Royal Air Force News Friday, August 7, 2026 P10
News
Hot to trot
BOOT CAMP: UAS rookies take a break during military training at Leeming
Simon Mander
Students go wild STUDENTS SWAPPED long lie-ins for a taste of life on the frontline at Leeming. Yorkshire University Air Squadron members put their leadership skills to the test during military training challenges. The annual course created by squadron chiefs is designed to teach a broad range of skills, from setting up camp to patrols and briefings. A course supervisor said: “The UAS delivers an education that you can’t get in the classroom, whether that’s during camp or
on a training night. It takes a lot of work to put together but we find it very rewarding.” An Officer Cadet and Aerospace Engineering graduate said: “Training camp is always awesome. It’s a bit intimidating at first but the squadron provides you with all the resources. It pushes you outside every comfort zone. I’ve been to Norway and Andorra, done Nordic skiing, and adventure training. It’s a great mix of flying, travelling and studying pretty hard.”
TYPHOONS AND F-35s hit the pit as ground crews tested their refuelling skills under combat conditions. Personnel from Marham deployed to Coningsby to carry out hot-pitting drills, allowing F-35 Lightnings to refuel with engines running and return to battle with minimal turnaround time. Coningsby station commander Gp Capt Andy Hampshire said: “Hot-pit refuelling is a demanding and highly-skilled procedure, and exercises like this are how we maintain and share that expertise. “Coningsby is proud to support our colleagues from Marham and to keep the F-35B fleet at the peak of its operational capability.” Conducted in a realistic operational environment, the training allowed personnel to practise refuelling while maintaining maximum readiness. One of the ground crew said: “Being able to train on a live aircraft in a controlled environment is invaluable. “The team at Coningsby were incredibly professional and made sure we came away with the skills and confidence to carry out hot-pit
refuelling safely and effectively.” The exercise reflects the close working relationship between the Lincolnshire and Norfolk stations. Gp Capt Hampshire added: “This is about ensuring that wherever our aircraft are
operating the ground crews supporting them have the skills, training and confidence to keep them flying. “This exercise was a strong example of that commitment in action.”