727 Naval Air Squadron
Encyclopedia
727 Naval Air Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm
. It was formed in 1943 as a Fleet Requirements Unit, being disbanded in December 1944. It was reformed twice in the 1940s and 1950s to provide flying experience for naval officers. The current squadron was created on 6 Dec 2001 from the Royal Naval Flying Training Flight. It operates the Grob Tutor and provides grading and acquaint flights for Royal Navy and Royal Marine pilots under training, as well as supporting the Royal Navy's "Flying Start" flying scholarship scheme.
s, Fairey Swordfish
and Hawker Hurricane IIc
. The squadron was disbanded on 7 December 1944.
s, Supermarine Seafire
s, North American Harvards and a Fairey Firefly
. Disbanded on 17 January 1950, the squadron was reformed on 4 January 1956 as the Dartmouth Cadet Air Training Squadron. Now operating from RNAS Brawdy, Pembrokeshire, the squadron flew Boulton Paul Sea Balliols, De Havilland Sea Vampire T22s and a Percival Sea Prince T.1. Two Westland Dragonfly
helicopters were provided in September 1958, but the squadron was disbanded on 16 December 1960.
Since 1949 the Britannia Royal Naval College
at Dartmouth has run Tiger Moth
s for recreational flying, as well as running summer flying camps. Later on, Auster
, De Havilland Chipmunk, Miles Messenger
and Miles Gemini
aircraft were also introduced. After grading of potential aircrew was introduced, these aircraft were employed during the week for assessing future aircrew and at weekends for recreation. By this time the aircraft were based at Roborough
Airport, on the outskirts of Plymouth. By 1966 the flight had stabilised at 12 Chipmunk aircraft.
, initially with the De Havilland Chipmunk and later with the Grob Tutor, and in January 2007 the squadron relocated to RNAS Yeovilton
.
The squadron currently operates five Grob Tutor trainer aircraft under a private finance initiative
with VT Group
's aerospace division (VTAe). This, along with five Qualified Flying Instructors (QFIs), allow up to ten students to be accommodated with the squadron at any time.
Serving officers are assessed for their suitability to continue flight training during a three-week stay with the squadron. During those weeks, he or she will fly eleven hours with an instructor before flying a pre-FHT with a different instructor and then a Final Handling Test with the commanding officer.
The squadron also undertakes many other roles, one of which is the Special Flying Award. This scheme is open to any member of the public who has expressed an interest in joining the Fleet Air Arm
as aircrew and have been put forward by their Careers Office. The course lasts for two weeks with the aim of 10 hours in the cockpit. There are also a number of Special Flying Awards organised for members of the URNU.
The squadron currently has just two full time Naval personnel; the commanding officer and the training officer. VTAe employs five civilian flying instructors under their contract to teach the students. The squadron is also supported by a number of ex-service QFIs from the RNR to instruct and two holdover student pilots who are between flying training courses bourne for general duties.
Maintenance of the Grob fleet is provided by a VTAe senior licensed engineer with three engineering support staff. An aircraft handler provides aircraft handling, refuelling and assistance to aircrew.
The squadron moved from Plymouth Airport to RNAS Yeovilton
in early in 2007, following the departure of the last Sea Harrier squadron from RNAS Yeovilton in 2006.
Since 1943, 727 NAS and the Royal Naval Flying Training Flight have flown a wide variety of aircraft:
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
. It was formed in 1943 as a Fleet Requirements Unit, being disbanded in December 1944. It was reformed twice in the 1940s and 1950s to provide flying experience for naval officers. The current squadron was created on 6 Dec 2001 from the Royal Naval Flying Training Flight. It operates the Grob Tutor and provides grading and acquaint flights for Royal Navy and Royal Marine pilots under training, as well as supporting the Royal Navy's "Flying Start" flying scholarship scheme.
Fleet Requirements Unit (1943 - 1944)
727 Naval Air Squadron was formed on 26 May 1943 at Gibraltar as a Fleet Requirements Unit covering the area from Bizerta to Algiers. The squadron was equipped with target-towing Boulton Paul DefiantBoulton Paul Defiant
The Boulton Paul Defiant was a British interceptor aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force early in the Second World War. The Defiant was designed and built by Boulton Paul Aircraft as a "turret fighter", without any forward-firing guns. It was a contemporary of the Royal Navy's Blackburn Roc...
s, Fairey Swordfish
Fairey Swordfish
The Fairey Swordfish was a torpedo bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company and used by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy during the Second World War...
and Hawker Hurricane IIc
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
. The squadron was disbanded on 7 December 1944.
Air Experience Unit (1946 - 1960)
After World War II it was decided to provide air acquaint courses for junior Royal Navy and Royal Marines officers who were not aviation specialists. 727 NAS was reformed on 23 April 1946 at RNAS Lee-on-Solent with gliders, Tiger MothTiger moth
Tiger moths are moths of the family Arctiidae.Tiger moth may also refer to:*de Havilland Tiger Moth, an aircraft; an aerobatic and trainer tailwheel biplane*de Havilland DH.71 Tiger Moth, an earlier monoplane produced by de Havilland...
s, Supermarine Seafire
Supermarine Seafire
The Supermarine Seafire was a naval version of the Supermarine Spitfire specially adapted for operation from aircraft carriers. The name Seafire was arrived at by collapsing the longer name Sea Spitfire.-Origins of the Seafire:...
s, North American Harvards and a Fairey Firefly
Fairey Firefly
The Fairey Firefly was a British Second World War-era carrier-borne fighter aircraft and anti-submarine aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm ....
. Disbanded on 17 January 1950, the squadron was reformed on 4 January 1956 as the Dartmouth Cadet Air Training Squadron. Now operating from RNAS Brawdy, Pembrokeshire, the squadron flew Boulton Paul Sea Balliols, De Havilland Sea Vampire T22s and a Percival Sea Prince T.1. Two Westland Dragonfly
Westland Dragonfly
|-See also:-External links:* Westland entry in the helis.com database*...
helicopters were provided in September 1958, but the squadron was disbanded on 16 December 1960.
History of the Royal Naval Flying Training Flight
Britannia Royal Naval College
Britannia Royal Naval College is the initial officer training establishment of the Royal Navy, located on a hill overlooking Dartmouth, Devon, England. While Royal Naval officer training has taken place in the town since 1863, the buildings which are seen today were only finished in 1905, and...
at Dartmouth has run Tiger Moth
Tiger moth
Tiger moths are moths of the family Arctiidae.Tiger moth may also refer to:*de Havilland Tiger Moth, an aircraft; an aerobatic and trainer tailwheel biplane*de Havilland DH.71 Tiger Moth, an earlier monoplane produced by de Havilland...
s for recreational flying, as well as running summer flying camps. Later on, Auster
Taylorcraft Auster
The Taylorcraft Auster was a British military liaison and observation aircraft produced by the Taylorcraft Aeroplanes Limited company during the Second World War.-Design and development:...
, De Havilland Chipmunk, Miles Messenger
Miles Messenger
-Bibliography:* Amos, Peter. and Brown, Don Lambert. Miles Aircraft Since 1925, Volume 1. London: Putnam Aeronautical, 2000. ISBN 0-85177-787-0.* Brown, Don Lambert. Miles Aircraft Since 1925. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1970. ISBN 0-37000-127-3....
and Miles Gemini
Miles Gemini
|-See also:-References:* The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft , 1985, Orbis Publishing* Jackson, A.J. British Civil Aircraft 1919-1972:Volume III.London:Putnam, 1988, ISBN 0 85177 818 6....
aircraft were also introduced. After grading of potential aircrew was introduced, these aircraft were employed during the week for assessing future aircrew and at weekends for recreation. By this time the aircraft were based at Roborough
Roborough
Roborough is a village in the South Hams of Devon, England. It lies just outside the northern boundary of the city of Plymouth on the main road to Tavistock, and is a popular dormitory village....
Airport, on the outskirts of Plymouth. By 1966 the flight had stabilised at 12 Chipmunk aircraft.
Commissioning the RNFTF as 727 NAS (2001 - present)
On 6 December 2001 the Royal Naval Flying Training Flight was commissioned as 727 Naval Air Squadron, at Plymouth City AirportPlymouth City Airport
Plymouth City Airport is an airport located within the City of Plymouth north northeast of the city centre in Devon, England. The airport opened on this site in 1925 and was officially opened by the Edward VIII, as Prince of Wales, in 1931...
, initially with the De Havilland Chipmunk and later with the Grob Tutor, and in January 2007 the squadron relocated to RNAS Yeovilton
RNAS Yeovilton
Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, or RNAS Yeovilton, is an airfield of the Royal Navy, sited in South West England a few miles north of Yeovil in Somerset...
.
Current role
Private Finance Initiative
The private finance initiative is a way of creating "public–private partnerships" by funding public infrastructure projects with private capital...
with VT Group
VT Group
VT Group plc was a British defence and services company, formerly known as Vosper Thornycroft. The Company had diversified from shipbuilding into various engineering and support services, becoming involved in many areas of provision through five main operating groups: VT Communications, VT...
's aerospace division (VTAe). This, along with five Qualified Flying Instructors (QFIs), allow up to ten students to be accommodated with the squadron at any time.
Serving officers are assessed for their suitability to continue flight training during a three-week stay with the squadron. During those weeks, he or she will fly eleven hours with an instructor before flying a pre-FHT with a different instructor and then a Final Handling Test with the commanding officer.
The squadron also undertakes many other roles, one of which is the Special Flying Award. This scheme is open to any member of the public who has expressed an interest in joining the Fleet Air Arm
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
as aircrew and have been put forward by their Careers Office. The course lasts for two weeks with the aim of 10 hours in the cockpit. There are also a number of Special Flying Awards organised for members of the URNU.
The squadron currently has just two full time Naval personnel; the commanding officer and the training officer. VTAe employs five civilian flying instructors under their contract to teach the students. The squadron is also supported by a number of ex-service QFIs from the RNR to instruct and two holdover student pilots who are between flying training courses bourne for general duties.
Maintenance of the Grob fleet is provided by a VTAe senior licensed engineer with three engineering support staff. An aircraft handler provides aircraft handling, refuelling and assistance to aircrew.
The squadron moved from Plymouth Airport to RNAS Yeovilton
RNAS Yeovilton
Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, or RNAS Yeovilton, is an airfield of the Royal Navy, sited in South West England a few miles north of Yeovil in Somerset...
in early in 2007, following the departure of the last Sea Harrier squadron from RNAS Yeovilton in 2006.
Aircraft flown
- Boulton Paul DefiantBoulton Paul DefiantThe Boulton Paul Defiant was a British interceptor aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force early in the Second World War. The Defiant was designed and built by Boulton Paul Aircraft as a "turret fighter", without any forward-firing guns. It was a contemporary of the Royal Navy's Blackburn Roc...
- Fairey SwordfishFairey SwordfishThe Fairey Swordfish was a torpedo bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company and used by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy during the Second World War...
- Hawker Hurricane IIcHawker HurricaneThe Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
- Boulton Paul Sea Balliol
- De Havilland Sea Vampire T22
- Percival Sea Prince T1
- Westland DragonflyWestland Dragonfly|-See also:-External links:* Westland entry in the helis.com database*...
- Tiger MothTiger mothTiger moths are moths of the family Arctiidae.Tiger moth may also refer to:*de Havilland Tiger Moth, an aircraft; an aerobatic and trainer tailwheel biplane*de Havilland DH.71 Tiger Moth, an earlier monoplane produced by de Havilland...
- AusterTaylorcraft AusterThe Taylorcraft Auster was a British military liaison and observation aircraft produced by the Taylorcraft Aeroplanes Limited company during the Second World War.-Design and development:...
- De Havilland Chipmunk
- Miles MessengerMiles Messenger-Bibliography:* Amos, Peter. and Brown, Don Lambert. Miles Aircraft Since 1925, Volume 1. London: Putnam Aeronautical, 2000. ISBN 0-85177-787-0.* Brown, Don Lambert. Miles Aircraft Since 1925. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1970. ISBN 0-37000-127-3....
- Miles GeminiMiles Gemini|-See also:-References:* The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft , 1985, Orbis Publishing* Jackson, A.J. British Civil Aircraft 1919-1972:Volume III.London:Putnam, 1988, ISBN 0 85177 818 6....
- Grob Tutor