Page 28 - The Cormorant 2018

What RAF100 means to me Wing Commander James Nightingale
ON ARRIVAL AT RAF Kinloss in 2001, I became a member of a Nimrod Force that was very much set in-the-die cast by Coastal Command, and latterly Number 18 Group. I felt very much at home on the ‘Kipper Fleet’; part of a
close knit cadre where reputations rested on ability and the team always came first. Plenty of operations came and went: some home-based, others
overseas; some maritime but the majority in an over-land role that was developed ‘in contact’. I witnessed the best of my comrades in the very worst of times and remain proud of our resilience as a community; together with the ability of the Force to adapt and overcome throughout the final years of the Nimrod, maintaining critical operational output to the very last. Following a capability gap, where the presence of a UK Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) has been sorely missed, we now look towards a bright future. The arrival of the P-8 Poseidon MPA at RAF Lossiemouth heralds a new era in the history of British maritime aviation; the combination of the world’s best MPA with ability of RAF personnel and our Service’s unmatched ethos and heritage look sure to make an unbeatable team.
PAGE 26
witness a series of air displays from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Spitfire and the Typhoon, demonstrating its incredible manoeuvrability and power. Oh, and let’s not forget the outstanding food provided by the mobile catering squadron!
The visit concluded with a one star panel and an opportunity to challenge a number of contemporary issues across the air domain in an open and honest environment. A great finish to a great couple of days and one which left all ACSC students with a real sense of a RAF that was healthy, moving forward with bags of energy and able to rapidly adapt to
an ever evolving security environment. The lasting memory for most of the Course was the high calibre of people, in particular the young airmen and women, who possessed a real pride, passion and enthusiasm for their role in the RAF and the organisation in which they serve as a whole.