The Team | News | Display Dates | Gallery | The Aircraft | Downloads | Charter

Associated sites:
The Blue Eagles | The Museum of Army Flying | Army Air Corps Recruiting

The 2006 Team.

Major JD (Bill) Wright AAC

OC HAF, Team Leader and Beaver Pilot

6th season with the AHAF and Team Leader for 06. He enjoys the opportunity of getting out of the office and trying to display a formation of unique and differing fixed and rotary aircraft to aviation enthusiasts in a unique and challenging routine. Hopefully we have achieved that this season!

Joined the AAC direct in 1973. Completed initial aircrew training in 1974 and served as an Aircrewman Observer / Air Gunner in Germany and NI. Army Pilots course in 1979. LE commissioned in 1990. Served in BAOR, NI, UK, Canada, Hong Kong, Cyprus, Falklands and Brunei. Flown some 7000hrs on 12 types of aircraft both fixed and rotary wing including; Bell 47 G4, Sioux, Scout, Alouette II, Gazelle, Lynx, Bell 212, Chipmunk, Beaver, Firefly, Islander and Auster. Also flies Cessna 152 / 172 as OC of the AFA.

Bill is the SO2 Aviation Standards at DAAvn, responsible for Flight Safety, Accident Investigation and Airworthiness issues. Married to Kaz for 30 years with 2 daughters Kelly (22) and Karina (19). Enjoys walking the family dog, reading and music.

Captain Gary Fraser

Scout Pilot

Captain Gary Fraser joined the Army on the 5th November 1980, aged 21. Prior to this he had been at College and gained a OND in Construction and qualified as a Construction technician. His basic training was carried out at Woolwich with the Royal Artillery after which Gary was posted to 94 Locating Regiment RA at Celle, Germany. During this time he trained as a Surveyor RA.

In 1984 Gary attended Aircrewmans Course 60 at Middle Wallop. On completion he was posted to 656 Sqn AAC at Netheravon as an Observer. In 1986 he then qualified as an Airgunner on the Lynx Mk1. During his tour as an aircrewman at 656, Gary completed tours and exercises in the Falklands, Denmark, USA and Germany.

In 1988, Gary completed the Pilots Course, and after a Lynx Conversion, was posted to 663 Sqn, 3 Regt AAC at Soest in Germany. During the period of 1989 until the Regiment moved to Wattisham in 1994, Gary qualified as an Aircraft Commander, HWI and PSI pilot. He carried out tours in Northern Ireland and was involved on OP Granby in 1991. By this time had been promoted to SSgt and transferred to the AAC.

In 1994 Gary was posted to 656 Sqn AAC, 9 Regt AAC at Dishforth after carrying out a refresher on the Gazelle. He spent a year in Canada at 25 Flt AAC as the staff pilot and enjoyed flying over both the prairies and the Rocky Mountains. In 1996 he posted to 5 Regt AAC in Northern Ireland, flying the Gazelle. In 1999 Gary was posted to 8 Flt AAC, by which time he had reached the rank of WO1 and was OC of the unit for 2 years.

Gary was then Commissioned and posted to DAAvn as the Crew Resource Management Officer. Since November of 2005 he has been the 2ic of 667 (D&T) Sqn AAC, flying the Lynx Mks 7 and 9.

During his career, Gary has amassed a total of 1000hrs experience as an Aircrewman and 3750hrs as a Pilot.

Lieutenant Colonel Peter Adams AFC AAC

Auster Pilot

Lt Col Peter Adams was commissioned in March 1973. He attended the Army Pilot’s Course at Middle Wallop in 1976, and after qualifying as a Scout pilot he was posted to 662 Sqn AAC at Munster in Germany. After two years in Germany, and two more in Northern Ireland, he attended the CFS(H) at RAF Shawbury, and qualified as a helicopter flying instructor. His next tour saw him as one of the Advanced Rotary Squadron Flight Commanders (as an A2 QHI), teaching ab-initio students applied military flying techniques at Middle Wallop. He then took up command of 2 Flight AAC, which saw him being deployed from Netheravon to Portugal, Turkey, Denmark and Norway over the next three years.

After staff appointments in HQ 1st British Corps in Bielefeld, and HQ Director Army Air Corps at Middle Wallop, he returned to Germany as the Second-in-Command of 3 Regiment AAC at Soest in Westphalia. Eighteen months later, he took command of 663 Squadron AAC, an Anti-Tank Squadron flying both Lynx and Gazelle. He brought the Squadron back from Germany to Wattisham, mid-way through this appointment when the Regiment became part of 24 Airmobile Brigade. Further staff tours followed, before taking up his appointment as the Chief Flying Instructor at SAAvn.

Captain Chris Gill AAC

Alouette Pilot

Chris Gill joined the Armed Forces as an officer upon leaving school in 1972. Starting in the Royal Navy, he first flew Chipmunks in 1974 at Roborough, Plymouth. He later transferred to the Army, joining the Royal Artillery, and served in England, Northern Ireland and Germany. He was promoted to the rank of Captain in 1979.

He completed his Army Pilots Course in 1981, after which he was posted to 3 Commando Brigade Air Squadron Royal Marines, with whom he served in the Falklands campaign in 1982, flying Gazelles. In 1983, he was posted to Cyprus where he completed a two-year UN tour flying the Alouette II.

Chris retired form the Regular Army in 1985 to pursue a commercial career in engineering. Initially, this also presented the opportunity to fly a corporate Bell 206 JetRanger. In 1989, he became Chairman, Joint Managing Director and 50% shareholder of an engineering company until being temporarily disabled and forced to withdraw from the business following a serious motorcycle accident ten years later.

In 1989, he also joined the Territorial Army, initially in the AAC Specialist Pool, again flying Gazelles. In 1993, he joined 7 Regiment AAC (V) when it formed as a TA regiment and was a member of 6 Flight AAC (V) at RAF Shawbury until 1999. At that point he transferred to 658 Squadron AAC (V) based at Netheravon, where he still serves in excess of 100 days per year.

Having been the Team Manager for two seasons, this in Chris’s fifth year as the Alouette pilot in the Army Historic Aircraft Flight. Alongside this, he is now developing property in his home county of Cornwall.

Captain Kevin Maddison

Sioux Pilot

Kevin "Maddog" Maddison joined the Army as a Junior Leader in September 1976 and was then trained as a driver/signaller at Middle wallop before being posted to Germany, where he served with 652 Sqn AAC at Bünde.

Four years on, Kevin qualified as an Aircrewman Observer on Gazelle and Scout which lead to tours in Northern Ireland and the Falkland islands, before converting onto the Lynx and gaining his “Airgunner” badge – operating the TOW missile system. He continued to serve in Germany with 1 Regt AAC in Hildesheim – seeing further tours in Northern Ireland. In early 1988, Cpl Maddison started the Army Pilot course at Middle Wallop and gained his wings in October that year.

By 1989, Sgt Maddison had qualified as a Lynx pilot and saw further service with 1 Regt AAC; gaining his Aircraft Comd qualification. In 1990 Kevin was posted to 4 Regt AAC at Detmold and served with 654 Sqn AAC in the Gulf War. It was on OP GRANBY that he took part in the Army’s first ever combat engagement with the TOW Missile System.

By the end of 1993, SSgt Maddison completed the Qualified Helicopter Instructor course at RAF Shawbury and served at Middle Wallop as an instructor on both Basic and Advanced Rotary phases of the APC, as well as teaching on Lynx Conversion courses. In 1997he took up the post of Squadron QHI for 665 Sqn AAC in Aldergrove (Northern Ireland), on Gazelle. A short-notice posting to 7 Flt AAC saw Kevin in Brunei for two yeas as the Flight QHI on the bell 212.

WO2 Maddison completed his 22 years Army service in 2000 and following a brief spell in Middle Wallop on the Squirrel, he was Commissioned and posted to 3 Regt AAC at Wattisham as the Regimental QHI. During this tour, Capt Maddison saw further operational service in the spring of 2003 on OP TELIC 1.

Capt Maddison was posted back to Middle Wallop in August 2005 where he fulfils the appointment of Second in Command of 670 Sqn AAC – instructing Army Pilots Courses on the Squirrel HT2.

Mr Conor Campbell

Chipmunk Pilot

Conor is currently employed by Babcocks as a fixed wing flying instructor for Army Flying Grading based at Middle Wallop. He has over 3,000 fixed wing flying hours and has been flying since 1988. During this time he self-sponsored his way through flying training and now holds a frozen ATPL/IR.

Previously Conor has flown for aerial photography, glider tugging and of course flying instruction, of which he has around 2,500 hrs, most of which has been instructing Army, Navy and RAF students at various bases such as RAF Barkston Heath, RAF Church Fenton, RAF Newton and last but not least SAAvn, Middle Wallop, where he has been for the last three years. In this role he has to maintain proficiency in all areas of flying, including formation and aerobatics.

Mr Barry Mobberley

Chief Engineer

Barry Mobberley joined the Army in 1964. After training at Middle Wallop, he saw service in Germany, Cyprus, Malaysia, the Middle East, Canada and Norway. Barry left the Army in 1979 and joined Bristow Helicopters. He started working with the Army Historic Aircraft Flight in 1979. Barry is married and lives in Andover. He enjoys golf and the inland waterways, and when not at work he can be found lazing on his boat at Lechlade or on the Thames.

Mr Don Baggett

Mr Don Baggett served in the Royal Air Force from 1970-1985 as a Corporal Airframe Technician, with postings in both the UK and Germany working on such aircraft as the Hawker Hunter, Canberra, Vulcan, Victor, Phantom and Hawk. During his time in the Royal Air Force he spent 3 years as a volunteer in the Royal Air Force Mountain Rescue Service. Since leaving the Royal Air Force in 1985 Don has worked on a large variety of light aircraft, from Tiger Moth to the Optica spotter plane. He joined Bristow Helicopters at Middle Wallop in 1995 as an Airframe/Engine fitter on the Army’s fleet of Chipmunk aircraft. When the Chipmunk went out of service Don was moved over to the helicopters at Middle Wallop, initially on the Gazelle. He then carried out an Airframe and Engine course on the AS350 Squirrel where he works at present, alongside maintaining the aircraft of the Army Historic Aircraft Flight and the Advanced Fixed Wing Islanders.

Don is married with two children and lives in Durrington, Wiltshire. He enjoys making and flying kites, is a member of the White Horse Kite Flyers and spends a lot of time at Kite festivals around the country. Don’s flying has taken him as far afield as France, Germany and America flying his many kites.

Mr John Marsh

John Marsh served an Engineering Apprenticeship and was employed as a Mechanical Fitter for 15 years with the Department of the Environment. In September 1990 John joined Bristow Helicopters at Middle Wallop as a trainee Aircraft Engineer. On completion of training John attended the School of Aeronautical Engineering at Middle Wallop. John is proficient on Lynx, Gazelle and Squirrel helicopters. He is also qualified to work on Islander aircraft. As part of the Army Historic Aircraft Flight his duties include maintenance of the AHAF aircraft. John enjoys flying and has a Private Pilot’s Licence and also enjoys motorcycling. He is a member of the Army Flying Association at Middle Wallop. John is married, has two children and lives in Salisbury.

Mr Justin Pike

2nd Season with the Team. One of the engineers whose main job is the HAF maintenance working for FB Heliservices at Middle Wallop. He specialises in the Fixed Wing element and has recently re-skinned the Auster aircraft.

The Team | News | Display Dates | Gallery | The Aircraft | Downloads | Charter

[ Home ]

© Crown Copyright 2005 and © Deltaweb International Ltd 2005