RAF Shawbury 12th May 2009

Shawbury is a tri service base for the training of helicopter aircrew, air traffic controllers and flight operations personnel, in preparation for deployment on operations anywhere in the world. The units that conduct this training are the Defence Helicopter Flying School, the Central Flying School (Helicopter) Squadron and the Central Air Traffic Control School.

As with other RAF stations there is a civilian private contactor partner who provides much of the equipment and support, FB Heliservices Ltd, who also store a large number of frontline aircraft for the base. Almost 90% of the engineering staff are ex servicemen. In the course of a year around 1000 students of all disciplines are trained at RAF Shawbury.

On station there are
• 400 contractors
• 100 civil servants
• 300 students
• 283 RAF staff

The excellent Air Traffic control school has around 500 students per year using flight simulators as part of their training which cuts both costs and Co2 emissions.

The Central Flying School and Defence Helicopter Flying School train pilots, engineers and crew men on a tri service basis, taking 400 students a year.

Crew men and loadmaster training also takes place here. The loadmasters are responsible for the safe loading of stores and equipment onto Hercules helicopters so that they do not move in transport or destabilise the flight especially when manoeuvring in difficult weather, terrain or under fire.

For further information go to;
http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafshawbury/aboutus/history.cfm