Page 16 - Cadet Review Spring 2021

Joint Service News
your formation, each person being tasked with a different job. You then brief the trip, in huge detail, discussing every aspect, especially the things
that you think might go wrong. You all have an outbrief, where we describe the trip to a senior, authorising officer. To get all your flying equipment on takes about 20 minutes. Thermal underwear, a flying suit, an immersion suit (if flying over water), G-suit, life support jacket and your helmet. The
flight normally last about 2hrs. Different missions would be bombing, air combat, instrument flying, general handling, navigation and close formation. Most flights involve many of these aspects. You then de-brief and try to learn as much as you can about what went well and what needed improving. The whole cycle lasts about 6 to 7hrs. When you are on an operational detachment (I served on three tours of duty flying over Iraq) then there really was no typical day. The structure would be similar to that which I’ve just described, only you would often be flying at night or early evening.
WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO CHANGE OR TO TEACH YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE WORLD WITH YOUR EXPERIENCE, WHAT IS IMPORTANT IN LIFE? You must follow YOUR dreams, not those of your friends or family. Be true to yourself and courageous in your outlook on life. If your plans don’t work out, look at another way to get to the goal that you set yourself in the first place. Never give up.
Follow my Motto: Dream it, Believe it, DO it!
WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES NOW?
I love playing tennis, keeping fit, taking lovely long walks with my husband, and hitting the slopes for some fantastic skiing whenever we get the opportunity. I love watching both my children on the sports pitches, playing rugby and football. I also am an ambassador for Hampshire Sport and on the board of trustees at the Victory Services Club
in London. After all of this I seem to have little time left to fulfil my passion, which is reading! In 2019
I climbed to the roof top of Africa on a fundraising
expedition up Kilimanjaro. It was one of the biggest challenges I have undertaken and I loved it!
ARE YOU STILL HELPING WITH AIR EXPERIENCE FLIGHTS AND MAKING A DIFFERENCE
TO YOUNG AIR CADETS, ENCOURAGING
THEM TO LIVE THEIR DREAMS TOO? IlefttheRAF10yearsagoandIflewon2AEFat Boscombe Down for 8 years. I finally (hopefully temporarily) hung up my flying boots in Jan 2019, due to work and family commitments. I hope to return to it one day though as I think it’s so important for cadets to see more women in this role.
HOW CAN WE FIND OUT MORE?
I have written a book, “An Officer, not a Gentleman”, which covers my entire RAF career, the highs and lows. It has been incredibly well received and I have had so many lovely comments, especially from cadets, who I hope will be inspired by it to follow their dreams.
In closing, having read your book, I was thoroughly impressed by your story and how you pursued it through what must have been challenging times to reach your aim of being a Tornado pilot. I can whole- heartedly recommend the book and trust it may inspire a new generation of Royal Air Force pilots. Thank you for sharing your story with me, it was a great pleasure.
Different missions would be bombing, air combat, instrument flying, general handling, navigation and close formation
Mandy’s book can be found at https://www. amazon.co.uk/Officer-Not-Gentleman- inspirational-pioneering/dp/B089M3ZL6G/ ref=pd_ecc_rvi_1
16 CADET REVIEW SPRING 2021