Most of August’s weather had been dull and damp, so ThamesMOG members and their friends from neighbouring centres were fortunate that the weather stayed fine for their trip to the RAF Odiham Family Day. Non-RAF must be invited to this events, so we were very privileged to be invited, but as we were told, the families have come to see your Morgans, not you. Our 23 Morgans made a colourful sight, lined up at the front of the Classic car section of the static display which we shared with the local Jaguar and Ford Mustang owners clubs.
Aircraft operations began at Odiham in 1925, but it was not until October 1937 that it was opened as a permanent RAF airfield, ironically by Erhard Milch who was then the Chief of Staff for the German Luftwaffe. Between February 1936 and September 1939 it was home to No. 4 RAF Squadron, flying the Hawker Hector and the Westland Lysander, and during the Second World War North American Mustangs and Hawker Typhoons were flown out of the base. After the Allied invasion of Europe the site became a prisoner of war camp.
Today RAF Odiham is a front line support helicopter base working within the Joint Helicopter Command. The Station is primarily responsible for providing rapid mobility world-wide for the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force. Home of the UK Chinook Force, Royal Air Force Odiham operates three Chinook squadrons and one Army Air Corps (AAC) Lynx squadron.
We enjoyed a full day of flying including a fine display by the RAF Falcons parachute team, plus flying displays by the RAF Odiham’s Chinook and Lynx Force, Vintage helicopters such as a Westland Scout, a Westland Sioux and a Westland Wasp, and fly-bys from a Griffin engined photo-reconnaissance Spitfire, a A400M Atlas – the replacement for the Hercules, and an RAF Tornado, with static displays from Apaches, Chinooks, and plenty of light aircraft, including two gyrocopters.
We are all hoping that ThamesMOG will be invited to attend next year.
Photographs by David Williams
