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The RAF Chinook Display Team 2007.

To view the archived 2006 Team page, please click here.

Captain – Flt Lt Dave Traill

Flt Lt David Traill is a 44 year old Scot, born in Stenhousemuir in Central Scotland. He joined the RAF in 1987 as a direct entrant cadet and started RAFC Cranwell in February of that year. Following officer training he conducted flying training at RAF Swinderby and RAF Linton-on-Ouse before commencing Helicopter training at RAF Shawbury in 1988. He was posted to 7 Sqn in 1989 and was immediately deployed to the Middle East in time for the first Gulf War. Dave has completed tours on 7, 18, 27 and 78 Sqn and has served in both Gulf Wars, Northern Ireland, Bosnia and The Falkland Islands. He currently serves as a Helicopter Flying Instructor on the Chinook Operational Conversion Flight on 18(B) Sqn at RAF Odiham. Dave has 4000 hrs flying experience, of which around 3800 are on the Chinook.

Co-pilot – Sqn Ldr Andy Lamb

Sqn Ldr Lamb joined the Army Air Corp in 1986, undergoing officer training at Sandhurst followed by initial pilot training at Middle Wallop, flying the Chipmunk and Gazelle. On successful completion of the course he converted to the Lynx Mk 1/7 and was posted to Soest in Germany. He was subsequently posted as an exchange officer to 427 Tac Hel Sqn in Canada flying the Jet Ranger and Bell 212 for 3 years. On return, Lamb was posted to 7 Flt AAC in Brunei where he again flew the Bell 212 in support of the Jungle Warfare Centre and Special Forces. Sqn Ldr Lamb transferred to the RAF in 2003, joining the Chinook Wing at RAF Odiham and is currently serving on 18(B) Sqn. Sqn Ldr Lamb has a total of 3500 hrs a nd has served in a wide variety of theatres from Alaska to Afghanistan.

  Co-pilot – Flt Lt Rich Simpson

Flt Lt Rich Simpson is 29 years old and was born in Bridgend, South Wales. He joined the RAF in 2000 following 3 years at Portsmouth University, and was a member of Southampton University Air Squadron. Following his commissioning in 2001 he was posted to the DHFS at RAF Shawbury. In 2002 Flt Lt Simpson was selected to attend 18 Squadron’s Chinook OCF at RAF Odiham before beginning his operational career in 2003 with B Flt 27 Squadron. Since then he has completed Operational Detachments in Iraq and more recently Afghanistan. Other exercises and detachments include the Falkland Islands, Northern Ireland, Norway, USA, Poland, Europe and the Middle East. Flt Lt Simpson is an Air-test Captain and has 1300 hours total flying.

Crewman – FS Sam Norris

FS Norris joined the RAF in Aug 1999. Previously, he served 25 years in the Royal Navy; initially as a submariner and from 1983, as a Search and Rescue diver/crewman. He has over 2000 hours Wessex and Seaking and has participated in more than 300 rescues. He completed No 15 Chinook course in May 2000 and was posted to 18 (B) Sqn. He has since flown 1300 hours and operated in diverse places such as Norway, Sierra Leone, Morocco, Iraq and Afghanistan. He is currently the crewman Standards Officer.

Crewman – Sgt Bob Larcombe

Sgt Larcombe joined the Royal Air Force directly from school in 1987. On completion of an Engineering Apprenticeship he was posted to 7 Sqn as an airframes and propulsion technician on Chinook. During this time he served in Northern Ireland, the Falkland Islands and Bosnia. After nearly ten years as groundcrew, Sgt Larcombe remustered to become an Air Loadmaster, and following flying training on the Griffin at RAF Shawbury he was posted back to the Chinook fleet in 1999, this time to 18 Sqn. Since then he has returned to both the Falklands and Northern Ireland, and participated in numerous exercises in the UK and Europe, and further afield in Norway, Morocco and Oman. He was among the first UK helicopter crews to fly in to Iraq during the 2003 invasion (on the same crew as Flt Lt Traill) and has been on operations more recently in Afghanistan. A qualified Helicopter Tactics Instructor, he has amassed nearly 2000 hours on Chinook.

Crewman – Flt Sgt Jason Hollingsworth

FS Hollingsworth joined the RAF as a direct entrant in 1997. After training as an Air Loadmaster at RAFC Cranwell he was posted to DHFS RAF Shawbury to undertake Helicopter Crewman training. On completion of flying training he was posted to 27 Sqn at RAF Odiham to convert to the Chinook HC2. Upon completion of the OCF he remained with 27 Sqn B flt for two tours, during which he was involved in operations in nearly all the theatres in which the Chinook saw service. These included the former Yugoslavia, Iraq, Afghanistan, West Africa, Northern Ireland and the Falkland Islands. He was posted to 18(B) Sqn in 2005 before returning to CFS at RAF Shawbury to undertake his training as a Qualified Helicopter Crewman Instructor. He currently serves as an instructor on the OCF with 2500 hrs on type.

Crewman – Sgt Mark Yardley

Sgt Yardley joined the RAF as a direct entrant in 1995. After training as an Air Loadmaster at RAF Finningley he was posted to 2 Sqn at RAF Shawbury to undertake Helicopter Crewman training on the Wessex. On the award of his flying brevet he was posted to 60 Sqn RAF Benson to complete the Wessex OCU, and subsequently to 72 Sqn at RAF Aldergrove where he attained his Air Gunnery Instructor and Qualified Helicopter Tactics Instructor qualifications. After nearly four years and 1600 hours, he was sent to 18 Sqn RAF Odiham to convert to the Chinook HC2, an aircraft that has accompanied him back to Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan as well as exercises in Oman, Jordan, Norway, Belize and the United States for another 1700 hours. He is currently the SNCO I/C Tasking cell at RAF Odiham.

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