Airwork Limited, also referred during its history as Airwork Services Limited, is a wholly owned subsidiary company of VT Group plc. It has a long and rich history in providing a variety of defence support services to the RAF, Fleet Air Arm and overseas air forces as well as having played an important role in the development of civil aviation - both in the UK and abroad. This Manual of Style has the simple purpose of making things easy to read by following a consistent format — it is a style guide. ...

Origins

Airwork was founded in 1928 by Sir Nigel Norman and Alan Muntz with the opening of the private Heston Airport in Middlesex. In December 1936 Airwork Limited was registered at Companies House and the newly formed company started its long association with RAF flying training. During World War II Airwork provided an essential service to the war effort by operating many of the RAF Elementary Flying Training Schools.

Airwork moved out of Heston in 1935 due to a lack of adequate space and relocated to Gatwick where it continued with a contract to maintain Whitley bombers for the RAF. During the 1930s Airwork also helped to establish the national airlines of Egypt, India and Rhodesia. In June 1936 it opened No. 11 RAF Elementary and Reserve Flying Training School at Perth in Scotland under contract to the Air Ministry. The company developed accommodation and facilities there and provided aircraft in the form of the Tiger Moth. Following the war Airwork purchased Perth Aerodrome from the local Council and developed a highly successful flying school for commercial pilots which went on to become known as Air Service Training (AST).

In the War years Airwork, through its sites at Gatwick and newer aerodromes at Staverton, Renfrew and Loughborough, became a vital part of the Air Ministry’s maintenance operations. Aircrew training, for example No. 6 Air Observer navigation School at Staverton using Rapides and Ansons and Number 21 Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS) at Booker flying Tiger Moths and Miles Magisters, featured prominently. Engineering contracts consisted of the manufacture of Lancaster wings and modifications on Bostons as well as the preparation, maintenance and repair of Hurricanes, Whitleys, Corsairs, Hellcats, Liberators and Mustangs. Airwork’s contribution to the War effort was a vital one and the company was responsible for the initial training of tens of thousands of pilots.

Post War operations in the UK

In 1947 Airwork relocated its main operation to Langley in Buckinghamshire and a further new site was also established at Blackbushe Airport. By now Airwork had been acquired by the Cowdray family and become part of the British & Commonwealth group of companies. Airwork continued its flying training role providing elementary, RN grading, Volunteer Reserve (VR) and University Air Squadron (UAS) flying training across its locations initially using Tiger Moths and, from the 1950s, the Chipmunk. During this period Airwork also expanded its business into other areas and an advertisement in an April 1949 edition of the magazine ‘Flight’ proclaimed that Airwork’s Sales Division was “incomparably the biggest sales organisation of its kind in the world”! The advert goes on to list the available services of Airwork as being: air transport contracting, servicing and maintenance of aircraft, sale and purchase of aircraft, operation and management of flying schools and clubs, contract charter flying, overhaul and modification of aircraft, specialised aerodrome catering, and insurance. The charter flying element of the business during this period was carried out primarily using Handley Page Hermes and Vickers Viking aircraft primarily flying out of Blackbushe Airport.

In September 1952 Airwork was selected by the Royal Navy to operate the Fleet Requirements Unit (FRU) at Hurn Airport, near Bournemouth. The FRU employed civilian pilots using Fleet Air Arm aircraft to provide target aircraft for the training of Royal Navy radar operators. The first aircraft, Sea Mosquitoes, began arriving at Hurn in August 1952 and these were replaced during 1953 by Sea Hornets. Over the next decade the FRU's duties were expanded to include all aspects of Fleet requirement tasks including target towing for gunnery purposes, eventually covering not just UK based destroyers and frigates but the Mediterranean Fleet as well. A wide variety of aircraft types were used over the years with the Sea Hornet being followed, in chronological order, by the Attacker (1955-1957), Sea Fury (1955-1961), Sea Hawk (1956-1969), Dragonfly (1958-1961), Meteor (1958-1971), Scimitar (1965-1970), Hunter (1969-1972) and Canberra (1969-1972). The Airwork activity at Hurn provided the enthusiast with a welcome opportunity to witness serviceable aircraft that had in many cases long since completed their primary and front line roles.

Airwork was also contracted by the Fleet Air Arm in January 1950 to provide aircraft at RNAS Brawdy to exercise the Aircraft Direction School at nearby Kete. They also undertook a Heavy Twin Conversion Course for FAA pilots using Sea Hornets and Sea Mosquitos. This Unit moved to St. Davids in September 1951 and operated a jet conversion course with Meteor T.7s. It returned to Brawdy in October 1958 but continued to use St. Davids as a satellite. Finally, in January 1961 it relocated to RNAS Yeovilton where it operated as the Air Direction Training Unit (ADTU). Aircraft used here were the Sea Venom, Sea Vampire, Hunter and Sea Vixen.

By 1959 Airwork had moved its Head Office from central London to its present location at Hurn Airport. That year the company took over Freddie Laker’s Air Charter business and a year later merged it with Hunting Clan to form British United Airways.

Throughout the 1960's Airwork continued elementary and University Air Squadron flying training including training pilots of the Army Air Corps at Middle Wallop. It also provided a complete flying grading service for the Royal Navy's Britannia Flight at Roborough, near Plymouth – something it continues to do today. The 1970's saw the introduction of the Bulldog, which gradually replaced the popular Chipmunk.

In November 1972 the Fleet Requirements Unit was relocated from Hurn to RNAS Yeovilton and amalgamated with the Air Direction Training Unit to form the Fleet Requirements & Air Direction Training Unit (FRADTU). The word ‘Training’ was later dropped from the Unit’s name to form the more familiar FRADU. The new Unit continued to use the Hunters, Canberras and, in the early days, Sea Vixens that had previously been used by the FRU and ADTU. In 1983 the FRADU contract was put out to competitive tender and was subsequently awarded to FR Aviation.

Airwork quickly put this setback behind it and in 1984 was awarded a contract for the operation of No.1 Flying Training School RAF Linton-on-Ouse. It was then equipped with the Bulldog and Jet Provost. The Jet Provost was replaced by the Shorts Tucano in 1989.

Overseas activity

Following the creation of the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman Air Force (SMOAF) in March 1959, Airwork was appointed to provide maintenance and technical support. The new air force initially consisted of Scottish Aviation Pioneer CC1, Hunting Provost T.Mk.52 and DHC-2 Beaver aircraft. Growing problems with civil unrest and insurgency, primarily in the Dhofar region, during the late 1960s led to the expansion of the SMOAF. Initially this was through the formation of a squadron of BAC 167 Strikemaster T.Mk.82 aircraft and also through acquisitions of the C-47 Dakota, DHC-4 Caribou, Shorts Skyvan, BN-2A-21 Defender, Vickers Viscounts , BAC 1-11 and VC-10 types of aircraft.

The conditions in which Airwork staff had to work were some of the most challenging in the world with shade temperatures of over 40°C commonplace and cockpit temperatures on the ground often exceeding an unbearable 80°C. Existing working practices had to be radically amended accordingly. Airwork’s support role in Oman was further cemented in the late 1970s by the arrival of over thirty Hawker Hunters. Two squadrons of SEPECAT Jaguars followed further expanding the capability of the Sultanate of Oman Air Force (SOAF), the name of which had been adopted in 1970. During the early 1980s three C-130H Hercules transport aircraft were ordered. In 1990 the SOAF was renamed to become the Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO). Four new British Aerospace (BAe) Hawk 103s and twelve Hawk 203s were delivered in 1993.

The success of the Omani partnership led to Airwork securing similar support contracts in other countries. In Saudi Arabia Airwork was contracted between 1966 and 1973 to provide servicing and training for the Saudi’s English-Electric Lightnings, Hunters and BAC Strikemasters. Airwork also provided a similar service in Aden and to the Kuwaiti and Jordanian air forces. In Africa, Airwork developed a support presence in Nigeria, Sudan and Zimbabwe.

Takeover and current status

Following a management buy-out in 1988 Airwork became part of the Bricom Group of companies. In 1992 a contract with the RAF at St. Athan to modify a number of Tornado F3 aircraft was to have far reaching consequences for the company. Serious damage was caused to the centre fuselage of 16 aircraft during the removal of rivets. When the extent of the damage became clear the Ministry of Defence cancelled the contract with Airwork and pursued compensation from Bricom. Questions were asked in the Houses of Parliament and the reputation of Airwork, at least in the UK, was dealt a grievous blow. A multi million pound compensation settlement was eventually agreed out of court and the F3 aircraft involved were repaired by new contractors replacing the damaged centre fuselages with those from surplus F2 aircraft which had been earmarked for disposal.

Shorts Brothers of Belfast, which had itself been purchased by the Canadian company Bombardier in 1989, acquired Airwork as a wholly owned subsidiary in November 1993 and the company became known as Bombardier Defence Services Limited. The VT Group subsequently acquired the business – renaming it VT Defence - in a £30m deal in June 2000. Whilst in the UK the former Airwork element of the business now trades under the name VT Aerospace, the name and brand of Airwork is still used prominently in Oman as ‘Airwork Technical Services and Partners LLC’ where a new five year contract to support the Royal Air Force of Oman commenced in January 2005.

Official website:

http://www.vtplc.com/aerospace/

Other links:

http://www.armedforces-int.com/categories/military-flight-training/vt-aerospace-history-military-flying-training.asp

http://www.omanet.om/english/oman2004/NATIONAL%20SECURITY%20and%20COURTS.asp

http://www.scramble.nl/mil/4/oman/main.htm

http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_204.shtml

http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_202.shtml