Black Cats News

This page contains the archived news stories for 2005 and 2006.

The Royal International Air Tattoo – RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire

15 and 16 July 2006 saw the Team displaying at the Royal International Air Tattoo, certainly one of the largest air displays in Europe. The Black Cats flew on both days, both against a bright blue sky, as the weather was perfect, highly unusual for a British airshow! The display was perfect both days, the weather brought out the very best from the Team, and their efforts were well recieved by the huge crowd. Below are a number of shots from both days, showing jsut how accurate the two displays were.

18 July 2006

RNAS Yeovilton International Air Day, Somerset

The annual air show at RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset, home of the Black Cats, is always an interesting and unusual event. For example, the finale of the display this year was a huge massed battle demonstration by large numbers of fixed wing and rotary winged aircraft from the three services. However, the weather managed to mar the day somewhat, although there was plenty of sunshine for the majority of the day, the wind steadily increased in strength until it was gusting to 30 knots, and of course, straight across the runway. This gave the Team a few headaches during their display, particularly when pitching down toward the crowd. Sly later reported that some of the manoeuvres got quite interesting! Before the main flying display, Gary McCall opened the show with a facscinating new display idea, helicopter and vehicle racing! He got to race a Subaru, a Formula BMW 3-litre and a Touring Car Series racing car, as well as a Fireblade motorcycle. Gary beat all of the cars down the runway in the Lynx, the closest being the Formula BMW racing car. Then came the Honda Fireblade from Bransons Motorcycles of Yeovil, ridden by Philip Gilder. The performance of this machine is quite astounding, and try as he might, Gary could not catch it! The Team then flew their full display, Gareth Ingram deputising for Taz Tazewell who was busy as one of the show’s organising team. As can be seen below, the Team flew a superb display, despite the conditions:

08 July 2006

RAF Waddington Air Display – Lincolnshire

The Black Cats spent the weekend at the historic RAF airfield of Waddington in Lincolnshire to take part in the annual international air display. The two days of the show were swelteringly hot, temperatures of 32 degrees C being recorded on the airfield! The heat raised a good deal of haze, but the sun burned it off by midday each day. The Team flew a superb display each day, despite the heat and the effects it had on performance. The display was well received by the huge crowd, getting well earned applause both days. The photographs here are just a few of the highlights, caught in the bright reflected light of the haze!

04 July 2006

Kent Air Show – Margate

The Black Cats flew to the former RAF airfield of Manston in Kent, now Kent International Airport. Just to the North, the Kent Air Show was to take place over the expanse of Palm Bay in Margate. The show site is on top of a cliff overlooking a semi-circular bay, which meant the Team was able to fly almost at eye height and get close in to the crowd. Over the two days, some 60,000 people were thrilled by the Black Cats display, giving the Team a huge wave as they came to the hover at the end of their show. Many thanks to J Harker and C Redgrave for capturing the images below on Saturday and Sunday respectively, as the webmaster was busy commentating the airshow!

Saturday 17th June

Sunday 18th June

19 June 2006

RAF Cosford Air Display

The Black Cats flew to RAF Cosford in Shropshire to take part in the annual air show at Cosford. Cosford is home to the Aerospace Museum, so there is a great many attractions on the one site. The weather was perfect, a light breeze kept the air just cool enough, and high, thin cloud took a little of the heat out of the scorching sun, nearly perfect for an air show and most unusual for the British summer! Because of the conditions, the show attracted a record crowd this year, estimated at over 50,000. The Team flew an exeptional display in the bright sky, as captured in the images below.

11 June 2006

Southend Air Display

The Black Cats flew to Southend in Essex to take part in the May Bank Holiday airshow, held annually along the seven mile seafront of the popular seaside town. The first day dawned bright and clear, eventually clouds did appear, but never enough to affect the flying display seriously. A record crowd attended, some people estimating between 250,000 to 300,000 spectators thronged the seafront. The Team flew an excellent display, below are several images from their performance.

28 May 2006

Black Cats 2006 cleared to display by ACOS AV

Head of the Fleet Air Arm, Commodore Simon Charlier visited RNAS Yeovilton on 12 May to watch 702 Naval Air Squadron’s ‘Top Guns’, the Black Cats and officially clear the team to display for the 2006 season. After watching the displays Commodore Charlier presented pilots Lieutenants Simon Vorley and Gary McCall with their coveted display overalls to signify his approval for them to be the Royal Navy’s Helicopter Display Team Pilots.

The Royal Navy Helicopter Display Team, the Black Cats led by Lt Vorley started an intense training package in February to ready themselves for the busy 2006 display season. “It has been a busy workup for the team, and I am delighted the new routine for this year”, said Lt Vorley who when not displaying the Lynx, instructs trainee pilot to fly the agile helicopter. “We have included plenty of new manoeuvres for this year to ensure it remains entertaining, from the opening formation 270° wing over through to the closing high speed cross when the aircraft pass within a few metres of each other.”

The 2006 routine has been designed to fully demonstrate the full capabilities of the Royal Navy’s Lynx and also the skill of the pilot’s synchronised formation flying. Along with the 90-degree noseovers that characterise the Lynx display, a hover manoeuvre called the ‘pendulum’ has been introduced. You will see the aircraft chase each other ‘nose to nose’ along the display line, close to the crowd. In addition all the exciting manoeuvres from previous years have been retained.

702 NAS Commanding Officer, Commander Kevin Fleming has watched the team practising with keen interest. “The Team have worked hard, flying early morning and evening practises, but also carrying on their “day jobs” as flying instructors on a busy squadron,” he said. “It is a pleasure to welcome Commodore Charlier back to Yeovilton to give the Black Cats the official seal of approval.”

The Black Cats will be displaying at 28 shows throughout the country, from Southend Airshow over the Whitsun bank holiday, to Glasgow in August and ending with the Duxford Airshow early October. The team can be seen at all major shows throughout the season, though are particularly looking forward to flying in front of their home crowd at Yeovilton Airday on 8 July.

The photographs show, from top to bottom, Commodore Simon Charlier, the Royal Navy’s top aviator, signing the validation for the Black Cats display team 2006, then presenting the coveted display overalls to Black Cat Pilots Lt Simon Vorley and Lt Gary McCall.

17 May 2006

Storming Season ’05

What a year! With over forty-five displays at over thirty venues, crowds ranging from 2,000-250,000, arenas from the wilds of Northern Scotland to the sun drenched charm of the Channel Islands, 2005 has been the busiest and the most successful season for the Black Cats to date. The decision was taken early in the year to make 2005 the year of the Fleet Air Arm in order to raise public awareness of what the FAA is all about, what we do, how we do it, and the people who make it what it is today.

Practice and perfection of the very intricate routine started in January, with final clearance coming from the head of the FAA in May. Then we were off into the season, with our first display for the 60th Anniversary of the Liberation of the Channel Islands, the first of two visits to Jersey in 2005. Highlights of the year included huge coastal airshows at Southend, Southport and Sunderland, the latter being particular fun where the team formed up with Sunderland FC, nick-named the Black Cats, for a press call and photo shoot.

Other more conventional shows were RAF Leuchars, Cosford, Biggin Hill and Shoreham. All had record attendances for 2005 and served as great vehicles to promote the RN and FAA. 2005 was also a big year for "Super Shows", and the Black Cats were only too pleased to attend RAF Waddington, with a two-day attendance in excess of 400,000 people, and the Royal International Air Tattoo at Fairford, with a record 650,000 in 48 hours. Next year the team have been invited to the prestigious Farnborough Air Fair, the biggest airshow in Europe of 2005.

In the year of the Trafalgar ceremonies it was particularly important to make a mark at the Royal Navy home shows, RNAS Yeovilton and Culdrose. As it was, RNAS Yeovilton’s Air Day was a complete sell-out, with over 40,000 people attending, and the whole day proving a triumph for the base. The Team has also developed a strong affiliation with the local community, running competitions with local TV and radio, as well as visiting local schools delivering a different kind of lesson to thousands of very keen children!

Other highlights included a race with a TVR Tuscan and an F3 race car. The Lynx managed to beat the TVR but sadly lost to the F3 missile: not a complete surprise really! Bath Rugby Club have also been a keen supporter of the Black Cats throughout 2005, with a Lynx delivering the match ball for a Heineken cup match in January, whilst members of the playing staff visited Yeovilton to experience the simulator and the aircraft – a form of training they were not so familiar with.

The team are already looking to next year, with the same number of venues to plan for. The Black Cats will be the RN’s official team from 2006 on, and have rightly earned the title The Royal Navy Helicopter Display Team. They will be the most public face of the Fleet Air Arm, something about which all of the team are justifiably proud and pleased.

The Blacks this year were made up of team Leader Lt Steve Gamble, with No 2 Lt Simon Vorley, accompanied by the team manager Lt Andy Dowling, also one of the Observers alongside Lt Shaun Enever.

For 2006 Lt Simon Vorley will become team leader with Lt Gary McCall taking over as No 2. Lt Enever remains as one of the Observers and Lt Cdr Gareth Ingram and Lt Matt Tazewell will join him.

Lt Andy Dowling RN