Calling CD01 7 Aviation Support Battalion

CALLING CDO1

Written By: Lt Patrick Richardson (RN)

30th June 2022 witnessed the arrival of the Fleet Air Arm's latest aircrew.

Course name Commando 1 (CDO1), five pilots and two rearcrew were awarded their ‘wings’ by CDRE Walker at a parade held at RNAS Yeovilton. Supported by the Royal Marines Band of the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines and surrounded by their families and instructors, past and present, the day was a wonderful celebration of the many years of hard work the course members had put into their dreams of being ‘Junglie’ aviators.

Further to the presentation of their wings, prizes were awarded to the students including the Bill Murton Trophy to Lt Riley RN, the Westland Trophy to Lt Richardson RN and the ‘Doc’ Love Trophy to Sgt Whitby RM. The parade was generously supported by the Royal Navy Royal Marine Corps, without which it would not have been possible.

This parade was the culmination of a long and challenging flying training process, taking up to six and a half years in some instances. After graduating from Dartmouth, the student pilots began their journey at Yeovilton on the venerable Grob Tutor, where they were assessed on their potential to succeed in Military Flying Training.

Having passed this, they stayed on the Tutor aircraft and embarked on their Elementary Flying Training (EFT), one of the last RN courses to learn on this aircraft. EFT encompasses an introduction to essential aviation skills of general handling, instrument flying, navigation, aerobatics, and formation flying. Most importantly, the students were given their first taste of being in sole charge of a pussers vehicle with their first solos.

Successfully completing EFT and mastering the art of fixedwing aviation, the course was taken right back to basics again, exploring the complex and magical world of rotary aviation. Due to a Defencewide change which introduced the Ascent delivered Military Flying Training System (MFTS), the course was the first ab initio (not having flown rotary before) course on the awesome Juno HT1 helicopter.

Starting off with general handling, the course members soon found themselves learning to hover (easy once you’ve got the hang of it…. honestly!) before launching into advanced manoeuvres, more instrument flying, low level navigation, confined areas (“if it fits, land in it!”), and night flying - including low level with Night Vision Devices (NVD), flying over mountains and transporting under slung loads on 660Sqn AAC and 705NAS.

They were also exposed to student pilots from all three Services and began the evolving world of Crew Resource Management (CRM) to become a refined and efficient entity. On completion of this phase of training they were all streamed to fly the Merlin Mk4 with Commando Helicopter Force (CHF) as ‘Junglie Desigs.’.

Before they could sink their teeth into this, they had to complete the Support Helicopter Course at Shawbury on 60Sqn, learning Procedural Instrument Flying (akin to the type airliners fly) and consolidated all the skills they had learnt up until now, but with a simulated tactical overlay. This concluded with the notorious TACEX, which had to be heavily modified due to the COVID-19 pandemic, unfortunately.

Joining 846NAS, the students slowly learnt to tame the mighty Merlin Mk4 and Mk4a. They recapped the skills they had learnt on the Juno, this time in a significantly more complex and significantly larger helicopter. Soon they were in new territory again, with mountainous flying sorties to RAF Valley and Snowdonia, North Wales, an intercontinental transit to Denmark, a 2-week embarkation on HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH (Naval Aviators finally!) and finishing it off with the renowned MILEX. MILEX saw the students living out of tents, on ration packs and working alongside 45 Commando out of RM CONDOR, Arbroath, demonstrating all they had learnt so far.

The mighty CDO1 are now looking forward to continuing their careers within CHF, putting their skills to good use and to be seen in the skies or on a flight deck near you soon!

Commando Merlin aircraft carrying out loadlifting.

846 NAS OCF Commando Merlin helicopters in Scotland working with 45 Cdo RM.

846 NAS OCF Commando Merlin helicopters in Scotland working with 45 Cdo RM.

Command Merlin Mk4 during the role demonstration for the Commando 1 Merlin Mk4 Course parade. Mr Pete Love presenting The Doc Love Trophy to Sgt Simon Whitby.

Commando 1 Merlin Mk4 Course.