Hawks at Boscombe Down

[TrinityGirl]

I understand that the Hawks are leaving Boscombe Down, I think today. Even though it’s not as much fun as living near a more active base, I’ve always loved watching and hearing them go over the house. Does anyone know if there are going to be replacement jets based there, or will there just be helicopters and a passenger-type plane that we have now?

Thanks

[David Thompson]

Hawk T1 showing as XX327 BDN02 is up now and off to the west . There was also a T1 up and about from Boscombe yesterday too .

[cat1]

I believe they may be owned by QinetiQ........

[David Thompson]

Looks like he's off to Shawbury ?

[POL]

Does anyone know if there are going to be replacement jets based there, or will there just be helicopters and a passenger-type plane that we have now?

ETPS have a number of types beyond what you've listed: https://www.qinetiq.com/en/what-we-do/s ... 3b032ca83a (you'll need to scroll down a bit)

I'd expect the PC-21s to take on some of the roles the QinetiQ Hawks performed, others I'd imagine will be simulator based nowadays anyway.

[DavieB]

I believe they may be owned by QinetiQ........

No, nothing to do with QinetiQ. These are (about to be were) the RAF's aviation medicine aircraft. Unit lodges at Boscombe.

[DavieB]

Looks like he's off to Shawbury ?

Yes, he's just asked for direct. Sad to see.

[Yammer]

My *guess* - many things have been outsourced - I'd not be surprised if a private company with buiness type jet will win the contract for the next number of years - aircraft to operate on the civil register.

Our military aviation fleet is shrinking and shrinking.

[David Thompson]

Looks like he's off to Shawbury ?

Yes, he's just asked for direct. Sad to see.

Is the other Boscombe Down based T1 airworthy too ?

[TAFFEVANS]

XX327 inbound Shawbury, might well be both plus XX339

[cat1]

I believe they may be owned by QinetiQ........

No, nothing to do with QinetiQ. These are (about to be were) the RAF's aviation medicine aircraft. Unit lodges at Boscombe.

thanks for the info

[David Thompson]

XX327 inbound Shawbury, might well be both plus XX339

Just XX327 so far .

[TrinityGirl]

Thanks for your comments everyone. It seems life will be quieter now unfortunately.

[jagmadandy]

I believe they may be owned by QinetiQ........

No, nothing to do with QinetiQ. These are (about to be were) the RAF's aviation medicine aircraft. Unit lodges at Boscombe.

Not quite, the two Hawks were maintained by QinetiQ personnel and occasionally flown by civilian QinetiQ employed aircrew, although the majority of the time they were flown by military aircrew.

In terms of replacement there is nothing currently planned to replace the Hawk for RAFCAM.

[DavieB]

It was suggested that they were owned by QQ, they never have been, nothing to do with them at all. They were an RAF assett and QQ never flew them in their CAM role. Agree QQ did have a contract for maintenance support however.

[bvs]

As posted above - XX162 and XX327 have always been RAF owned a/c.
Whilst based at Boscombe Down they were serviced/maintained and operated by QQ groundcrew.
They usually were flown (as Captain) by RAF Pilots or USAF (Flight Surgeon) Pilots but whilst engaged in either trials support work or medical flights for aircrew airsickness or high 'G' training etc - the 'subject' could be RAF/Other Air Forces or civilian.

[teeonefixer]

A new centrifuge has been planned for years at Farnborough to do some of the work and other parts of it (high g training and air sickness work) had been put out to the fleet. XX162 and XX327 were instrumented to carry out a wide range of tasks flying up to 9g and were on course to be life-ex in a couple of years. It would have required some clearance and modification work to replace them with the heavier and slightly less sprightly post-Mod 2010 airframe.

[bvs]

Hi Teeonefixer
Technically they were limited to 8.99 'G' but we also had a very slight relaxation of the checks required if 9g exceeded (istr by 0.5g).
The daily flying requirements - sometimes very busy when I first started working with them (I retired xmas 2015) - especially when busy with trials work.
The pilots were excellent at keeping just below 9g,but bearing in mind that the Hawk did not have enough power to sustain a 9g turn and therefore the pilots had to do a 'wind up' turn (descending turn) to maintain 8.0 + G - there was of course the occasional drift over the 8.99 limit.
Early on in my time there we got quite a lot of aircrew through for the airsickness 'desensitising' flights (esp FJ Navigators) but this decreased as the RAF shrunk,they used to fly with us in conjunction with centrifuge work and other 'torture' at Farnborough.
In my time there we had 1 or 2 RAF SNCO's based with the med flight to look after the instrumentation systems,we worked closely with them to service and maintain the instrumentation and trials/modified oxygen systems/anti g systems.

[teeonefixer]

Thanks bvs. Yes of course, there was the +0.5g "overswing" buffer.
The RAF still had an interest of course but the QQ guys (mostly ex-RAF) were capable people.
I do wonder if some sort of capability will still be required ? Tasking was always long-term (needing funding) or ad-hoc.

[TrinityGirl]

The second one has just left Boscombe