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F540 Operations Record Book January 1957 NO 118 SQUADRON.
PRO Kew No. AIR27 Piece 2705 Microfilm Row 1 Draws 52-71
Place Date Time Summary of Events                     COMPILING OFFICER__Fg. Off. A. R. Thomson_________   REF. TO APPENDICES
       
JEVER 1.1.57   No flying was carried out today due to ice on the runway.  
  2.1.57   Once again ice on the runway prevented flying.   A sports programme was carried out in
the afternoon during which the squadron beat a team from the rest of the pilots, 45 - 25,
at basketball.
 
  3.1.57   Bad runway conditions and poor weather precluded a large flying effort.   Only four sorties
were made in Amber 3 conditions around mid-day.   Ground training filled in the
remaining time for the pilots.
 
  4.1.57   Ice on the runway was melted with the warmer air and a start was made by mid-morning
under Amber 3 conditions.   A period of on/off flying took place due to the weather until
after lunch, when the colour state went to Amber 2 giving about 11 hours flying.
 
  5.1.57   Flying curtailed by high cross-wind - gusting 40 knots - 40-50º off the runway.   Heavy
showers also.   Three sorties only flown - 2 Hunter and 1 Vampire.
 
  6.1.57   Work carried out on the airfield.   No flying, but excellent flying weather.  
  7.1.57   Morning flying restricted by low cloud and poor visibility.   Amber 2 or 3 all morning.
Airfield became Amber 1 in early afternoon and night flying programme was compiled -
but cancelled due to weather clamp about 16.00 hours, when Amber 3 conditions
prevailed again.   In spite of weather 21 Hunter and 1 Vampire sorties were flown -
22 hours 15 mins. in all.
 
  8.1.57   Low cloud, drizzle and poor visibility prevented all Hunter flying today.   It was not
too bad to stop C.F.S. arriving by Valetta in the afternoon.
 
  9.1.57   C.F.S. flew with three squadron pilots today.   Starting generally with Amber 1, which
became green later, a successful morning's flying was carried out.
 
  10.1.57   The weather was 'Green' all day and with an average of 6 - 7 serviceable aircraft, quite
a good day's flying was had.   Over 30 hours were flown, the sorties being mainly
¼'s at 30,000 ft.   Low level battle fours, and manual landings.   Six dusk sorties were
also flown.
 
JEVER 11.1.57   Another good days flying was enjoyed by the squadron.   28.35 hours were flown in sorties
consisting mainly of high level battle, low level battle, and cine ¼s.   On the last
sorties 4 aircraft overflew the airfield in varying close formations, led by the C.O.
 
  12.1.57   No flying this morning, the groundcrew being engaged on servicing and the aircrew on
lectures.
 
  13.11.57   Stand-down.  
  14.1.57   Together with night flying, 31½ hours were logged on a day of varying fortunes.   Mid
morning, Fg.Off. P. Jones port undercarriage leg collapsed after landing, and, although
he was unhurt, Cat. 3 damage to the airframe resulted.   The sorties were mainly cine,
but a considerable amount of syllabus was also done.   During the night flying period
Plt.Off. Lakeman aborted a take-off due to insufficient J.P.T. but could only stop
25ft. into the overshoot.
 
  15.1.57   The third of the series happened this morning when Fg.Off. S.J. Howard made a loud
bang accompanied with considerable flames on start-up.   The fire was put out by the
ground crew after Fg.Off. Howard had left the aircraft, having closed down, with
considerable dispatch.   With the new economy target, we are well above the line, so
that when snow at mid-day stopped flying, there was no particular panic.   Total to
date is 151.10 hours.
 
JEVER 16.1.57   After the runway had been cleared of snow, the turn-ons and the taxi-ways have still to
be cleared and there was no flying at the start of the morning.   Runway clearance took
place in the afternoon and the squadron pilots found that it was preferable to have
some form of organised sport to fall back on rather than face the icy blast of
runway.
 
  17.1.57   Freezing rail rendered yesterday's efforts in vain and there was no flying today.   Apart
from a quick hour in the afternoon with T.11's to burn off some of the ice from the
runway.   The pilots played basketball in the afternoon, but even then the presence of the
C.O. did not prevent losing to 98 squadron in a very friendly game.
 
JEVER 18.1.57   The airfield is still in a bad state, but the weather in the morning promises fair for
the afternoon.   Fg.Off. S. Jameson has come to us for a conversion period from Wunstorf.
 
  19.1.57   No flying this morning, but the time spent in aircraft recognition and ground
training.
 
  20.1.57   Stand-down.  
  21.1.57   Not a particularly good day, low cloud and poor visibility, but some 17 hours were flown
by aircraft in pairs.   The C.O. caused some excitement by running off the end of the
runway with brake failure.
 
  22.1.57   Battle Flight for the squadron commenced today, as we have taken over 93 squadron's stint
to enable them to carry on with their Sylt work-up.   Seven sorties were flown and 24
P.I.'s carried out.   Syllabus trips were flown by the remaining available aircraft and
27.15 hours were logged.
 
  23.1.57   In spite of only being a half day, 19 hours were flown.   This was achieved by good
serviceability and fair weather.   9 P.I.'s were done with a varying standard of control.
It would appear that the U/T controllers have not yet quite got the hang of high
altitude interceptions.
 
  24.1.57   Poor visibility kept the airfield Red until 11.35 hours when Battle Flight were scrambled.
Thereafter the conditions varied, but some 22 hours was a satisfactory achievement under
the circumstances.   Battle Flight had five trips and made 11 P.I.'s with again varying
results.   Aircraft serviceability fluctuated a lot but a certain amount of interest
came from air to ground firing in the T.11.   One trip before the range went U/S.
 
  25.1.57   Once again the airfield was Red and battle flight did not get off until 09.40 hours.
The weather did not improve beyond Amber 2 conditions, but we flew 20.40 hours with the
aid of battle flight.   The standard of P.I.'s was generally better and battle flight
also carried out a number of other interceptions.
 
  26.1.57   Red all morning and there was no flying.   The squadron has been informed that we shall be
going to Sylt on Feb. 11th.   4 and 93 squadrons who might be said to be bettering
themselves, are not over popular at the moment.
 
JEVER 27.1.57   Stand-down.   The armourers worked on the packages and aircraft with the Sylt detachment
firmly in mind.
 
  28.1.57   A sound day's flying resulted in 27.10 hours being logged.   This was mainly flown by
battle flight which was maintained with a very minimum of pilots due to one reason and
another.   P.I.'s improve although the controllers appreciation of the turning circle
above 40,000 feet is still not good.   Three night trips were also flown.   Sqn. Ldr.
N.C.P. Buddin
went to Sylt in the afternoon to discuss the forthcoming attachment and
brought back a Meteor 8 for Flag towing to enable some Sylt quarters cine being carried
out.
 
  29.11.57   Although battle flight normally stands down on Monday evening, it would appear that
someone is trying to do us down as we are on battle flight again today.   With half the
aircraft disarmed and the rest in pieces, the squadron was at standby all day and missed
out a good days flying.
 
  30.1.57   Airfield was Red for the morning and ground crew continued preparing the aircraft for
Sylt.
 
  31.1.57   Low cloud base, at times on the ground, and poor visibility prevented flying for the
day.   Lectures for the aircrew took place in Flying Wing and the groundcrew again worked
on the aircraft.
 











JEVER

19.1.57

21.1.57





Aircraft

Hunter
Hunter
Vampire
Vampire.
\Meteor










  Day
  Night
  Day
  Night
    Day
                       PERSONNEL
Fg. Off. K.C. Lawn, Fg.Off. P.W. Baines, Fg.Off. D. Henderson left for U.K. to take part in an aircraft recognition competition over the weekend.
Squadron dinner party for Fg.Off. D.J. Powell who leaves on Thursday, 24th January,
1957.   The aircraft recognition team returned with the news that they were probably
an unofficial 3rd. in the service team competition.


                 FLYING HOURS
      Hrs.          Mins.                  Sorties
     273              35                        358
       14              10                          22
       19              15                          25
         2              05                            3
      00              55                            1
                                                                                  signedNCPBUDDINSqnLdr
                                                                                  (N.C.P. BUDDIN)
                                                                                  Squadron Leader,
                                                                                  Officer Commanding,
                                                                                   No. 118 Squadron.
                                                                                   Royal Air Force.




 
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