Duncan Simpson continues the 'first delivery' series...
The Hawk first flew on August 21st 1974, ten days before the
Farnborough a Air Show; the first deliveries, to the RAF, took place
only just over two years later on November 4th 1976. Flight development
and clearance at Dunsfold went ahead on time, thanks to the team at
Dunsfold led by Fred Sutton, Len Hearsey and Alan Wigginton. Flying was
in the hands of Andy Jones and Jim Hawkins, the Hawk project pilots,
who were A1 Flying Instructors and Weapons Instructors and had been
test pilots at the A&AEE, Boscombe Down. One hundred and
seventy-six aircraft had been ordered and they were going to be
delivered on time!
The day came for the first two deliveries and I received a call from
the Commander-in-Chief of Flying Training Command, Air Marshal Sir Rex
Roe. 'Joe' Roe, an old friend from Air Force days, said, "May I come
with you on the first delivery?" I was delighted; it was his aeroplane
after all. The flight up to RAF Valley over solid cloud cover went well
with the C-in-C flying the Hawk. He began his descent but the weather
at Valley, heavy rain with moderate visibility but with the cloudbase
well up at 3,000 ft, was not ideal for a first arrival. The runways and
perimeter track were flooded by the downpour and I volunteered to take
over for the landing; Sir Rex readily agreed.
It had been
suggested that the 'World Press' would be meeting us but as we flew
overhead not a soul was to be seen. We landed with due care. The Hawk
brakes were not its best feature and I had failed miserably in trying
to persuade the RAF to opt for the tail parachute. We taxied in towards
the appropriate wooden hut and two airmen appeared holding waterproof
capes over their heads. The Station Commander, Group Captain David
Thornton, emerged from the hut, bade us welcome and ushered us inside
to be warmly received by his Squadron Commanders and Instructors. The
'World Press' turned out to be a little lady from the local Welsh News
and the Wales representative of the Daily Telegraph! The only question
was, "Would the Hawk make as much noise in the valleys as the Hunter?"
The Instructors asked more serious questions and were soon clambering
all over their new Hawk in the dry and quiet of the hangar. Two hours
later Sqd Ldr David Young, the Operational Requirements Liaison Officer
(ORLO) at Dunsfold and Air-Vice-Marshal 'Togs' Mellersh, (SASO HQTC)
arrived at Valley in the second Hawk, by which time the party was well
under way.
In 1976 we had witnessed the start of a new era in
advanced flying training and now, thirty years later, we look forward
to the first deliveries of the Hawk 128 to the RAF. I note that it will
be fitted with a tail parachute.
