Home | Airshows | The Hangar | Nostalgia | f4's F4s | Wattisham Chronicles | Links |
 |
| Harrier GR7 2000 display
Harrier GR7, 20(R) Squadron. Copyright Gary Parsons, f4 Aviation 2000 Flight Lieutenant David Haines first decided he wanted to learn to fly when, at the age of 11, he saw an RAF flying display at an airshow near Bournemouth. He attended Charter's Comprehensive School in Sunningdale, Berkshire, where he worked to gain the necessary qualifications to join the RAF. However, evenings and weekends were spent concentrating on his true passion - flying. A keen member of his local Air Training Corps squadron, he learnt to fly, and later instructed on Venture gliders with 613 Volunteer Gilding School, at Halton. Halfway through his A-Levels, Dave was awarded an RAF Flying Scholarship at Redhill, Surrey. The intensive thirty-hour flying course made him even more determined to join the RAF as soon as he was able. After completing 'A' level Mathematics and Physics in 1988, he decided to apply immediately to the Air Force rather than go on to university. At first he was unsuccessful in getting through the extremely tough selection Process, and so worked for British Telecom as a Business Systems Engineer before re-applying two years later. In 1990, Dave fulfilled his childhood dream and was finally accepted into the RAF, demonstrating the validity of 'never give up'. After completing Initial Officer Training, his flying career started. Basic Flying Training at Cranwell on the Jet Provost was followed by Advanced Flying Training on the Hawk at Valley. On graduation from Valley, he was awarded the coveted pilot's 'wings' and moved onto Chivenor to complete Tactical Weapons Training, again on the Hawk. In 1993, Dave was one of the fortunate few to be selected to fly the single-seat Harrier GR7. After training on the Operational Conversion Unit at Wittering, he was posted to his first operational squadron, IV(AC) at Laarbruch in Germany. After a first tour flying low and medium level training missions in Germany and the UK, he became Night Combat Ready, flying at night with the use of sophisticated Night Vision Goggles and 'Forward Looking Infra-Red'. During his time on IV(AC) Squadron, Dave's operational skills were put to good use whilst carrying out reconnaissance duties in Northern Iraq, and during the 1995 bombing campaign in Bosnia, which led to the Dayton Peace Accord. More recently, during the 1999 Kosovo conflict, he worked in the Joint Mission Planning Cell at Aviano, Italy, and used his experience to plan the attack missions that involved British RAF Harrier aircraft. In 1998 he started his current job as a Harrier Weapons Instructor on 20(R) Squadron, based at Wittering, teaching new Harrier pilots to use the Harrier’s inventory of weapons and electronic warfare systems. He is also involved in teaching experienced Harrier pilots on post-graduate Electronic Warfare Instructors and Weapons Instructors Courses. In addition to his ongoing Job as an instructor, in November 1999, he was chosen to be the RAF's Harrier Display Pilot, against fierce competition from his fellow pilots. Thirty year-old Dave lives in Lincolnshire with his wife Erika, a Registered General Nurse and reflexologist, and their new-born baby. When not at work he divides his time between renovating their cottage, regular squash games, and his Kawasaki ZX6R motorbike.
|
