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F540 Operations Record Book November 1956 NO 98 SQUADRON.
PRO Kew No. AIR27 Piece 2640 Microfilm Row1 Draws 52-71
Place Date Time Summary of Events                                     Compilation Officer:   Fg. Off PA. BARROW. REFS TO APPENDICES
       
R.A.F. Jever November
1956
1st Visibility deteriorated during the day and the airfield state whilst green initially
became red during the afternoon.   In all 26 sorties were flown of low level battle
practice interceptions and individual sorties.
 
  Friday 2nd The visibility again was the restrictive factor on flying, and only 18 sorties were
flown.   These consisted of pairs practice interceptions, cine and individual sorties.
 
  Sat. 3rd There was no flying this morning and the pilots attended to their normal Squadron
duties and ground training lectures.
 
  Monday 5th A total of 33 sorties were flown to day, the accent being on high level battle for -
mation
, in addition some sorties of cine were flown.
 
  Tuesday 6th From today until 12th November the Squadron is engaged in battle flight duties.   A high
intensity of flying was achieved today and 38 sorties were flown.   With each four
scrambled a spare aircraft was sent off thus ensuring certain four if any aircraft
were unserviceable.
 
  Thursday 8th Low cloud limited flying throughout the day and only 16 battle flight sorties were
flown.
 
  Friday 9th During today 28 battle flight sorties were flown in good weather and several succ -
essful practice interceptions were made.
 
  Saturday 10th 10 sorties on battle flight were flown during the morning.   For the rest of the week -
end the Squadron was held at 2 hours availability.
 
  Monday 12th The airfield state was red throughout the day and no flying was possible, due to low
cloud and poor visibility.   Visibility rarely exceeded 1000 yards throughout the
day.   An intensive ground training programme was carried out.
 
  Tuesday 13th Exercise "Guest", which was due to be held today was postponed again due to bad
visibility.   However some flying was carried out and 23 day sorties and 5 night sorties
were flown.
 
  Wed. 14th Exercise "Guest" postponed until today was finally cancelled because of poor weather
conditions throughout 2 T.A.F.   The airfield state was amber III and only 6 sorties of
cine were flown.
 
  Thursday 15th Good flying weather held throughout the day and 43 day and four night sorties were flown.
These sorties consisted of high and low level battle formation, practice interceptions,
cine exercises and individual sorties.
 
  Friday 16th Another good day's flying with 41 day sorties and 6 night sorties comprised of battle
formation
, cine exercises and individual sorties.
 
  Saturday 17th There was no flying this morning and pilots attended to their Squadron ground duties,
whilst the airmen attended trade training lectures.
 
  Monday 19th A very good day with 37 day sorties of high level battle formation, cine exercises
and individual sorties of mach runs, aerobatics and practice forced landings.   A further
19 sorties of local night and night cross counytry's were flown.   In the last three flying
days the Squadron completed 120 hours.
 
  Tuesday 20th In all 33 day sorties of battle formation, practice interceptions and cine exercises
in addition to 4 dusk sorties, were flown.
 
  Wed. 21st This morning flying consisted of 12 sorties of practice interceptions and cine exer -
cises.   The afternoon was devoted to sport.
 
  Thursday 22nd Aircraft serviceability started to fall off from today.   The main cause of unservice -
ability was engine temperature instrument failures.   However 22 sorties of high level
battle formation, cine exercises and individual sorties were flown.
 
  Friday 23rd The Squadron was down to 3 serviceable aircraft with which 23 sorties were flown.
An incident occurred during today when Flt/Lt. B.A. Edwards after take off on an air test
experienced a sudden drop in R.P.M. with high J.P.T.   Thinking a flame out was imminent
he turned through 180° and landed successfully on the runway downwind.   The cause was
traced to a radio access panel being torn off and entering the starboard intake virtually
cutting off the air supply on that side of the engine.   The aircraft was classified cat.2
 
  24th - 25th Station Stand Down.  
  Monday 26th Weather conditions of cumulo - nimbus and nimbo stratus producing heavy rain in add -
ition to strong cross winds precluded more than 6 sorties being flown.
 
  Tuesday 27th Showery weather and strong winds continued throughout the day and only 26 sorties were
possible.   These consisted of practice interceptions and cine exercises.
 
  Wed 28th Some 9 sorties were flown this morning of cine exercises and individual sorties of
mach runs,aerobatics and G.C.A'S.   The afternoon was devoted to sport.
 
  Thursday 29th Fog covered the Jever area for the first part of the morning and pilots attended a
lecture on D.M.E. given by a member of D.F.L.S. at West Raynham.   Flying consisted of
2 cine and 5 individual sorties.
 
  Friday 30th During the morning pilots attended a discussion with some members of the handling
Squadron from Boscombe Down.   Later, seven individual sorties were flown which mainly
consisted of air tests.
 
                                                 Flying Hours
  Operational Day              388.05 Hrs                         Instrument Flying (Actual)    19.45 Hrs
  Operational (Night)           28.55 Hrs                         Instrument Flying (Simulated)  6.00 Hrs
  Training Type                 44.20 Hrs                            Other Pilots                                  2.15 Hrs

 
                                                        Operational
The month of November has been without doubt the best flying month of the year for
the Squadron and the total number of hours were 419.45 .
At the beginning of the month the weather was restricted, however when the Squadron's
battle flight duty came on the 6th November a general improvement in the weather was
experienced.   On practically every occasion during that week the Squadron was able to
send up "Four" for G.C.I. as a spare aircraft was always available and airborne at
the time of the scramble being given.
Immediately after the Squadron employment on battle flight, exercise "Guest" was
due to be held, however owing to the prevalence of low cloud and bad visibility the
exercise was at first postponed and finally cancelled.   A further improvement in the
weather during the period 15th to the 20th November resulted in a high flying intensity
being achieved, in fact 120 hours were completed in 3 flying days.
The normal 348 hour monthly target was reached on 22nd November.   After that date re -
duced aircraft serviceability produced some slackening in flying intensity.   The main
causes of unserviceability were engine defect 49 which resulted in three aircraft being
on the ground for a week pending engine removal and refitting .   Six aircraft experienced
jet pipe temperature troubles traced to faulty thermo - couples, voltage regulators and
gauges.   Five aircraft have had an I.O.R. demand for sight amplifiers.
 
                                                         Personnel  
  November 8th Squadron Leader D.T. Adamson left for Arnhem.  
  " 10th Squadron Leader D.T. Adamson returned from Arnhem.  
  " 12th Fg/Off P.A. Barrow detached to Sundern for C and L Course.  
  " 16th Fg/Off P.A. Barrow returned from Sundern.  
    17th Fg/Off E.B. Bywater returned from U.K. Leave.  
  " 19th Fg/Off J.D. Rastall returned from U.K. Leave.   Fg/Off B. Shore returned from Leconfield.
Fg/Off A. MacNae detached to Wildenwrath for aviation medicine course.
 
  " 22nd Fg/Off A. MacNae returned from Wildenwrath.
 
  " 26th Fg/Off D.A.W. Todman left for R.A.F. Hospital Wegberg.
 
                                                        Administration
There has been no appreciable change in ground crew strength during the month, although
there have been changes in personnel.   Serviceability and flying intensity have on the
whole been excellent but as previously mentioned engine faults created a problem at the
end of the month.                                                                                   signed DTAdamson
                                                                                                                        (D.T. ADAMSON)
                                                                                                                       Squadron Leader,
                                                                                                                       Officer Commanding,
                                                                                                                       No. 98 Squadron.


 
       
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