Happy 105th Birthday 18(B) Squadron

[chopper2004]

Happy 105th Birthday to Odiham finest

https://twitter.com/raf_odiham/status/1259741350242762752?s=21

cheers

[Fareastdriver]

1982 the Sqn provided the sole Chinook in the Falklands Campaign.

I thought that they provided more than one, the other three being sunk.

The Argentine Air Force also provided one.

[BTDTGTTShirt]

Not quite true Fareastdriver. They left one almost serviceable in Stanley behind the Governors house. About a day after the cease fire Langers fired it up but didn't like it and flew back to Port San Carlos to get some engineers and their tools or what little they had. They came back the following day but overnight the Para's had been through it souvenir hunting together with the perfectly serviceable Super Puma and trashed them both. Engineers just robbed some bits off it. I think the hulks came back to the UK

[Thud_and_Blunder]

Odiham hasn't always shown 18 'the love', though - remember when we came back from Laar-parts only to find that the staish and OC7 had arranged for the Summer Ball to be held early (June or even May - too long ago to remember) so that no-one from the Sqn could attend? Then there was the first test of the fire 'curtain' in the brand new hangar - which promptly completely unravelled in a distinctly-not-airtight heap on the floor as the contractors hadn't attached it to the roller...

[76fan]

18 Squadron, formed as part of the Royal Flying Corps at the RFC Military School, Ruislip, which became Northolt. The Royal Air Force was only formed on the 1st April 1918 with the amalgamation and transfer of personnel from both the the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) .

[NutLoose]

Not quite true Fareastdriver. They left one almost serviceable in Stanley behind the Governors house. About a day after the cease fire Langers fired it up but didn't like it and flew back to Port San Carlos to get some engineers and their tools or what little they had. They came back the following day but overnight the Para's had been through it souvenir hunting together with the perfectly serviceable Super Puma and trashed them both. Engineers just robbed some bits off it. I think the hulks came back to the UK


The Puma was flying the RAF having been rebuilt, but is no longer, as is the Chinook, or at least its arse end is/ was.

https://www.helis.com/database/cn/200/

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/5849377/RAF-helicopter-built-using-half-of-chinook-captured-in-Falklands.html

[Vortex Hoop]

My first sqn on the mark 2. Great days! Honoured to have Bravo November in my logbook.