roundel jsl spacer hunter1
Previous 540 No 93 Sqn 540s Next 540
F540 Operations Record Book February 1959 NO 93 SQUADRON.
PRO Kew No. AIR27 Piece 2803 Microfilm Row1 Draws 52-71
Place Date Time SUMMARY OF EVENTS                                         COMPILING OFFICER   Flt. Lt. T.A.K. Wood       REF. TO APPENDICES
      MickRyan.jpg, 25374 bytes  
JEVER  February 1959. Monday 2nd - Friday 6th February, 1959 
                                                                         Fog ruined any flying attempts this week,
limited flying was only possible for two short periods on Monday and again on Thursday.
All of Thursday morning;s flying - five sorties, were on Exercise Argus.   A ground
training was completed as follows - four aircraft recognition lectures by Fg. Off.
M.A.F. Ryan
, a meteorological lecture (on fog, no less) by Mr. R. Finlay, B.A.B.s
operation by Flt. Lt. P.A. Barrow, Hunter Cockpit pressurisation and heating by Fg. Off.
P.B Wild
, Hints on Duncan Trophy cine weave by Flt. Lt. R.D. Stone, Wing S.O.Ps. by
Wg Cdr. G.C. Atherton.
A turnround demonstration was performed for two Royal Naval Officers and coffee
provided for seven visiting German Air Force fighter controllers.   Flt. Lt. R.D.
Stone
the new 'A' Flight Commander arrived on Tuesday 3rd February direct from the
Staff of the Fighter Combat School at West Raynham.
 
      Monday 9th - Friday 13th February
                                                             The fog relented only on Thursday afternoon and
evening this week so a quick twenty one hours was flown, then more lectures on
Winter Survival (Flt. Lt. T.A.K. Wood), S.A.R.A.H. (Fg. Off. D.G. Gleen), The Martin
Baker seat Mks. 2H/3H (Fg. Off. M.A. Harvey) one A/Recce lecture only (by the usual)
Hunter Emergencies (Flt. Lt. J.J. Parker) Pilots Notes (Flt. Lt. J.J. Parker) more cine
weave
(Flt. Lt. R.D. Stone) and eight pilots renewed their Q.D.S.   This week Fg. Offs.
P.A. Bouch
and P.R. Wild demonstrated their skill with dinghies in the crewroom.
Flt Lt. J.T. Hall unsuccessfully tried to prove that 'any sensible person' could
deflate a dinghy and repack it.   Three films were shown - 'The Montebello A-Bomb'
'Politics and Economy of Singapore and Malaya', and the forces favourite 'Survival at
Sea'.   In order to keep the white ratings happy they were allowed to run aircraft
engines on Wednesday.
 
      Monday 16th - Saturday 21st February, 1959
                                                                                As expected, flying was only possible on
Saturday this week, the rest of the week - fog.   The lecture programme faded away with
two lectures on Broadcast Control (Sqn Ldr. Hart & Flt Lt. R.D. Stone).
'Problems of Aircraft Design & Manufacture' (Mr Alf Black of Hawkers).   Fg. Off. M.A.F.
Ryan
for a change lectured on the Hunter Oxygen system.   Nine pilots went down the
hole at Brockzetal on Monday afternoon; this visit should pay dividends to both sides.
Two afternoons were spent on Sport.   Energy was expended also on preparation of dispersals
for next week.   Fg. Off. B. Butterworth arrived on Tuesday after a very quick Hunter
refresher at Chivenor following an early ground tour.
 
      Monday 23rd - Saturday 28th February, 1959
                                                                                  There was fog for the first three days,
two details only being flown, but had gone the last three days of the week.   Exercise Battle
Call commenced on Monday and the move to dispersals took place on Tuesday morning.
No flying was possible on the Exercise.   There was one lecture only this week (A/Rec.
of course by Fg. Off. M.A.F. Ryan).    A N.A.T.O. film 'Denmark' was screened followed by
the R.C.A.F. 1st Aid Film.   Flt. Lt. P.A. Barrow took Hunter XJ 635 to Farnborough on
Tuesday to have a new fatigue meter fitted so that the low level evaluation trials may
continue.   Fg. Off. T. Ashwood arrived from the O.C.U. on Friday, he already makes
excellent coffee.   Flt. Lt. J.J. Parker returned from the final 1959 Winter Survival
course with a sprained wrist, a cold and an embarrassing tale of being stuck for five hours in
a snow drift into which he had dived to avoid a hairy German paratrooper
during the Evasion exercises.
The flying effort was concentrated this month on Duncan trophy cine weave, the first
half of sorties being divided between normal P.I.s with emphasis on parallel headons
and practice Broadcast Control interceptions.   A better understanding has been reached
between Brockzetal and the Squadron which is tending to solve many problems.   The
white rated pilots unfortunately had the majority of their flying sandwiched into the last three days.

PERSONNEL
                                      Sqn. Ldr. H. Minnis A.F.C.
         'A' Flight                                                                'B' Flight
Flt. Lt. R.D. Stone                                                   Flt. Lt. J.J. Parker
Flt. Lt. T.A.K. Wood                                                 Flt. Lt. P.A. Barrow
Fg. Off. A.J. Lakeman                                            Flt. Lt. P.D. Raeburn
Fg. Off. D.J. Gleen                                                  Flt. Lt. C.A. Talbot
Fg. Off. M.A.F.. Ryan                                               Flt. Lt. J.T. Hall
Fg. Off. P.A. Bouch                                                 Fg. Off. P.R. Wild
Fg. Off. B. Butterworth                                           Fg. Off. M.A. Harvey
                                                                                  Fg. Off. T. Ashwood

                                    'C' Flight
                            Flt. Lt. G.W. Timms
 
FLYING HOURS
  Day Night Sorties
Operational Type 168.15 23.10 153
Training Type         15.20                  1.30                23     
Totals 183.35 24.40 176
 
      OPERATIONAL   
                                   The bad weather allowed a very full ground training programme to be carried
out.   In the last week of the month 121 hrs. were flown, mainly on P.Is, Broadcast
control
practices and cine weave at 40,000 ft. in preparation for the A.P.S.
attachment in March.   No air-to-sea firing was possible this month because of bad weather
and other commitments.
 
      Signed H MINNIS Sqn Ldr                                           
(H Minnis)                                                                      
Squadron Leader                                                       
Officer Commanding                                                 
No. 93 Squadron                                                        
 
Previous 540 No 93 Sqn 540s Next 540