A few months ago Karl and I visited RAF Coningsby for a meeting with Sqn Ldr Ian Smith, Officer Commanding Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. It was a horribly foggy day and, when we arrived at about lunchtime, the murk that I had driven though from the Midlands all morning had barely lifted. It was cold and depressing and in all honesty, thoughts of sunshine and airshows were difficult to muster.
This would be my first meeting with "Smithy", whom Karl knew of old from his work with 6 Squadron and the Jaguar, and knowing that we were potentially going to be asking a lot of him, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. He was busy when we arrived so Yvonne Masters, the BBMF's extremely helpful PR guru, showed us in to a crewroom and we enjoyed a cup of coffee and the chance to warm up. This was an important one for us and I had prepared documents listing ideas for the season ahead and notes for the meeting so was rather disarmed when Smithy bounded in to the room, introduced himself, engaged in some banter with Karl and then, plonking himself down on a comfy chair with his Bearded Collie (Merlin or Griffon - I don't remember which) for company, looked me in the eye and said "What do you want?"
I proceeded to waffle on for a few minutes and pointed Smithy in the direction of the documents I had studiously printed off which he picked up and, for a split second at least, appeared to glance at. Eventually he put me out my misery and, taking his glasses off, sat back and said we could do whatever we wanted, so long as we got it signed off by DPR in London. End of meeting.
We did get it signed off and since then have journeyed to RAF Coningsby a number of times to visit the BBMF during what has obviously been a momentous season for anything Battle of Britain related. The first of these return visits was shortly after the meeting described above, still a good few weeks before the start of the airshow season.
We were ushered in to Smithy's office for a chat before he asked (again!) what we wanted to do - which on this day was to photograph the aircraft in the hangar as they were being prepared for their forthcoming calendar of events, flypasts and airshow appearances. Smithy pushed us towards the crewroom, told us to help ourselves to tea or coffee and said that someone would collect us in due course. End of meeting!
A few minutes later we were indeed collected and taken down in to the Flight's hangar, at this point containing most of its fleet of 12 aircraft. There were no groups visiting at his time, just us, our host and a handful of engineers working on the Lancaster and couple of the fighters. For about 45 minutes we had pretty much free reign to walk around taking pictures and pouring over the aircraft.
Now that might not seem like a particularly big deal, but it was a hugely privileged position to find ourselves in. Later on I made a point of texting my Dad to tell him that we had been up close and personal with Hurricanes, Spitfires, the Lancaster and the Dakota (this was parked outside); it made for a very special, and proud feeling.
That's because the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight is of course unique and inherently very special. To see its aircraft, most of which were in the hangar that day, that close and in various stages of maintenance was extraordinary. I'm not suggesting for one moment that you should be surprised that they devote such extreme care and attention to the aircraft, you know that already I'm sure - but to see it in person was memorable to say the least.
The atmosphere in that hangar was also something else. It's difficult to put it in to words but I felt that the aircraft were poised, waiting, ready to do their duty in the memory of all those who did theirs back in World War II. They might have been in pieces and some of them might have been in the midst of some fairly major winter work - but they were going to be ready for the Battle of Britain's 70th, don't worry about that.
What you might be surprised to hear is that the BBMF's engineering section consists of just 25 men and women. While the skills needed to keep these aircraft fit and well are essentially simple, they are not of course anything like those required to maintain the technology that keeps the Royal Air Force's Harriers, Typhoons and Tornadoes airworthy for example. So, to ensure that the Flight does not lose those attributes with engineers moving on when they complete a tour, five of those 25 are full time Reservists. Those five have amassed an incredible 70 years + with the team and one vital part of their role is to pass on the knowledge they have accrued to the team's other engineers.
Regular engineers usually serve between three and five years on the team and, such is the appeal of working with the BBMF, volunteer for a posting to RAF Coningsby. It comes as no surprise to learn that there is a long waiting list for such posts.
Winter maintenance normally commences in October with end of season ground runs and then a programme which sees the aircraft stripped down and thoroughly inspected for any potential issues. Although the BBMF does hold a significant stock of spare parts itself, issues can occasionally arise in this regard and sometimes the Flight will be forced to contact specialist suppliers to overhaul or occasionally manufacture new parts for the aircraft. Maintenance continues throughout the winter and, all being well, by March, the aircraft are ready for rebuilding and then ground runs - something we watched Spitfire MK356 (Mk LFIXe) undergoing on the day of our visit. It is then Smithy's job, in terms of the fighters, to fly airtests on all the aircraft to sign them off as ready for the season ahead.
It really is a mammoth task and, as Smithy himself says, "Without the engineers and administrative staff, the hangar doors would never open." That sums it up very well I think and it was especially evident to me on that unforgettable day earlier this year. The work carried out by the staff behind the scenes plays just as an important part in keeping this wonderful flying memorial going as that of the pilots and aircrew.
More recently, just over two weeks ago in fact, Karl and I paid our last visit of the season to Coningsby. This was ostensibly at the invitation of 41(R) Squadron (more of which in a forthcoming Battle of Britain feature) but, with some time on our hands, we asked Smithy if we could drop by to fill in a few gaps and see how things were going. We ended up spending most of the day with the team and were able to watch Smithy and his colleagues go through the lengthy process of flight planning for their trip to airshows in Jersey and Guernsey, with a large number of flypasts planned both on the outward and inward journeys.
If you've ever checked out their flight planning schedules then you will know that there is far more to it than simply pitching up at a couple of airshows to display and then landing or heading home to Lincolnshire. No time is wasted, and, of the huge number of requests that are received for flypasts, as many are accommodated as possible. We watched as Smithy tried to locate small villages in Kent, the site of a dog and pet show on the south coast, a war memorial here and a village fete there. All are then timed to perfection taking in to account the transit speeds of different aircraft, different marks of aircraft and various formations.
The printer chugged away incessantly as map after map after map was prepared for the pre-flight brief. These flypasts are just as important as the major airshows which the Flight attends year in and year out and, in many cases, probably more important and more personal to those in attendance.
We were also lucky enough to join Sqn Ldr Duncan Mason and Flt Lt Rich Walton as they briefed for a practice of the Spitfire and Typhoon routine which has been a superb highlight of the 2010 airshow season. Having not flown since RIAT in July the detail covered was mind boggling as they prepared for a trip which would encompass two run-throughs and see them regain currency ahead of the following weekend's RAF Leuchars airshow.
As well as meeting the challenges of flying a priceless Spitfire in close formation with a £70 million Eurofighter Typhoon, these are two guys who clearly "get it". Their respect for The Few comes to the fore when you talk to them and the opportunity to fly this routine on a slightly more regular basis this season is one they have both clearly embraced, never losing sight of why they are doing what they do.
That's the feeling you get whenever you spend some time with the BBMF. It's obviously not a 'normal' RAF squadron and the vast majority of the fighter pilots, bomber pilots, navigators and loadmasters have day jobs elsewhere. But, 70 years on, the spirit of The Few does live on in that unique corner of RAF Coningsby and I cannot think of a better memorial to all those who have flown and fought in conflict, many paying the ultimate sacrifice. We must never take the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight for granted. While these words paint but the briefest picture of the time we have spent with them this season it left an indelible mark, and, the next time I see them at an event, my thoughts will not be confined just to the aircraft in front of me but of those back at HQ and the vast amount of work that makes it all possible.
The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight has provided us with some of the most fitting and emotional tributes in this most important of years, and it will continue to do so in its own timeless, unique manner. Lest we forget.
Global Aviation Resource would like to thank Sqn Ldr Ian Smith, Yvonne Masters and everyone else at the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight for their time and hospitality this year.
GAR wants to interact with its readers so if you have a question for the author or a comment to make on this feature, please click on the button below. The best comments will appear right here on GAR.2010-10-02 - Pierre-Alain ANTOINE
Excellent, Gareth, keep doing this.
We are so far away in France and it gives us a flavour of what is going on...
You British know how to maintain traditions and memories!
Pierre-Alain
2010-09-25 - Gordon Stringer
Congratulations on a fine article a more than praiseworthy piece about a momentous period in our history and the sacrifices made by some very brave young lads.
Well done
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