F540 Operations Record Book April 1956 NO 118 SQUADRON. PRO Kew No. AIR27 Piece 2705 Microfilm Row 1 Draws 52-71 Place Date Time Summary of Events                     COMPILING OFFICER__Fg. Off. A. R. Thomson_________   REF. TO APPENDICES         JEVER 1.4.56                Stand-down.     2.4.56                Stand-down.     3.4.56                Six of the Squadron aircraft and pilots left this morning for a short detachment to Geilenkirchen to prepare for a flypast on Thursday.     4.4.56                Only one aircraft available for flying today; the detachment at Geilenkirchen flew one practice detail.     5.4.56                Mainly Vampire flying today, with the Squadron aircraft returning in the late afternoon.     6.4.56   A good day's flying with some 30 hours achieved and 17 P.I.'s carried out.   This was the first day of the Squadron's tour of duty on Battle Flight.     7.4.56                Stand-down.     8.4.56                Stand-down.     9.4.56                Low cloud restricted flying to one pair per squadron.   However, the Squadron, as Battle Flight, flew a section of four all day and made some quite successful interceptions.   Just over 6 hours night flying brought the total to 17 hours for the day.     10.4.56                Seven sorties were flown by the Battle Flight with considerable success. Limited serviceability reduced the amount of flying done by the rest of the Squadron, but altogether 29 hours were flown.     11.4.56                Flying finished at 1230 hours today and only three sorties were flown by the Battle Flight.     12.4.56                Battle Flight was undertaken by 93 Squadronfor the day, as four aircraft were to go to Grostenguin, the Canadian base.   This proved a very enjoyable trip.   Altogether, just over 20 hours were achieved with an average of six aircraft.   This visit concerned Operation ARGUS.   JEVER 13.4.56                Poor weather and bad serviceability precluded a lot of flying, but the aircraft on Battle Flight flew five sorties giving a total of 26 hours.   There was not a lot of trade for these aircraft and several P.I.'s were carried between sub-sections.     14.4.56                Stand-down.     15.4.56                Stand-down.     16.4.56                With only sufficient aircraft to maintain Battle Flight, this was the only flying done during the day.   Night flying brought the total for the day to 26 hours 45 mins.     17.4.56                Battle Flight has finished, but only four aircraft were available, some 20 hours being logged.   All the sorties were cine ¼'s at 30,000 ft. the results showing that with more practice at that height the lessons learnt at Sylt will prove invaluable.     18.456                A sports afternoon reduced the day's flying time to 10½ hours.   Two sections did high level battle formation.     19.4.56                Four aircraft produced a total of 17½ hours.   Cine at 30,000 ft. was the main product of the day's programme.   Flt. Lt. Goodwin started rehearsing his display of low-level aerobatics.     20.4.56                A reduction in the monthly flying target, necessitated by the engine shortage, has been introduced, which will decrease the flying tempo.   High level battle was mainly flown today for a total of nearly 20 hours.     21.4.56                The weather was not very good, but lifted sufficiently to get one transmitting section airborne before stand-down.     22.4.56                Stand-down.     23.4.56                Five aircraft were serviceable, being used for a variety of purposes, including some cross-countries.   Syllabus trips were also flown and the total for the day was 21 hours - this including 5 hours night flying.     24.4.56                Weather reduced the flying state to one per squadron, only 14 cine trips being completed.     25.4.56                Only 7 hours were flown this morning, comprising cine at 30,000 ft and two conversion trips.   JEVER 26.4.56                With flying target very close, not much flying was done.   A rehearsal of the flypast for the Commander in Chief was held, after which the Sqn. Comd. and the senior Flt. Comd. flew down to Etain to discuss the forthcoming detachment there.   This trip should read 25.4.56     27.4.56                Another flypast rehearsal was all the flying done today, apart from 5 familiarisation trips by pilots visiting for conversion.     28.4.56                Stand-down.     29.4.56                Stand-down.     30.4.56                As the target has been reached, there was no flying today.     7.4.56 12.4.56 21.4.56   PERSONNEL              Fg.Off. Craig left for U.K. leave and returned on 30.4.56              Sqn. Ldr. Buddin on local leave, returning on 24.4.56              Fg.Off's Barraclough and Maish left for three weeks U.K. leave.     Aircraft Hunter Vampire F Mk. 4 T.11 TOTAL      FLYING HOURS                                              SQUADRON STRENGTH   Hrs.          Mins.         Sorties                              Officers                                   17   314            45               421                                 S.N.C.O's(Aircrew)                  1     45            10                 32                                 S.N.C.O's                                  7  339            55               433                                 Corporals                               15                                                                                A.C's                                        46                                                                                Total                                        88 signed NCPBuddin Sqn Ldr (N.C.P.BUDDIN) Squadron Leader, Officer Commanding, No. 118 Squadron. Royal Air Force.