CONFIDENTIAL
3RD DRAFT
Coupled with the new system, pilot training tasks have been
redeployed within the Royal Air Force Training Command and
substantial economies have resulted, partly because the number of
stations in use has been reduced. RAF Oakington closed in December
1974; RAF Church Fenton will be reduced to a relief landing ground
by March 1975. In October 1973 all aircrew training, other than
pilot, was combined at RAF Finningley.
19. The past two years have seen the following training aircraft
developments:-
2.
b.
C.
the Varsity and the Sioux helicopter have been phased
out from the pilot training role. With a reduced future
requirement for such aircraft, multi-engine flying
training has been temporarily suspended. When it is
resumed, on a smaller scale, training may be by civil
contract. The future of the Jetstream, as a replace-
ment for the Varsity, is under consideration;
the Gazelle helicopter came into service in April 1973
and is being used in the Royal Air Force for the
training of instructors of the three Services;
the re-equipment of the university air squadrons with
the Bulldog, replacing the Chipmunk, started in
September 1973 and is now almost complete;
d. the proposal contained in the Statement on the Defence
Estimates 1973 (Cmnd. 5231), that the Argosy should
be used to replace the Varsity in the rear crew
training role, has been reconsidered.
Developments
in synthetic ground training aids have shown that
VI-6
CONFIDENTIAL