Pablo Mason
Encyclopedia
Squadron Leader
Paul "Pablo" Mason RAF (Rtd.) is a retired Royal Air Force
pilot, who was part of the XV Sqn detachment to Bahrain as part of the RAF Tornado
squadron
during the Gulf War
, and subsequently wrote about his experiences. Mason is known for his handlebar moustache
, and his Biggles
-like attitude and persona.
as a teenager. He initially trained and qualified on helicopter
s, before transitioning to Fighter aircraft
in XV Squadron
with the Panavia Tornado
. His service included Northern Ireland and Hong Kong.
Mason was among the 24 RAF Tornado crews detached to Saudi Arabia
during the buildup to Operation Desert Storm, with the specific brief to knock out the Iraqi Air Force
bases by bombing the runway
s. On Mason's first mission, an ultra-low level daylight mission on Ar Rumaylah airfield leading a flight of four Tornados, his number two crew of John Peters and navigator John Nichol
were shot down and became POW's. Mason flew and led 24 bombing missions in total in Desert Storm, from ultra-low-level daylight, medium-level night bombing and on 2 February 1991 the first ever Buccaneer
–Tornado attack using laser-guided bomb
s. During the Gulf War he was often seen on television representing the RAF.
On his return from the Gulf, on 10 May 1991 Mason's life was saved when his Navigator ejected the crew from his Tornado GR1, which crashed near Lubberstedt
, Germany
, on a training mission. The RAF investigation of the incident attributed the cause of the crash to pilot mishandling of the aircraft.
After the Gulf War he remained in the public eye, particularly during the 1998/9 bombing of Iraq, which he publicly criticised; he was often described as a "Gulf War ace".
, Warwickshire
where he wrote his book Pablo's War. He and his wife run the Adams Hotel. While Mason flew as a senior pilot for MyTravel Airways
, the charter airline division of the holiday company MyTravel Group plc
, he flew both holiday makers and private charters. Mason was well known within the airline for his Biggles
like personality and continual, humorous, matter of fact style, telling a "rather miserable" bunch of holiday makers who made up the last flight of the 1997 season from Manchester Airport to the Greek island of Kefalonia
, "Come on you miserable lot. You are going on your holidays - to the sunshine. You should be smiling, you miserable bunch." Mason's attitude transferred well to the public speaking
circuit, while his knowledge of his craft resulted in him starting a fear of flying course.
In August 2007, Mason was piloting a MyTravel Airbus A320
on a private charter from Finland
to Manchester, with the football team and directors of Blackburn Rovers
who were returning from their 1-0 UEFA Cup
victory over MyPa-47. Welsh
international Robbie Savage
had a fear of flying, and asked if he could see the cockpit
, which Mason agreed to. Since the September 11, 2001 attacks
, security on commercial flights both pre and in-flight has been increased, and in the view of MyTravel Mason broke these rules, and endangered the safety of the flight. Although Savage had written to the company in support of Mason, and the football club had also written in support, on 8 Oct 2007 MyTravel dismissed Mason for gross misconduct. Mason admitted bending the rules but denied putting the flight at risk, "Yes I broke a rule. I did interpret the rule wasn't quite as strict for a private charter, which this was. Everyone on board knew each other. I think above all his [Savage] anxiety about flying has been relaxed in some way." Mason stated that he would appeal the dismissal, but it was upheld by MyTravel.
Mason lost his tribunal against Thomas Cook (My Travel) in March 2009 and received no pay out, remaining dismissed by the company.
, with his "Mason's Minute" feature.
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
Paul "Pablo" Mason RAF (Rtd.) is a retired Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
pilot, who was part of the XV Sqn detachment to Bahrain as part of the RAF Tornado
Panavia Tornado
The Panavia Tornado is a family of twin-engine, variable-sweep wing combat aircraft, which was jointly developed and manufactured by the United Kingdom, West Germany and Italy...
squadron
Squadron (aviation)
A squadron in air force, army aviation or naval aviation is mainly a unit comprising a number of military aircraft, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, depending on aircraft type and air force...
during the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
, and subsequently wrote about his experiences. Mason is known for his handlebar moustache
Handlebar moustache
A handlebar moustache is a moustache with particularly lengthy, upward curved, extremities. It is named for its resemblance to the handlebars of a bicycle. It is also known as a "spaghetti moustache", because of its stereotypical association with Italian men...
, and his Biggles
Biggles
"Biggles" , a pilot and adventurer, is the title character and main hero of the Biggles series of youth-oriented adventure books written by W. E. Johns....
-like attitude and persona.
RAF career
Mason joined the Royal Air Force after joining the Air Training CorpsAir Training Corps
The Air Training Corps , commonly known as the Air Cadets, is a cadet organisation based in the United Kingdom. It is a voluntary youth group which is part of the Air Cadet Organisation and the Royal Air Force . It is supported by the Ministry of Defence, with a regular RAF Officer, currently Air...
as a teenager. He initially trained and qualified on helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
s, before transitioning to Fighter aircraft
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
in XV Squadron
No. XV Squadron RAF
No. 15 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Panavia Tornado GR4 from RAF Lossiemouth. Currently XV Squadron is the RAF's Operational Conversion Unit for the Tornado GR4. The OCU teaches pilots how to fly the aircraft and what tactics to use to best exploit the performance of their...
with the Panavia Tornado
Panavia Tornado
The Panavia Tornado is a family of twin-engine, variable-sweep wing combat aircraft, which was jointly developed and manufactured by the United Kingdom, West Germany and Italy...
. His service included Northern Ireland and Hong Kong.
Mason was among the 24 RAF Tornado crews detached to Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
during the buildup to Operation Desert Storm, with the specific brief to knock out the Iraqi Air Force
Iraqi Air Force
The Iraqi Air Force or IQAF is the military branch in Iraq responsible for the policing of international borders, surveillance of national assets and aerial operations...
bases by bombing the runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
s. On Mason's first mission, an ultra-low level daylight mission on Ar Rumaylah airfield leading a flight of four Tornados, his number two crew of John Peters and navigator John Nichol
John Nichol (RAF officer)
Flight Lieutenant Adrian John Nichol is a retired Royal Air Force navigator who was shot down and captured during the first Gulf War.-Early life:...
were shot down and became POW's. Mason flew and led 24 bombing missions in total in Desert Storm, from ultra-low-level daylight, medium-level night bombing and on 2 February 1991 the first ever Buccaneer
Blackburn Buccaneer
The Blackburn Buccaneer was a British low-level subsonic strike aircraft with nuclear weapon delivery capability serving with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force between 1962 and 1994, including service in the 1991 Gulf War...
–Tornado attack using laser-guided bomb
Laser-guided bomb
A laser-guided bomb is a guided bomb that uses semi-active laser homing to strike a designated target with greater accuracy than an unguided bomb. LGBs are one of the most common and widespread guided bombs, used by a large number of the world's air forces.- Overview :Laser-guided munitions use a...
s. During the Gulf War he was often seen on television representing the RAF.
On his return from the Gulf, on 10 May 1991 Mason's life was saved when his Navigator ejected the crew from his Tornado GR1, which crashed near Lubberstedt
Lübberstedt
Lübberstedt is a town located in the district of Osterholz in the German state of Lower Saxony. It is located north of Osterholz-Scharmbeck. Together with the villages of Hambergen, Axstedt, Holste and Vollersode, it forms the Samtgemeinde of Hambergen....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, on a training mission. The RAF investigation of the incident attributed the cause of the crash to pilot mishandling of the aircraft.
After the Gulf War he remained in the public eye, particularly during the 1998/9 bombing of Iraq, which he publicly criticised; he was often described as a "Gulf War ace".
After the RAF
After retirement from the RAF, Mason retired to his home in Leamington SpaLeamington Spa
Royal Leamington Spa, commonly known as Leamington Spa or Leamington or Leam to locals, is a spa town in central Warwickshire, England. Formerly known as Leamington Priors, its expansion began following the popularisation of the medicinal qualities of its water by Dr Kerr in 1784, and by Dr Lambe...
, Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
where he wrote his book Pablo's War. He and his wife run the Adams Hotel. While Mason flew as a senior pilot for MyTravel Airways
MyTravel Airways
MyTravel Airways was a United Kingdom scheduled and charter airline with headquarters in Manchester, England. It operated worldwide holiday charter services mainly for its parent company, the MyTravel Group....
, the charter airline division of the holiday company MyTravel Group plc
MyTravel Group PLC
This article contains historical information about My Travel until its merger with Thomas Cook AG - for the new company see - Thomas Cook GroupMyTravel Group PLC was a package holiday company based in the United Kingdom...
, he flew both holiday makers and private charters. Mason was well known within the airline for his Biggles
Biggles
"Biggles" , a pilot and adventurer, is the title character and main hero of the Biggles series of youth-oriented adventure books written by W. E. Johns....
like personality and continual, humorous, matter of fact style, telling a "rather miserable" bunch of holiday makers who made up the last flight of the 1997 season from Manchester Airport to the Greek island of Kefalonia
Kefalonia
The island of Cephalonia, also known as Kefalonia, Cephallenia, Cephallonia, Kefallinia, or Kefallonia , is the largest of the Ionian Islands in western Greece, with an area of . It is also a separate regional unit of the Ionian Islands region, and the only municipality of the regional unit...
, "Come on you miserable lot. You are going on your holidays - to the sunshine. You should be smiling, you miserable bunch." Mason's attitude transferred well to the public speaking
Public speaking
Public speaking is the process of speaking to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain the listeners...
circuit, while his knowledge of his craft resulted in him starting a fear of flying course.
In August 2007, Mason was piloting a MyTravel Airbus A320
Airbus A320
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
on a private charter from Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
to Manchester, with the football team and directors of Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
who were returning from their 1-0 UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
victory over MyPa-47. Welsh
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
international Robbie Savage
Robbie Savage
Robert William "Robbie" Savage is a football pundit and former Welsh professional footballer who played predominantly as a midfielder. During his career he captained Derby County, and also played for the Welsh national team. He now presents 606 on BBC Radio Five Live on Sunday evenings alongside...
had a fear of flying, and asked if he could see the cockpit
Cockpit
A cockpit or flight deck is the area, usually near the front of an aircraft, from which a pilot controls the aircraft. Most modern cockpits are enclosed, except on some small aircraft, and cockpits on large airliners are also physically separated from the cabin...
, which Mason agreed to. Since the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
, security on commercial flights both pre and in-flight has been increased, and in the view of MyTravel Mason broke these rules, and endangered the safety of the flight. Although Savage had written to the company in support of Mason, and the football club had also written in support, on 8 Oct 2007 MyTravel dismissed Mason for gross misconduct. Mason admitted bending the rules but denied putting the flight at risk, "Yes I broke a rule. I did interpret the rule wasn't quite as strict for a private charter, which this was. Everyone on board knew each other. I think above all his [Savage] anxiety about flying has been relaxed in some way." Mason stated that he would appeal the dismissal, but it was upheld by MyTravel.
Mason lost his tribunal against Thomas Cook (My Travel) in March 2009 and received no pay out, remaining dismissed by the company.
Media Appearances
Mason is a regular contributor to the award-winning British aviation podcast, Flaps PodcastFlaps Podcast
Flaps Podcast is a British aviation podcast. Produced by BBC radio producer Mark Newman and presenter Elliott Webb, it discusses topics of interest to private and general aviation pilots....
, with his "Mason's Minute" feature.