– a fitting accolade, if ever there was one. The 85th Anniversary celebrations were also used to mark the graduation of our latest intake and, following the after-dinner speeches, No 60 Course were ‘streamed’ for their next assignments. These celebrations were, in themselves, part of the Squadron history and everyone who attended was immensely proud to be part of it. It was perhaps fitting, therefore, that l ended the evening with the words of Sir Geoffrey Bromet: ‘Whenever you, and those who follow alter, salute this Standard, you as they will recall brave names and great occasions and be resolved by your actions and example always to maintain the old tradition’.
The year ended in a similar vein, with a visit by RAF Valley’s Honorary 
Air Commodore, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of RAF Valley Although this was not a dedicated 208 Squadron event, His Royal Highness was gracious enough to present the Bromet Trophy to this year’s winner Flight Lieutenant Peter Sharpe, for his excellent performance as the 2001 RAF Hawk display pilot. Interestingly, some 60 years previously flying at the Station was delayed by rain and strong winds, eventually beginning at lunchtime. After a weather check, the aircrew managed 27 sorties. Exactly 60 years later, following a delayed start due to strong winds and a high sea state, some 70 sorties were flown.
A fact which rather brings me to the year ahead, and what it may contain for ‘those who follow after’. Undoubtedly the pressure is on to achieve an enormous training task. As I said last year, the Squadron is having to run at 100% to meet its targets which, at current resource levels, is still not enough. As I previously mentioned, although we have just experimented with a 72-sortie day, we must programme (and fly when the weather permits) up to 84 if we are finally to succeed. In order to meet that requirement, the Squadron Establishment of QFIs is being increased to 40 this year although the shortage of front-line pilots in the RAF dictates that the majority of the extra staff will be drawn from the cadre of first-tourist QFIs (or 'creamies'). Nonetheless, notwithstanding that the senior supervisors will need to be more ‘Vigilant’, I am looking forward to the spirit that these young officers bring with them, and the way in which they approach their duties in the true tradition of 208 Squadron. That spirit is exemplified by Flight Lieutenant Rich Hillard, who has been selected as the 2002 RAF Hawk Display Pilot - the second year running that an instructor from 208 Squadron has fulfilled this role.
To match the increase in instructor establishment, we are also (at last!) increasing our administrative and operational support to allow the QFIs to spend more time in the cockpit and less time on ‘secondary’ duties. Hopefully, by mid-summer, we will have increased the administrative establishment to comprise a full-time Adjutant. A full-time Operations Support Officer has just joined us and she will be joined in the not-too-distant future by 2 Operations Support NCOs, whose primary duty will be to write and manage the Squadron flying programme. Although this may sound like a ‘leap of faith’, we have already proven the concept, using 'holding' officers as guinea pigs, and have increased the Squadron sortie rate by some 5% as a result.
Air Commodore, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of RAF Valley Although this was not a dedicated 208 Squadron event, His Royal Highness was gracious enough to present the Bromet Trophy to this year’s winner Flight Lieutenant Peter Sharpe, for his excellent performance as the 2001 RAF Hawk display pilot. Interestingly, some 60 years previously flying at the Station was delayed by rain and strong winds, eventually beginning at lunchtime. After a weather check, the aircrew managed 27 sorties. Exactly 60 years later, following a delayed start due to strong winds and a high sea state, some 70 sorties were flown.
