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727 Naval Air Squadron

727 Naval Air Squadron

You won’t find 727 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) in any combat zone – but as the unit that gives potential Royal Navy pilots their first taste of airborne life, it’s one of the most important in the Fleet Air Arm.

Role

727 Naval Air Squadron’s primary role is to assess the suitability of new pilots for further training – and their potential for ‘fast jets’. Students arriving at 727 NAS may have never set foot on an aircraft, but are ‘graded’ in basic flying techniques that will prepare them for the next phase. Within around 30 live flying hours students will navigate their aircraft, fly in cloud, and respond to simulated emergencies.

Watching them in the air and on the ground are the Squadron’s Flying Instructors. These experienced pilots get the most from their students and look for those most suited for the front line, from flying Royal Navy helicopters to delivering the UK’s carrier strike capability with the cutting-edge F-35 Lightning II.

Capability

Based at RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset, 727 Naval Air Squadron comprises regular Royal Navy flying instructors, civilian flying instructors, Royal Naval Reservist staff pilots and civilian aircraft engineers. The Squadron is equipped with five Grob 115E Tutor aircraft supplied by a civilian contractor.

The squadron can accommodate up to eight Pilot Grading students and a smaller number of Refresher flying training students at any one time.  

The squadron’s motto is most apt for a Fleet Air Arm Squadron; ‘Regere Mare, Regite Caelum’ (‘To Rule The Sea, Rule The Sky’).

Crew

Led by a Royal Navy Lieutenant Commander flying instructor , the instructors and staff pilots of 727 Air Squadron are among the most experienced in the Royal Navy. Their skills include:

  • Pilot Grading Section
  • Pilot Refresher / Fixed wing Conversion Training 
  • Pilot Navigation
  • Instrument flying
  • Formation flying
  • Aerobatics

Unit history

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