RAF Valley

RAF Valley 13th May 2009

We arrive at Valley by helicopter having flown across the Welsh mountains from Shawbury.

The aim of the Station is straightforward and clear; to train future fast jet combat pilots. The majority of those pilots are RAF with a smaller portion being Royal Navy pilots destined for Joint Force Harrier. Valley is by far the busiest station in the Royal Air Force. Under the command of Personnel and Training Command, there are more sorties flown from RAF Valley than the entire Tornado and Typhoon Force put together. Sorties include Hawk TMk1 operations, Sea King Helicopters in the Search and Rescue role, and Search and Rescue Training Unit (operating the Griffin).

The No. 4 Flying Training School takes RAF and Royal Navy pilots from 1FTS at RAF Linton-on-Ouse and trains them to fly fast jets, prior to training on an Operational Conversion Unit. Valley is also home to 'C' Flight of 22 Sqn with Sea King helicopters. These are busy in the Search and Rescue role, rescuing people from ships in the Irish Sea, from the mountains of nearby Snowdonia and elsewhere. The mountain rescue work in Snowdonia is coordinated with Plas y Brenin, the Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation and the RAF Valley Mountain Rescue Teams.

RAF Mona, also on Anglesey, acts as a relief landing ground.

So much training is now undertaken on simulators allowing trainees to learn from mistakes at no cost. The air traffic control tower is fascinating. You feel as though you are sitting inside an air traffic control tower while an instructor changes the weather, visibility and even people walking across the run way. The students then have incoming and outgoing flights to handle as well as unplanned scenarios to deal with.

I try out the search and rescue simulator and undertake tasks as a winch man, Pilots are always seen as the hero's but I think anyone who can hang out of the side of a helicopter and manoeuvre the winch to reach the person in distress, often in high winds and difficult seas or confined spaces is amazing.

I wore a headset which made me feel as if I was hanging out of the helicopter and moving the winch line. I promise you my knuckles where white holding onto the side of the helicopter simulator as I helped rescue an injured person from a boat on a heaving sea. Virtual reality training is improving the pass rate as flying time is limited by costs and availability of helicopters but simulator time is free.

The huge benefit of basing the Search and Rescue (SAR) training unit at RAF Valley is that all training areas are within 10 minutes' flying time. Crews can train over the sea, mountains, cliffs, forests all within a short distance of the airfield. We tend to think of SAR in relation to incidents in the UK but SAR is vital on the front line so crews need to be combat ready. For crews the focus is on team work and co-operation. There is a four person team consisting of a pilot, co-pilot responsible for radio communications, navigation, and fuel supply, a winch operator and a winch man.

http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafvalley/