Farnborough International Air Show, followed by a visit to RAF Odiham
RAF Cosford Represent at the RAF Police
Association Annual Parade
Defence Media Operations Course
RAF Cosford Air Show
A Big Cat Goes Home
How the RAF Benevolent Fund supported RAF Cosford in 2023
What is STEM?
RAF Cosford Motorcycle Club News
RAF Cosford Kart Club News
Why not give it a TRI?
RAF Cosford Archery Club
Cosford Students Take Off With RAF Shawbury
Gliding Club (RSGC)
FROM THE EDITOR FOREWORD
Welcome to the Autumn 24 edition of the Cosford Apprentice.
Since the Summer edition, we’ve held a very successful air show and supported RIAT. More recently, we’ve welcomed Gp Capt Liz O’Sullivan as the new Comdt of DSAE and seen changes of command at both No.1 and No.2 Schools of Technical Training. We’ve welcomed Wg Cdr Beth French as the new OC No.1 S of TT, the OC No.2 S of TT post will be gapped for a while.
Of course, in welcoming new people to RAF Cosford, we must also say goodbye to those leaving us. Gp Capt Cameron Gibb, Wg Cdr Justin Blackie and Wg Cdr Kirsten Mustoe have now all moved on to pastures new, and we wish each one of them every success in the next stages of their RAF careers.
This edition of the magazine is as jam-packed as always, with articles from the karting club, gliding club, air show and chaplaincy, to name a few. There’s also an advert looking for people to join the Pantomime Club. It’s the end of August and we are already looking forward to Christmas, sorry about that. Thanks as always to those who have made the time to contribute to the magazine. If you wish to submit an article in coming editions, contact me or Sarah Jones. The deadline for the next edition is 6 November.
BY WING COMMANDER PENNY BRADY CHARTERED MCIPD MA BSC RAF
Welcome to the Autumn 2024 edition of the Cosford Apprentice.
It is hard to believe as I write this that it won’t be long before the nights are drawing in and we will be thinking about Halloween and Bonfire Night! However, we have much to look back on after a busy but successful summer.
The Cosford Air Show was once again an incredible success and testament to the hard work and dedication of all our personnel to deliver a great show. In addition to one of the best ever Air Displays, the spectators also enjoyed a wide range of traders’ stands, funfair rides and static aircraft and made for a memorable day out.
This edition of the Apprentice also highlights some of the other fantastic opportunities our trainees and personnel have had within wider Defence. Cosford provided well over 300 personnel in support of the Royal International Air Tattoo at Fairford and the Farnborough Air Show whilst also supporting the ceremonial element of the State Opening of Parliament. All events again demonstrated the versatility and professionalism of our people in supporting prestigious national events. As the home of engineering, cyber and technical professions, Cosford’s team of STEM Ambassadors Cosford also hosted several STEM events, bringing to life Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths for the young people visiting the Unit.
On a more recreational note, this
edition sees some of our station clubs showcased, with the latest Kart Club race report and articles from the Gliding and Triathlon Clubs as well as the Panto Club, who are looking for volunteers for their festive production (sorry for mentioning Christmas so soon…). We were also lucky with the weather for the Cosford Families’ Day, with families enjoying numerous activities including an opportunity to meet Star Wars characters – I did not
Lastly, we said farewell to the Commandant of the Defence School of Aeronautical Engineering Group Captain Cameron Gibb and welcomed Group Captain Liz O’Sullivan. Group Captain Gibb transformed the School and the Station delivering many unique events and we wish him all the very best in his next role.
envy them in those costumes on such a warm day!
HANDOVER CEREMONY
The formal handover ceremony of the Commandant of Defence School of Aeronautical Engineering and Commander Air Training Wing took place on Friday 16th August 2024.
The ceremony included the King’s Colour of Number 1 School of Technical Training and personnel from within DSAE were on parade as Group Captain Cameron Gibb officially handed command over to Group Captain Liz O’Sullivan.
The Defence School of Aeronautical Engineering is part of the Defence College of Technical Training at MOD Lyneham and oversees Numbers 1 & 2 School of Technical Training based at RAF Cosford, the Royal Navy School of Aeronautical
Engineering, Gosport and British Army School of Army Aeronautical Engineering, Lyneham.
During his time at RAF Cosford, Group Captain Gibb was also Station Commander before the C2 split in January 2024 where he handed over command to Wing Commander Penny Brady.
As special recognition of his time served as Station Commander, whole force personnel from across station were in attendance to bid him a fond farewell.
FROM THE
CHAPLAINCY
Idon’t know if you have heard the anecdote about President John F Kennedy visiting the NASA Space Centre in 1962? The story goes that he met a janitor in one of the corridors carrying a broom and when the president asked the man what he was doing, the janitor replied, ‘I’m helping put a man on the moon.’
The NASA mission had been sold to the extent that everyone part of that endeavour saw themselves a part of something bigger; the shuttles pilot, the HR team, the engineers, the control room team and yes, the person who took out the bins. I wonder how you would reply if someone asked you today what you are doing. Would you focus on the task at hand or would you point to the bigger picture and the shared goals that exist beyond you?
In organisations like the military, placing ourselves in a story larger than our small part of things has traditionally
the history of our service that we are now part of and why the mission matters means that we can find ourselves more motivated and engaged, willing to sacrifice in small and big ways to see the goal achieved. Being purposeful on lifting our eyes to that wider horizon during difficult or boring moments can help us plough on. As a person of faith too, that call to place our own lives into the context of eternity, alongside a God who values us for who we are and calls us to work in collaboration with Him does much to allow us to picture our lives and problems through a different lens. So I ask as a US President did over 60 years ago, ‘What are you doing?’
RAF COSFORD FAMILIES DAY
On Tuesday 30th July 2024, RAF Cosford held a Families Day for our whole force personnel and their families.
The event was held to say thank you for all the hard work and dedication of our personnel but also to thank our families for their support.
We hope everyone that attended had a lovely afternoon.
The Padre living his dream!
No1 SofTT Mechanical Trainees attend Farnborough International Air Show, followed by a visit to RAF Odiham
Eight trainees currently undertaking their ART phase of their course were invited to attend Farnborough International Airshow on Monday 22nd July 2024.
The event was thoroughly enjoyed by all and allowed them to engage with the Secretary of State and CAS. The event was an informal meet and greet in the UK Government Hub ‘Coffee Shop’ where the SofS asked questions to the trainees about their apprenticeship and time in the RAF so far. The RAF was best represented with eight trainees, the Army and Navy only had two representatives each.
Afterwards, the trainees received a capability brief from Martin Baker about the seats used in the F-35 and the Typhoon. Following this, they arrived at the Airbus Pavilion. A 70 Sqn A400m was parked on the apron behind the area, where they were granted VIP access and received a tour of the A400m – a particular highlight for
them all. This encompassed an engineering brief from a 70 Sqn JengO, a cockpit brief from a 70 Sqn GE and a freight capability brief from a 70 Sqn Loadmaster and 47AD Air Dispatcher from the British Army. Three of the trainees originally wanted a posting to Brize Norton and this tour further cemented their choice.
Following this, they were invited into the Embraer VIP area and the trainees were given a tour of a Brazilian Air Force C-390 (Along with free ice cream!). The trainees enjoyed the tour and comments were made about how great it was to see an aircraft from another nation up close.
After an exciting day at Farnborough, the next day they visited RAF Odiham, where they
were initially shown around Chinook Maintenance Flight. FS Whittaker gave a brief on the role of CMF and then handed the trainees over to two ex-Cosford mechanical trainees who left Cosford around 18 and eight months ago respectively.
The trainees enjoyed this
chance to engage and ask questions about RAF Odiham and life post Cosford. Questions asked included:
• Life after Cosford
• Accommodation
• Chances for sport
• Deployments
• Completion of apprenticeships.
Embraer Tour
Trainees receiving Cockpit Brief from 70Sqn GE
Trainees with 70 Sqn LM
After their visit to CMF, they moved over to 27 Sqn and CT Gormanly (Mech Trade Manager) gave the trainees a tour of a Chinook, along with a discussion of 1st Line life. This was a bit of an eye opener, especially with regards to a squadron’s readiness to deploy. But after this they visited the Engine Bay where the
trainees received a brief about the Chinook Engine up close on a maintenance rig and then how they are tested on an engine test bed.
Four of the trainees originally wanted a posting to RAF Odiham, being up close with a Chinook made them want a
posting there more.
Overall, the trainees and staff thoroughly enjoyed the two days, they were accommodated at St Omer Barracks at Aldershot Garrison where they were able to experience being in a SLAM En-Suite room.
An official letter of thanks was sent to them by the CAS for their support to the Farnborough International Air Show, and they would also like to convey their thanks to the personnel at RAF Odiham for hosting them on day two. A very worthwhile visit was had by all.
Odiham visit
Trainees with CAS
RAF Cosford Represent at the RAF Police Association Annual Parade
The 23rd of June marks the annual RAF Police Association gathering of remembrance and thanks at the RAF Police memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum, Alrewas.
Fourteen members of the RAF Police and Security Flight at RAF Cosford provided representation and a parade ceremony on behalf of the Air Security Force for the 2024 event.
Flt Lt Paul Vawer, leading his second consecutive parade, led the troop through the Arboretum grounds, paying respects to Gp Capt Samantha Bunn, who undertook their first public engagement as newly appointed Provost Marshall (RAF) and Commander Air Security Force, before joining an audience comprising of regular, veteran, and wider RAF Police family and friends.
A service of dedication and remembrance was held at the memorial to commemorate those that have passed but remain perpetual members of the RAF Police family. A social event at the local Royal British Legion followed, enabling current serving members and veterans
to share their experiences, enhancing wider understanding and awareness of yesterday, today and tomorrow’s trade differences. Special tribute was given to the esteemed WO Jimmy Brown, Provost Marshall’s Warrant Officer, and incomparable FS Steve O’Neill, Station Sherriff,
RAF Cosford, who both paraded for the last time as their distinguished careers begin to wind down after 35 years’ Service each in the RAF Police.
FS O’Neill who proudly donned
his RAF Police No.1 uniform for the last time, stated that it was an honour and a privilege to be on parade at the NMA, in the company of the past, present and future of the RAF Police.
DEFENCE MEDIA OPERATIONS COURSE
The Defence Media Operations course has been successfully running at the Defence School of Photography for many years now, bringing Royal Air Force Visual Communicators up to the highest standard of photojournalistic techniques, in turn allowing them to operate across the world and cover media operations wherever they are required.
Recently two of our Service photographers have attended the course, and have shared their experiences in the best way they know how… in the form of photography.
RAF COSFORD AIR SHOW
The RAF Cosford Air Show is the last RAForganised air show anywhere in the world. It takes place each year on the Shropshire station on the second Sunday in June and is one of the highlights of the UK air show calendar, only second in size to the Royal International Air Tattoo.
This year, the Air Show took place on Sunday 9 June and 50,000 members of the public descended on to the Station’s airfield for an action-packed day of flying displays and a host of other activities on the ground. Although Cosford hosts the event, it is the RAF’s air show and as such, it attracts support from across the Service. As one would expect, all the RAF’s public display teams, such as the Typhoon, Red Arrows, Tutor and the Falcon Parachute Display Team take part. This year, however, we also saw Hawk T.2s from RAF Valley and Voyager and twin Atlas flypasts
from RAF Brize Norton. A third Atlas was also used by the Falcons for the first time at Cosford for their traditional opening of the show. Although there is no Chinook Display Team for 2024, we were lucky enough to be one of the few places that would see the new role demo from RAF Odiham. We were grateful for this as the helicopter is always a favourite with the public. We have also been lucky enough to receive flypasts from F-35s from RAF Marham in the past but this year we were the first air show to see their new role demo, which blew everyone away who witnessed it.
We couldn’t host the Air Show without sterling support from our friends at RAF Shawbury. Not only do they provide helicopters as static displays, but they also move the Red Arrow pilots between the two stations so that they can meet the public prior to their display in the afternoon. They provide us with air traffic services and because their runway is longer than ours and they are only about 20 miles away, they host aircraft that need longer runways than Cosford can provide. Quite simply, over the last few years, they have been an integral part of our plans, and we couldn’t put on the Air Show without them. This year, we’ve also been lucky to be able to call on RAF Waddington, who hosted the French Couteau Delta team of two Mirage 2000Ds. They couldn’t be hosted by us or Shawbury and, despite being incredibly busy, Waddington stepped up straightaway and offered to help.
The Mirages were one of the highlights of this year’s show, so the help from our friends in Lincolnshire was very welcome and greatly appreciated.
Between the RAF aircraft, foreign display teams and civilian registered aircraft, it would be easy to think that it was all about what was happening in the air, but it wasn’t. There was a wealth of static displays on show that included our own Jaguars, Tornados, Hawks, Harriers, Wessex and Typhoon – many of which are ground training assets used by our Phase 2 aircraft technician apprentices – as well as aircraft from the RAF Museum Midlands and private owners. Aside from this, we celebrated the RAuxAF’s 100th anniversary, hosted a large immersive tech display from the RAF Air Cadets, put on a large World War Two vintage village and a huge series of interactive STEM displays. There really was something for everyone.
While we are grateful for the support that we get from across the RAF family and aviation community, it is Team Cosford that makes this unique event happen every year. There is a small team (Maz, Liz, Martin, Gaz, Chloe and Vicky) who work on the Air Show 24/7. They are supplemented by RAF personnel from across Cosford, some of whom have semi-permanent Air Show secondary duties and work on the event for many months of the year in parallel with their day jobs. On Air Show weekend, pretty much every uniformed person works in some capacity, including our many hundreds of Phase 2 apprentices, as do many of our Whole Force colleagues. It’s hard work but it’s very rewarding. When you see a child’s eyes light up as they climb into a fast jet cockpit for the first time, you know all the effort was worthwhile.
A BIG CAT GOES HOME
On 18th July 2024, Jaguar XZ384 left RAF Cosford and headed to the RAF Coltishall Heritage Centre. We know that she will be appreciated and looked after by her new owners, and that she will help to tell the story of the former Norfolk station.
When gifting aircraft to museums, we ensure that they can be looked after appropriately in the long term and will be used to engage on a range of topics such as STEM and to tell the story of the Royal Air Force.
How the RAF Benevolent Fund supported RAF Cosford in 2023
The RAF Benevolent Fund, the RAF’s leading welfare charity, has released its 2023 Impact Report, highlighting how it has continued to support members of the RAF Family in 2023 through practical, emotional and financial support.
The Fund helped 42,259 members of the RAF Family in 2023, including over 27,800 serving personnel and their families, and 14,397 veterans and their families, with a huge 97 per cent of beneficiaries saying they were satisfied with the support they received.
One way the Fund supported the RAF Family was through RAF Station grants, with more than 12,000 people helped last year including serving personnel and their families at RAF Cosford.
In 2023, RAF Cosford were given £6000 in grants for Ben Play and Ben Parenting, and £2500 in grants towards Families Day and Operation Christmas, where serving personnel provided meals and festive hampers to veterans.
Irene Greenwood, Welfare Programmes Manager at the RAF Benevolent Fund, said: “The grants provided by the Fund to RAF bases like Cosford are vital for ensuring RAF families receive the mental, financial and practical assistance they need. Some of the initiatives and events we have funded have enabled serving personnel and their families to come together and socialise with others, increasing cohesion on base, improving morale and mental health, as well as reducing isolation. We are delighted that the Fund can make a positive impact to the lives of the serving community”.
The RAF Benevolent Fund provides financial, emotional, and practical assistance to serving and retired RAF personnel and their families. This includes grants to help with financial difficulty, free memberships for Headspace, Airplay youth clubs, and more.
You can view the full 2023 Impact Report here <https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https://www.rafbf.org/ about-us/our-publications/impact-report&data=05|02|sarah.jones830@mod.gov.
Laser Skin Clinics is based in a converted barn complex offering a discreet location specialising in skin and hair aesthetics. We treat everything skin related from removal of skin tags and moles to laser tattoo and laser hair removal. We are passionate about the skin offer skin and hair rejuvenation treatments such as Botox, Profhilo, PRP, RF Microneedling, Skin Peels and Laser Facials. The clinic has been operating for over 10 years and all of staff are fully qualified to a high standard holding full aesthetic and medical certification.
What is STEM?
Enhancing your school with STEM Engagement
STEM is exciting, inspiring and engaging for young people and can help to foster a love of learning, support better attainment and re-engage pupils with hands-on, practical activities.
Entrust hosts the STEM Ambassador Hub for Staffordshire and Shropshire and can support you with achieving the requirements of the Ofsted Education Inspection Framework and the Careers strategy: making the most of everyone’s skills and talents.
If you would like to know more about STEM please contact your local STEM Hub, Staffordshire and Shropshire can be contacted through the contact below.
Omar Berryman-Robinson Programme Co Ordinator Staffordshire & Shropshire STEMAmbassadors@entrust-ed. co.uk
Overview of 2024 so far…
The RAF Cosford STEM Team has undergone a full review in 2024, recognising that personnel move on to different postings and that a recruitment drive was required. Leading from that recruitment, the team have been able to support over 14 events so far in 2024 locally, regionally and nationally. Those within the team have displayed their passion in delivering high quality activities to students/children and have been exemplary in their teaching of STEM subjects. In addition, the STEM inventory has undergone an overhaul as well as our internal communications. Below you will find a series of highlights that cover 2024 so far.
RAF Cosford Air Show 2024STEM Hangar Display
The RAF Cosford STEM Team supported the Cosford Airshow by enabling STEM providers and Station departments to conduct STEM activities in Hangar 15 & 16. As with previous years, the Airshow attracted thousands of the public to view a plethora of activities, such as the Jaguar undercarriage functionals, Jaguar Cockpit interaction, rocket cars, drones and many more. This continued in the Corporate STEM Hangar.
No1 RS STEM Team
As part of the recruitment drive, No1 Radio School has reestablished it’s own STEM Team that will focus on Cyber and Space. Although still part of the RAF Cosford STEM Team, these personnel will be creating new activities and learning outputs to increase understanding in the emerging domains of Cyber and Space. Sgt Andrew Westley is leading with this project.
SCIENCE – TECHNOLOGY – ENGINEERING – MATHS
Space, Race & Fly
As part of the RAF Museum’s Space, Race and Fly event, RAF Cosford STEM Team took their Rockets activity delivered by Sqn Ldr Adam Mabbott and Sgt Shameer Mehta. With over 700 students visiting in one day, the team were able to provide a great activity which displays the aspects of how a rocket can be fired and an extremely brief idea of why they are designed in the shapes and size to which they are.
Shropshire Collaboration
Acting FS Leon Towns has been instrumental in supporting the creation of a STEM Shropshire collaboration between RAF Cosford STEM Team, RAF Shawbury STEM Team, Institution of Mechanical Engineers, and South Shropshire Engineer Association.
Glider Challenge
During 2024 and part of 2023, the RAF Cosford STEM Team conducted several Glider build exercises. This activity involved teaching the Theory of Flight and building a gilder using foam boards. The gilders are then launched from an innovative launcher, created by Acting Flight Sergeant Leon Towns and
Chief Technician Adam Edwards.
The launcher works much like a crossbow, levering backwards and firing forwards with the gilder (not an arrow!!). Part of the challenge involves how far the gilder travels, its design and how innovative it is. We also rated the decorations! This was particularly successful during an organised Glider Challenge at the RAF Museum (Midlands) attending by over 10 local schools.
Forces in STEM
In April 2024, the RAF Cosford STEM Team attended the national event, Forces in STEM at the RAF Museum (London) delivering our Rockets activity. Firing paper rockets at the rear of a Lancaster Bomber was a particular highlight. There were over 1200 visitors from several schools during the event. There will be a further Forces in STEM event at the RAF Museum (Midlands) in September.
Project Slingshot
Project SLINGSHOT is an ambitious joint venture supported by Government and Industry to build Sling 2 training aircraft; this is providing STEM students with experiences outside of the formal
learning environment and the opportunity to explore various aviation career pathways. RAF Cosford has been supporting the project for over 3 years and recently provided the use of alternate hangar facilities to help students from Aston University Engineering Academy expedite the completion of their initial element of the aircraft build. As well as providing practical skills in aviation manufacture, the project is helping to develop the project management and teamwork skills of STEM students.
RAF Cosford will continue to play a vital role in supporting Project SLINGSHOT, facilitating weekly build activity as well as dedicated “build camps”; the latter will further accelerate the build of the aircraft fuselage in the coming months. Final assembly of the aircraft will be at RAF Cosford, with flight testing also planned to take place at RAF Cosford once the necessary approvals have been granted. The flight test activity will be run in an educational manner with build-team students acting as ground support team members. It is hoped that the aircraft will be approaching completion by Summer 2024 and, pending final sign-off, flight testing by Q4 of 2024. The final destination of the aircraft is yet to be decided
but it is planned to be used for further aircraft maintenance opportunities, air experience flights and the delivery of flying scholarships and bursaries provided by the Air League Trust. You can see the aircraft and meet Project SLINGSHOT team members in Hangar 15.
The Rest of 2024…
Although there have been several success stories in 2024, our engagement does not stop there! Over the coming 7 months we will provide and support to:
4x Local School STEM workshops
• 4x Local Air Cadet workshops
• The RAF Museum (Midlands) STAAR
• 3x Industry evenings to discuss STEM and the RAF
• Armed Forces Day – National Arboretum
• RIAT 24
• Forces in STEM (Midlands)
• New Scientist Live And more… see you there!
MID WALES FLY-BY
RAF Cosford Motorcycle Club
With our last Force Development ride having been so well received, we were keen to repeat the success. Whilst “10 sites” had covered a lot of miles, its scope had been limited to Shropshire and Staffordshire and we wanted to be more ambitious this time.
With the beauty of rural Wales virtually on our doorsteps, the Landof-Song seemed like an obvious destination but as this ride needed to be completed in one day, it would be important to be realistic about how much of the country we would be able to visit. We wanted to ride a mixture of roads from rural lanes to sweeping A roads and if possible, feature some mountain passes too. Most importantly though, as an FD ride, the route needed to feature points of interest to the Service and with our last ride solely focused on RAF History, we thought this one should feature an element of future capability too. Soon a route began to form and “Mid Wales Fly-By” was born! Despite a run of inclement
weather, on the chosen day we couldn’t have asked for better conditions! Forecasts all agreed on glorious sunshine with temperatures reaching 28’C! It was a diverse selection of 11 bikes that lined up for the off, with sportsbikes, tourers, adventure bikes and cruisers showcasing what a diverse group of individuals the club attracts. After a pre-ride safety briefing and a group photo, we divided into three teams and were on our way for 189 miles of riding.
The RAF Bridgnorth memorial at Stanmore County Park was our first destination where Frankie Franks, Dave Baker and Colin Ashcroft related to the group the history of the former RAF unit. Established in 1939, Bridgnorth acted mainly as a recruit training base throughout its 24yr lifespan but also had important roles as a transit unit for troops and civilians returning from the Dunkirk
evacuation as well as a training unit for the WAAF and as part of the Empire Navigation School.
The sites history is celebrated by a monument and remembrance garden, maintained by 238Sqn, RAF Cosford.
Getting back on the bikes, the winding flat roads of the Shropshire countryside, linked by their sleepy English villages, began to give way to a more open route highlighted by steep inclines and descents as we entered Wales for our second FD point, the Spaceguard Centre, Knighton. Otherwise known as the National Near Earth Objects Information Centre, this civilian installation, perched on a remote Welsh mountainside provides an early warning system against asteroids and comets, predicting their trajectories.
The ride to this location had been somewhat challenging, featuring winding single-lane
by Sgt Alex Woods
tracks, cattlegrids, and a very rough gravel road. Most of us took this section quite gingerly, except for Spike whose GasGas 700cc scrambler was in its natural environment and he effortlessly shot to the front of the pack, kindly opening and closing gates for everyone to get through. This slow and steep section took its toll on the sports bikes with the lack of airflow through fairings causing overheating and in fact, upon arrival at our destination, Chester’s classic ZX7rr promptly ejected the contents of its expansion tank all over the floor in protest! The centre’s staff were somewhat bemused by the sudden arrival of 11 bikers to their hitherto tranquil site but were very welcoming, nonetheless. Chester Norton, Dave Owen, Kieran Noblet and Lewis Cooper delivered talks summarising the role of Space Command and how the information gathered by the Spaceguard Centre can be utilised for defence by No2 Space Warning Squadron. We went on to discuss future defence strategy and how technologies such as the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability project will expand our capabilities as warfare evolves in the 21st Century and beyond. With the bikes now cool and the roads slowly opening up to an increasingly awe-inspiring vista, we were soon back on our way and a quick stop for fuel and coffee had us refreshed and ready for the “main event”; Elan valley to Devils Bridge! Widely considered one of the best bike roads in the UK, the Elan Valley route had been on our bucket list for a while, and it didn’t disappoint! This winding mountainside road is linked by a series of beautiful old dams and reservoirs which provide water to the Midlands. As the road wound around the Cambrian mountainsides, we traversed ancient stone bridges and switchback hairpins, all whilst getting ever higher until eventually the road opened to an incredible view of the entire valley below us. We stopped briefly at the Craig Goch Dam; this stunning structure built in 1897 being a favourite location for bikers as you can normally ride across the top of the structure. Alas, the reservoirs water level was so low on the day of our visit
that the route across had been closed for safety reason. Continuing, we reached the Aberystwyth Mountain Road which blew everyone’s minds! It is hard to convey in words the awe and desolation that you feel riding this unspoiled, rugged mountain road through the majestic Welsh countryside. The narrow ribbon of tarmac strung through the landscape is dominated by mountain views, but a point of note was the ruins of the Cwmystwyth slate mine that the road passes right through on the valley floor. Feeling the need to decompress somewhat, we stopped to catch our breath and take a group photo at the “Devils Arch” at the highest point of the road. A late lunch at the Woodland Tea Rooms in Devils Bridge followed, where we managed to get out of our gear and cool down in the shade. We enjoyed a bite to eat and a good social here, but it was soon time to get on the road again for our final FD point.
The War Memorial in Newtown commemorates the men and women of the area who fell during WW1 and WW2. Having been on an adventure through Wales, it seemed appropriate for us to stop here and pay our respects to the fallen before we passed back into England and home to Shropshire. Spike Corsie, JP Priest, Gareth Leeson and I had researched some of the names on the monument and related their stories to the group. We had brought along a poppy wreath and took the opportunity to place it on the cenotaph, observing a minute’s silence before finally getting on our way home. A few of us needed to return for 17:00 but some were in
no hurry, so we split into two groups for the ride back, one heading straight back to camp via Shrewsbury whilst the second enjoyed an extended ride back through rural Shropshire. Later that evening, everyone checked-in as being safely home, successfully marking the conclusion of what had been a great day’s riding!
These club FD rides bridge the gap between FD and AT and aim to provide the benefits of both. Service ethos is a key attribute to everyone regardless of background and gaining an appreciation of our history and the direction for future defence through FD is an important step in developing this spirit. I am a firm believer too that riding motorcycles can be beneficial to mental health. In the same way that mindfulness can quiet the mind and provide much needed focus, I feel that riding my bike serves the same purpose. With an ever-increasing workload and pressures of family life, opportunity to ride our bikes can be scarce. Providing wholeforce personnel an opportunity to get out on two wheels on a challenging AT type tour like this can therefore be a much-needed chance to forget work and life pressures for a day and to find some internal focus and balance.
On this trip, we had learned about the history and future of the Service, developed our riding skills together and broke down some of the barriers of trade, rank and Service. “Mid Wales Fly-By” was an experience greater than
simply the locations we visited though. Perhaps it’s a bit of a cliché, but sometimes it’s not always about the destination, but the ride itself where the real value lies.
Above and right: Newtown Memorial
RAF Bridgnorth Memorial
Newtown Memorial
SECOND ROUND OF THE ARMED FORCES KARTING CHAMPIONSHIP 2024
Round Two of the AFKC saw the Cosford Kart Club heading East to Ellough Park Kart Circuit where we met up with 150 other competitors of the Armed Forces Karting Championship from the RN, Army and RAF.
The Preparation. Preparation was easier this time as the trainees understood what to expect and consequently, the importance of their efforts for best performance and safety.
FS Matt Dilks and AR Max Gubb delivered some more driver training during kart testing prior to the event and Mr Mike Jones, and Mr Liam Perry concentrated on preparing karts and the engineering skills of our drivers. FS Matt Dilks and Chf Tech Tiff Matthews-Watchus worked tirelessly, as ever, in the background to make sure all the organising admin tasks were completed. Despite minor MT issues and some for the release of trainees, a plan was formulated, and an advance party were tasked with building of “Cosford Village”, while the remainder arrived safely in time for essential safety practice.
Ellough Park Circuit. Ellough Park Circuit is frankly far better than the one the club experienced at Wombwell last month. Fast and flowing while driving on the circuit there is little time to rest, as the corners come quickly after each other and the concept of complexes of corners must be kept in mind. Miss the correct entry to the first corner in a complex, and the others are compromised at the cost of track time.
Practice. Fortunately, practice day was windy and with a little drizzle but nothing to spoil a dry set up, which allowed the novice drivers to have a better introduction to this fast circuit. Teams from other stations spent the day seeking the perfect gear ratio, whereas data derived from their practice and the divulged secrets from other teams indicated Cosford had “calculated” the right ratios beforehand. This resulted in drivers concentrating on learning the track and not have to carry out constant trials and adjustments to their karts. Mike Jones made a few improvements to vehicles that evening by, for example, changing brake pads to improved variants. Karts were checked and drivers signed their formal “Frontto-Back” security checks of every single fastener while looking for any other defects that might have come from the day’s practice. All were ready for next day, including the wet tyres for the expected very wet morning’s race.
The Racing. And, yes the first race of two was wet. The good news was that the wet tyres were on and briefs conducted the night before during track walks prepared the drivers for the expected conditions. All did exceptionally well considering the difficulty in seeing, let alone driving on an ever-changing surface. AR Max Gubb, demonstrated outstanding skill driving from a starting position of 23rd to 13th during his stint in Kart 14. Unfortunately, they fell back again to 22nd at the race’s end due to engine gremlins that were likely caused by water ingestion from deep puddles. Other karts had issues not least from ‘blue-on-blue’ contact (again). At the end of the first two-hour race, after each completing 111 laps, three of the five karts, Nos 17, 14 and 19 finished on the same lap. The second race was conducted on a drying circuit, which meant that all but a few of the 42 teams participating took the risk to go out on slick tyres as did Cosford’s. Kart 14 finished first of the Cosford karts having gained 16 places from their starting position after 130 laps! The remainder of Cosford Karts all gained on their starting position despite Kart 17 having to retire just before the end due to acquiring a bent axle from a collision.
Engineering. Once again, the team can be rightly proud of their engineering efforts with
Drivers Brief
Ellough Park
the only issues being caused by the weather or on-track contact. Other Services and stations did not do so well with several wheels that came off, loose cables or pipes that contacted the track surface and, much more concerning, brake failures.
So, to the Awards. No Armed Forces trophies for Cosford yet but as per Round 1, the club has their own trophies. “Driver of the Weekend” was awarded to AR Max Gubb of whose exceptional driving in such difficult conditions resulted in Team Principles from other stations commenting on his performance to the Cosford management. For the “Not so Clever Person of the Weekend” award, there was quite a tussle for the honour and mostly from those who had committed blueon-blue collisions during their races. However, AR Alfie Sollars won his day in the spotlight for forgetting to come through the Weighbridge having been called
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AR Max Gubb, demonstrated outstanding skill driving from a starting position of 23rd to 13th during his stint in Kart 14. Unfortunately, they fell back again to 22nd at the race’s end due to engine gremlins that were likely caused by water ingestion from deep puddles
in to the pits because it looked like his wheel was falling off. In fact, his axle was badly bent. This error resulted in a penalty and cost the team points. AR Jack Hepworth was a close second having bent the front of the brand-new kart chassis during a collision that was, apparently not his fault!
Next Time. Next time the team head to the Clay Pigeon circuit in Dorset towards the end of May.
Thanks. Once again thanks must go to those who do all they can to release trainees and recover them, be that APO, or those in No 1 and No 2 Schools. Execs are particularly supportive of those taking part in sport and the trainees are extremely grateful to everyone who enables their gaining of such useful career and life experiences.
All know the value that the RAFCF and FUCHS Lubricants (UK) Ltd bring to Cosford’s Kart Club and the club are thankful.
AR Gubb Received Driver of the Weekend
on the Weighbridge
14 Cutting through the traffic
Why not give it a TRI?
To some, at first glance we may be considered crazy, daft, or simply just a bit weird! I guess the thought of combining three separate sports and turning it into a seriously awesome one is a concept many understandably struggle with, especially when we say we do it because it’s fun!
However, perhaps Team GB’s recent Olympic success has made you just a little bit curious of our fine sport. Either way, we collectively refer to ourselves as Triathletes, and we’d love you to come and get involved! Initially, Triathlon is a sport that can seem quite intimidating. Join a couple of the “Triathlon Journey” Facebook groups and you can easily be sent down a rabbit warren of TLA’s and technical jargon which can confuse and deter newcomers before they’ve even begun. But it doesn’t have to be that way! It really is as simple as Swim, Bike, Run. Whilst there is obviously a wide range of
specialist equipment to make life easier and make athletes faster, all you really need to get started in our sport is some basic swim kit, a road worthy bike and helmet, and some running kit – Most of which you probably already have or can acquire fairly cheaply second hand.
There are various distances which all fall under the umbrella of a Triathlon. Ranging from Supersprint right the way up to the infamous “IRONMAN” distance, and everything in-between. For reference, the Olympic (sometimes also referred to as “standard”) Distance triathlon is a 1.5km Swim, 40km Bike and then a 10km run.
Triathlon has been an Olympic sport now for almost a quarter of a century, first making an appearance at the Sydney games in 2000. Since then, its popularity has grown massively, with most local towns having their own triathlon clubs, and local races springing up all over the country. The RAF is no exception to this, and the RAF Triathlon association has gone from strength to strength. Our aim is to encourage more service personnel to take part in Triathlon (and Duathlon, which we cover in our association too) and then support them through things such as coaching
and development once they get involved.
The association is for everyone, of every ability. Whether you’re looking to get involved for the first time, training for a PB, or even looking to get your Professional Licence (Yep, that’s right – we have RAF Personnel currently competing as professional Triathletes). Here at Cosford we have a real advantage of a swimming pool on station, alongside all the other great facilities such as the Track and quiet local roads for training. We run weekly training sessions here at Cosford, including Coached pool sessions, Track Sessions, Turbo trainer sessions on “Zwift”, 5km lunch time “CosRun” (think parkrun but on an RAF Base), and open water swimming sessions. To get involved simply scan the QR code and join our WhatsApp group. We also race in a mid-week winter Cross-country league, and some summer road running events too. You don’t
even need to like Triathlon! We have plenty of members who just swim or run etc. So please don’t be shy, come and it give it a go! Once you’ve joined our WhatsApp group, we can signpost you towards joining the RAF Triathlon Association, which opens up lots of incentives such as coaching tips, discount codes for kit and nutrition, training weekends and socials and even our yearly overseas training camp to places like Lanzarote & Mallorca!
It’s been a fantastic start to the season for RAF Cosford’s Triathletes, AR Josh Morgan has completed the long course Wales multisport weekend, and his first 70.3 Half Ironman at Ironman Swansea, FS Mark Taylor ticked off a long term bucket list race by finishing Challenge Roth, and I even managed to achieve a sub-10 hour Ironman at Ironman Hamburg, something I’ve been working towards for a few years now. More recently four station personnel made the journey
AS2 Clark at the RAF 5K event
Finishing Ironman Hamburg June 24
AS2 Clark collecting 2nd place male at Olympic distance Interservices
AR Morgan about to start Long Course weekend in Wales
Open water swimming Lanzarote
down to Oxfordshire for this year’s Inter-services Olympic distance Triathlon. AS2 Drew Clark made a real impression in his debut appearance for RAF Triathlon by finishing 2nd overall. AR Tiegan Dunne also achieved an impressive goal by finishing her first ever Triathlon, just a week after she expressed her interest in Triathlon!
So come on, why not give it a go? Before you know it, you could be crossing your very first finish line! If you would like any further info, please do join our Whatsapp chat or alternatively you can email me on”
lewis.cooper982@mod.gov.uk
https://chat.whatsapp.com/ HpM4TnPhdRUIfjC0nXGtnD
AR Dunne about to cross the line of her 1st ever triathlon
Interservices 10k Photo
Team Cosford at Interservices
Poolside Lanzarote
RAFAA Championships RAF Cosford Archery Club
August saw members of the club competing at this year’s Outdoor Championships as part of RAFAA 60th Anniversary at RAF Cranwell.
Day 1 saw members compete in the Inter-Service competition against the Army and Navy, with the RAF taking the silver medal Sgt Tim Shuker was named in the RAF team.
Day 2 was the main event the RAF Outdoor Championships, club OiC Sgt Tim Shuker and treasurer Mr Nicholas “Frankie” Vaughen competing in Longbow and Compound categories respectively, with Sgt Shuker taking home the gold and Mr Vaughen the silver and their combined effort was rewarded with bronze for the club.
COSFORD STUDENTS TAKE OFF WITH RAF SHAWBURY GLIDING CLUB (RSGC)
You wanted to fly but the opportunity just wasn’t there for you. RAF Shawbury Gliding Club’s (RSGC) mission is to get students of any rank attending a Phase 1 or Phase 2 training course at RAF Cosford and RAF Shawbury into the air. With sponsorship from the RAF Central Fund, the highly successful Mechanics Endowment Fund (MEF) Gliding Scholarship Courses has seen over 70 RAF Cosford students fly with the club of whom 8 have gone on to fly solo and one ex-Cosford student has flown on an exped in the French Alps.
If you have an unfulfilled aspiration to fly you can find an application form at https:// www.rafshawburygc.co.uk/mefbursary and then join us in the skies high over Shropshire. If you want to know more contact WO Kev Morley kevin.morley863@ mod.gov.uk, or Ian Gallacher ian.gallacher375@mod.gov.uk, both of whom will be delighted to answer your questions. Also available on ModNET Skype or Teams.
can also find more details on our website at: https://www. rafshawburygc.co.uk
#rafgsa #gliding #raf_shawbury #raf_cosford.
RSGC’s instructor Alan Swan is high in the French Aps with ex-Cosford student Connor in the club ASK21 R22 Flt Lt Luke Dale RAFGSA
You
RSGC instructor Alan Swan congratulates Cosford MEF student Harry after his first solo - Geoff Catling
It’s an all-girl crew as Cosford MEF student Vicky takes a first flight with instructor Amelia Geoff Catling Cosford MEF student Adam enjoys a trip above the clouds over RAF Shawbury - Will Dean
Aerobatics time and it’s an inverted view of RAF Shawbury for a Cosford MEF student - Ian Gallacher
RSGC is at FIT4life at RAF Cosford - Geoff Catling
