Hunt is on for ATCs

A PIONEERING team from Waddington has become the first RAF air traffic control unit to scoop a rare honour.

Personnel from the Lincolnshire station have been awarded the Hunt Trophy by the trade’s professional body GATCO – only presented 22 times in 63 years.

FS Mark Taylor said: “The Hunt Trophy is the most prestigious of the awards and recognises the most outstanding contribution in air traffic control and management in the preceding year.

“Presented by Captain V Hunt in 1958, in 1960 it was awarded to the RAF, but has never before been awarded to an RAF Terminal ATC unit.” the Central Training Area near Tapa, testing their infantry and armour capabilities against harsh winter conditions.

The trophy recognises the groundbreaking trial introduction of the SkyGuardian unmanned air system, which required the largest UK airspace coordination effort in peacetime history.

The British are joined by French troops being deployed as part of a temporary surge to experience operating in a multinational environment, while the Estonians are preparing to act as enemy forces.

The two-week-long exercise brings together the multinational Battlegroup and the 1st Estonian Brigade to test their fighting fitness across a range of armour, infantry, planning, engineering and artillery scenarios.

They culminate in a ‘force on force’ attack and defend training serial, with the Estonian Scouts Battalion and Defence League troops posing as the adversary.

AWARD-WINNING: Waddington Air Traffic Controllers. Below, SkyGuardian UAS