmen ASAP...
P A G E 1 0
Victory Bell World War II (aluminum)
The Royal Air Forces Association Area Chairman Bob Chandler
was presented with a ‘Victory Bell’ by the South Ayrshire Provost
Helen Moonie
This is a hand bell made using aluminum alloy from German Aircraft
destroyed during World War II. It bears the head or Churchill, Roo-
sevelt and Stalin in low relief. The handle bears a large ‘V’ again in
low relief on either side.
Rather than ring, it makes a muted clatter. The alloy looks of low
quality compared to contemporary materials and, to modern sensi-
bilities, there is the matter of loss of life that yielded the raw materi-
als, a modern market would be less accepting of such souvenirs of
a battlefield.
The ‘Bell’ will be housed in the Ayr & Prestwick Royal Air Forces As-sociation Museum
Sowing the seeds of peace in South Ayrshire
The Royal Air Forces Association Area Chairman Bob Chandler joins guests South Ayrshire Provost Helen Moonie and the Consul-General of Japan, Daisuke Matsunaga, to mark the handover and planting Thirty peace seeds originating from 'A-bombed' gingko trees in the Japa-nese city of Hiroshima do-nated by Matsui Kazumi, President of Mayors for Peace and Mayor of Hiroshima,
In other news
Sean Whitelaw (Ayr & Prestwick Branch)
must have upset some one just before he
got a soaking on Saturday morning at the
Airshow!
Our Wings Appeal stall was on display in the Larne
ASDA store from the 10th to the 16th of Septem-
ber.
Also we will be in Murrayfield from the 17th to the
22nd of September.
Thank you for visiting us and your continued sup-
port.
A huge thank you to all volunteers who sup-ported the RAF100 City Collections in Edin-burgh and Glasgow. Both collections were fun filled days with collectors engaging with members of the public and collecting from 6.30am to 7pm. Total raised will be shared very soon.
Follow us on:
AREA STAFF CONTACT DETAILS
.org.uk
HELP US TO STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOU
By far, the quickest and easiest way for us to
get in contact with our members is through
email. This method of communication also
saves money on postage – money that we can
instead spend on providing welfare support to
members of the RAF family. Please update us
on your current email address by sending a
quick note to Nicola using the details on the
right.
Area Supporters & News
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
Let Nicola know what your branch is up to, so
that it can be included in next month’s newslet-
ter. You can contact Nicola by calling the office,
or you can email your updates and photographs
to her using the details to the right.
