Air Traffic Control Squadron News

Leeming ATC Squadron Force Development

At the end of January 2023, 12 members of the ATC team made a Force Development pilgrimage up and down the UK to visit numerous museums and other units to learn about the Whole Force and help build a strong bond as a Sqn.

Day 1 saw the team travel to RAF Cosford Air Museum. The visit to the Air Museum was incredibly interesting, with stands delivered by several individuals ranging from Fg Off McCartney’s insightful presentation on Chinook ZA718 (Bravo-November) to a discussion on the changes to Modern flight safety with Flt Lt Campion.

On the Tuesday morning, the Sqn were up bright and early for a drive to HMS Collingwood, our base camp for the next 2 days of activities. All 12 individuals paid a visit to our colleagues at 78 Sqn RAF(U)Swanwick, where first tourist controllers and ASOS alike gained an insightful knowledge into Area radar, D&D and a brief look at the civilian controllers operating for Heathrow and Gatwick. It also helped everyone gain a first-hand look at the new Project MARSHALL equipment Leeming can expect to see within the next year.

Day 3 of our trip was soon upon us, and the Sqn visited Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, for a look around numerous ships. A personal highlight was the Mary Rose exhibit, in which you can see not only the remains of the ship, but the artifacts found within the wreckage. Seeing in detail the way in which so many individuals perished was very harrowing. A rather chilly boat tour around the Dockyards followed. Some individuals braved the cold and went out on the deck to get the ideal view; however, several people remained below and took in the views with a brew and some well needed heating. Once complete at the Dockyard, the team enjoyed an evening meal together prior to returning to HMS Collingwood.

On the Thursday, the team travelled from our final night at HMS Collingwood to the Battle of Britain bunker in Uxbridge. This was without doubt the best day of the trip personally. To see the Bunker in which so much of this country’s history was created was incredible. The tour guides for this visit were exceptional, 2 volunteers with unbelievable knowledge made the trip very enjoyable. To stand in the same place that Sir Winston Churchill stood to watch the Battle of Britain unfold was humbling. Several stands were conducted in the museum attached to the Bunker, discussing how flexible and resilient the RAF were then, compared to modern times.