RAF Shawbury holds Landowner's Day
RAF Shawbury and the Defence Helicopter Flying School (DHFS) held its annual Landowners’ Day to thank landowners who permit training to be conducted in their fields, clearings and woods in the local area.
Without the support of the landowner’s, RAF Shawbury would be limited to the variety of landscapes provided across Low Flying Area 9.
This enables essential training to take place and allows aircrew to practice landing in difficult and varying terrain, something that the helicopter aircrew will have to do safely and regularly when they reach their front-line units.
Local horse riders, representatives from The British Horse Society (BHS) and several pony clubs also attended the event last week, as it included RAF Shawbury’s fourth Horse Rider Awareness Day.
The day started with an address by the Station Commander, Group Captain Norris in the station briefing facility.
The guests were then taken to see the new facilities and simulators recently installed as part of the transition to the UK Military Flying Training System (MFTS) Rotary Project.
The visitors then took off for a short flight to view some of the fields and clearings from the back of a visiting Royal Navy Merlin helicopter or one of the new Juno’s which will provide helicopter training to crews.
The riders were flown over the Nescliffe Training Area. From their aerial vantage point, the riders had the challenge of finding military personnel wearing high visibility clothing.
Group Captain Norris said: “It has been an opportunity to say thank you to the people who have supported RAF Shawbury over the last year by allowing us to train in their fields and clearings. It was also an opportunity to work with the local horse riding community, The British Horse Society and the various pony clubs.”
At the end of the day the visitors had another surprise in the arrival of the RAF Falcons Parachute Display Team.
Dropping in from over a mile above the ground the Falcons were able to show off their 2018 parachute display programme to great effect in the clear blue skies over the base.
On landing they chatted to everyone before having a group photograph taken to remember the day’s events.
