Lieutenant Commander Bob Fleming is the first Royal Navy pilot to serve with the Helicopter Interdiction Squadron (HITRON) – at the forefront of the US’s war on drugs.
Known affectively by his US hosts as ‘British Bob’, he has spent the past 21 months in the States flying MH-65E Dolphin helicopters.
According to a Royal Navy news release, he was invited as a guest on podcast Flight Suit Friday (hosted by a group of US Coast Guard aviators) and outlined the main difference between the Wildcats he flies for 815 Naval Air Squadron compared with the Dolphin – and how he has found adapting to American flight safety, standards and protocols.
“I had this very good instructor when I was learning and he said the day you stop learning about aviation, is the day you give up completely. I am always learning new things, new ways of doing stuff and I learned to fight for the fun opportunities.
I see people who are scared to put their neck out but they will regret not volunteering for it – for something different or something exciting. Fight for the opportunities, embrace them because you never know where they’re going to lead. Take advantage of them because you don’t get them in a normal career. I did and they have led me here. I am flying for the USCG and I don’t think that’s a coincidence. On a morning, I walk out to a USCG helicopter and I cannot stop smiling, it’s brilliant.”
You can read more on this here.
To the author, link not present.
There’s a YouTube video of RN showing Americans around the wildcat. The video is ‘Royal Navy Wildcat vs USCG Dolphin comparison’ it is from 8months ago, I’m not sure if it’s the same encounter.
confused from Somerset !
O/T helicopter news.
Minister of State said in House of Commons that MoD is reviewing the extended range Chinook buy.
Great…..just what is needed now the Herc fleet is gone….what are SF supposed to do flap their arms?
To be fair the quote suggested they were reviewing the final number to be ordered-14-rather than the order itself.
The Hercules cut was only workable if enough long range Chinooks were purchased.
The purchase also saves money patching up the oldest frames as well as keeping fleet numbers up.
Chinook is one of the few areas where we might actually have almost enough units to do something useful.
Said exactly the same on the other thread mate.
Barking.
Take it that’s extended range with out refuelling capability ?
Don’t know about any refuelling differences but found a reference that the ER version has twice the fuel capacity.
👍
Without C-130 will be difficult to refuel an heli. Btw the Italians are now refueling their EH-101 for CSAR with C-130.
Very fair Point